|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
3M New user Los Angeles, CA 59 Posts |
I recently read an interesting article concerning the few remaining brick and mortar magic shops. Upon completing the article I was quite alarmed, although not entirely surprised to hear that most of these shops will be disappearing within the next year or so due to the rise of the internet shops. The main body of the article focused on "the boys" meeting in the back rooms of such shops and this was where the real magic happened. The secrets shared, the stories told, and the old pros that would visit these shops if they were in town; internet shops can't offer such valuable insight. And, if these treasured few shops do cease to exist, where will our future generations of young magicians go to learn the real secrets? Because, as any veteran magician will tell