The Disappearing Magic Shop: Why We Need to Save a Little Magic

6 days ago

11 min read

Imagine a shop where you could buy the impossible.

Where every shelf held a mystery.

Where every visit felt like an adventure.

And where a young child could walk through the door, see something incredible and discover a passion that might last a lifetime.

Now imagine that shop disappearing forever.

Well, unfortunately, that's exactly what's happening to some of our wonderful independent magic shops.

And I think it's time we did something about it.

Today I want to talk about something very close to my heart.

Proper, bricks-and-mortar magic shops.

Not just websites selling the latest magic tricks.

I'm talking about those wonderful little places where you walk through the door and suddenly feel like a child again.

I want to share some memories of growing up in Glasgow, introduce you to two fantastic magic shops in Yorkshire and explain why I think we all need to do our bit to support them.

Because if we're not careful, the greatest disappearing trick of all might be the magic shops themselves.

And unfortunately, that's one trick we can't reverse with a magic wand.

Growing Up in Glasgow: My Magical Childhood at Tam Shepherds

Some of you will know that I originally come from Glasgow.

And growing up, one of my favourite places in the entire city was Tam Shepherds Trick Shop on Queen Street.

If you've ever been there, you'll know exactly what I mean.

It was an absolute Aladdin's cave.

Only instead of finding a magic lamp, you were more likely to discover a fake dog poo, a whoopee cushion or a packet of stink bombs.

There were magic tricks.

Jokes.

Masks.

Playing cards.

Practical jokes.

And all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

As a young lad growing up in Glasgow, I absolutely loved it.

You never quite knew what you'd discover.

And that was part of the excitement.

“Thanks, Tam! See You Next Week!”

Here's something that still makes me laugh.

When I was younger, I'd visit Tam Shepherds regularly to pick up my copy of Abracadabra, the weekly magic magazine.

It cost about 50p.

I'd buy it, put it in my little paper bag and start reading it on the bus home.

And every time I left the shop, I'd say:

“Thanks, Tam! See you next week!”

The funny thing is that the gentleman behind the counter wasn't called Tam.

It was Roy Walton.

Yes, THAT Roy Walton.

One of the most respected and creative card magicians of his generation.

And I had absolutely no idea.

I thought his name was Tam Shepherd!

He never corrected me.

Not once.

Which makes me laugh even more when I think about it now.

Learning Magic From a Legend Without Realising It

Looking back, it's quite extraordinary.

There I was, a young boy fascinated by magic, regularly visiting a shop run by one of the most influential card magicians in the world.

And I didn't even appreciate who he was.

Roy Walton created some wonderful magic, including the famous Card Warp effect.

You know the one.

A playing card is folded and apparently turns inside out as it's pushed through another folded card.

It's an absolutely brilliant illusion.

Roy also published an enormous amount of creative card magic.

I've got all three volumes of The Complete Walton, and I was fortunate enough to have them signed by him before he passed away.

Those books mean a great deal to me.

Not simply because of the material.

But because of the memories attached to them.

The Shop That Helped Shape My Magical Journey

I started learning magic when I was about eight years old.

And visiting Tam Shepherds as a child helped develop that interest into something much bigger.

It's where I discovered different styles of magic.

Where I became fascinated by clever methods.

And where I developed a particular love for Tenyo magic.

One of the first Tenyo tricks I remember buying was Bird Watcher.

A lovely little effect with a mathematical principle behind it.

And perhaps that's partly why I've always been drawn towards mathematical magic.

Today, I've got a rather substantial Tenyo collection.

My wife might use a slightly different description.

But those early visits to Tam Shepherds helped shape the magician, creator and author I've become.

At the time, I wasn't thinking about writing books.

Or creating magic tricks.

Or running Neo Magic.

I was simply a young boy who loved being amazed.

And that's what makes those memories so special.

The Sad Closure of Tam Shepherds in Glasgow

Unfortunately, in November 2024, Tam Shepherds closed its physical shop on Queen Street after nearly 140 years of trading.

The building was being redeveloped, and the costs and uncertainty surrounding the premises made continuing there unsustainable.

The business still operates online, run by the same family.

And I'm delighted that its legacy continues.

But Glasgow lost something very special when those doors closed.

Because a physical magic shop isn't simply somewhere you buy things.

It's somewhere you make memories.

And when I heard about the closure, all those childhood memories came flooding back.

The bus journeys.

The magazines.

The tricks.

The conversations.

And, of course…

“Thanks, Tam!”

Why Independent Magic Shops Still Matter

That brings me to the real reason I'm writing this article.

I want children growing up today to experience something similar.

I want them to walk into a shop.

See a magic trick performed right in front of them.

Ask how it works.

Discover something they've never seen before.

And perhaps fall in love with magic.

Because sometimes all it takes is one little moment.

One impossible trick.

One friendly magician.

One visit to a shop.

And suddenly, a lifelong passion begins.

Meet Rob Hutchinson at the Halls of Ripon

I was recently chatting with my good friend Rob Hutchinson, who runs a magic shop inside the Halls of Ripon in North Yorkshire.

And I wanted to give Rob a proper shout-out.

Because I think what he's doing is fantastic.

Rob is a professional magician who performs at weddings, parties, corporate events and other occasions.

But alongside performing, he's helping introduce magic to a whole new audience through his shop.

And I absolutely love that.

What's particularly interesting about Rob is that he didn't discover magic as a young child.

He came to it later in life.

Which just goes to show that it's never too late to discover something new.

A Magic Shop for Beginners, Children and Families

What I particularly like about Rob's shop is that it caters for people who might be completely new to magic.

Children.

Families.

Beginners.

People who are simply curious.

You can pop in, see magic demonstrated and discover tricks that are relatively easy to learn.

And that's exactly what we need.

Imagine a child walking into the Halls of Ripon with their parents.

They stumble across Rob's shop.

Rob shows them a magic trick.

Something impossible happens.

Their eyes light up.

And suddenly they're hooked.

Who knows?

Twenty years later, that child might be performing professionally.

Inventing tricks.

Writing books.

Or, heaven forbid, hosting a podcast and talking absolute nonsense into a microphone.

Not that I know anybody who does that.

Obviously.

Why I Want You to Visit Rob's Magic Shop

The Halls of Ripon is a lovely concept in itself, bringing together a collection of independent businesses under one roof.

And Rob's magic shop fits perfectly into that environment.

So if you're anywhere near Ripon, please do me a favour.

Pop in.

Say hello to Rob.

Have a chat.

Ask him to demonstrate something.

And, if you can, buy a little magic.

It doesn't have to be expensive.

Just support what he's doing.

And tell him Vinny from Neo Magic and Mind Burp Games sent you.

I can't promise he'll give you a discount.

Actually, knowing Rob, he might charge you extra!

I'm joking, of course.

But seriously, people like Rob are helping make magic accessible to the next generation.

And that deserves our support.

Find Rob here: https://www.robhutchinsonmagic.co.uk/

Merlin's of Wakefield: Over 30 Years of Keeping Magic Alive

Another fantastic independent magic shop I want to mention is Merlins of Wakefield.

Merlins was established in 1995 by Mark Lee and Phil Peters.

And I love how the business developed.

From relatively humble beginnings, they've built one of the UK's best-known independent magic shops.

If you've ever visited Merlins, you'll know they've got an incredible selection.

Card magic.

Coin magic.

Mentalism.

Books.

Stage magic.

Collectables.

Second-hand magic.

And all sorts of unusual props and effects.

It's the kind of shop where you could easily lose a couple of hours.

And probably a fair bit of money.

But at least you'd have a lovely time doing it.

Why Good Magic Dealers Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

One of the things I really appreciate about Merlins is that the people behind the counter understand magic.

They're magicians themselves.

They know what works.

They know what doesn't.

And they can offer proper advice.

That's incredibly valuable.

Because sometimes the best advice a magic dealer can give you is:

“Actually, I don't think that trick is right for you.”

Imagine that.

A shopkeeper telling you not to buy something!

But that's the difference between simply selling a product and genuinely helping somebody.

A good magic dealer wants you to buy something you'll actually use.

Something that suits your style.

Something you'll enjoy performing.

Not just another gimmick destined for the drawer of broken dreams.

A New Chapter for Merlins of Wakefield

There's also been an interesting development at Merlins.

After more than 30 years, Phil Peters retired in 2026.

His share of the business was acquired by Danny Malin, who now runs Merlins alongside Mark Lee.

And I think that's wonderful.

Danny has a longstanding passion for magic and previously owned a magic shop in Doncaster.

So there's genuine magical experience behind the new partnership.

I know Mark and Phil well, and they've supported my own magic creations over the years.

Merlins has stocked a range of Neo Magic products, and I've always appreciated that support.

So it feels only right that I encourage others to support them too.

Remembering the Merlins Magic Festival

Merlins has also organised some fantastic magical events over the years.

Their Magic Festival brought together magicians for lectures, demonstrations, performances and a good old-fashioned magical get-together.

I had the pleasure of lecturing at one of their events in 2023.

I've also attended as a dealer.

And they were fantastic experiences.

Because these events aren't simply about buying magic tricks.

They're about meeting people.

Sharing ideas.

Learning something new.

And spending an entire day talking about magic without somebody looking at you as though you've completely lost your marbles.

Which, let's face it, is a rare opportunity.

I'd love to see more events like that.

And I hope Merlins continues to thrive for many years to come.

Visit Merlins: https://www.merlinswakefield.com/

“Why Visit a Magic Shop When I Can Just Buy Online?”

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking.

“Vinny, why should I visit a physical magic shop when I can buy everything online?”

And that's a perfectly fair question.

After all, I run Neo Magic.

I sell magic tricks, books and games online.

I don't have a physical shop myself.

Although I'd love to have one.

So I'm certainly not suggesting everybody should stop buying magic online.

That would be a rather unfortunate business decision on my part.

But here's the thing.

A physical magic shop offers something a website simply can't replicate.

The experience.

Seeing Magic Live Is Completely Different

Watching a magic trailer online is one thing.

Seeing a trick performed right in front of you is another.

You can watch the magician.

Ask questions.

See how the effect plays.

Get advice.

And discover something you might never have considered buying.

That's something I love about attending conventions such as Blackpool.

You can actually experience the magic.

Not just watch a carefully edited trailer.

And when you're standing in front of a good magic dealer, you can have a proper conversation about what you're looking for.

Sometimes you walk away with something completely unexpected.

And that's part of the fun.

We've All Got the Drawer of Broken Dreams

I've mentioned this before on the podcast.

But I think almost every magician has a drawer full of tricks they never perform.

You see something online.

The trailer looks incredible.

You order it.

It arrives.

And somehow it never quite makes it into your working repertoire.

Into the drawer it goes.

I've got so many unused tricks that I could probably open my own magic shop.

Although I'd have to call it:

“Vinny's Magic Shop of Broken Dreams.”

Opening hours: whenever I can find the keys.

But visiting a proper magic shop can help avoid some of those purchases.

Because you can see the effect before buying it.

And you can speak to somebody who understands what you're looking for.

Magic Shops Don't Just Sell Tricks – They Create Magicians

Here's the thought I really want you to take away.

A magic shop doesn't just sell magic tricks.

It creates magicians.

Think about that.

When I was a young boy walking into Tam Shepherds in Glasgow, I wasn't thinking about running a magic business one day.

I wasn't planning to write books.

I wasn't imagining lecturing at magic conventions.

I just wanted to see something impossible.

Learn how it worked.

And share that wonderful feeling with somebody else.

That's what magic shops do.

They plant little seeds of curiosity.

And sometimes those seeds grow into something extraordinary.

Your Mind Burp Challenge: The Magic Shop Mission

Right, it's time for this episode's Mind Burp Challenge.

And this week I'm calling it:

The Magic Shop Mission.

Very original, I know.

Here's what I want you to do.

Sometime over the next month, support an independent magic shop.

If you're near Ripon, visit Rob Hutchinson.

If you're near Wakefield, visit Merlins.

And if you've got another independent magic shop nearby, support that one.

Go in.

Have a look around.

Speak to the person behind the counter.

Ask them to demonstrate something.

And, if you can, buy something.

It doesn't have to be expensive.

A pack of cards.

A little trick.

A book.

Whatever takes your fancy.

But here's the twist.

Don't Just Buy It – Perform It!

I don't want you to buy something and immediately put it in the drawer.

No, no, no!

Here's what I want you to do.

Learn it.

Practise it.

Perform it for three people.

That's it.

Because then you've done three wonderful things.

You've supported an independent magic shop.

You've learned something new.

And you've shared a little bit of magic with somebody else.

That's what it's all about.

And if you can't physically visit a magic shop, that's absolutely fine.

Order something from an independent dealer online instead.

You could even support Tam Shepherds, which continues trading online.

The important thing is that you're supporting the people who help keep magic alive.

Tell Me About Your Magic Shop Memories

I'd also love to hear your stories.

Did you have a favourite magic shop growing up?

Was there somewhere you visited as a child that helped spark your interest in magic?

Perhaps you remember visiting Tam Shepherds.

Or maybe there's a little independent shop somewhere else in the world that means a great deal to you.

Let me know.

And if you complete the Magic Shop Mission, tell me where you went, what you bought and how the performances went.

I'd genuinely love to hear about it.

A Thank You to the People Keeping Magic Shops Alive

Before I finish, I want to say a massive thank you to Rob Hutchinson, Merlins of Wakefield and everyone else who's helping keep independent magic shops going.

Because running a physical shop these days isn't easy.

There's rent.

Business rates.

Electricity.

Insurance.

Stock.

Staffing.

And all sorts of other expenses.

And selling magic certainly isn't the easiest business in the world.

So please don't take these places for granted.

Once they're gone, they're incredibly difficult to replace.

Let's Make Sure the Magic Doesn't Disappear

I look back at Tam Shepherds in Glasgow with such fond memories.

And I genuinely hope that children growing up today will have similar experiences visiting places like Rob's shop in Ripon or Merlins in Wakefield.

Because those memories can last a lifetime.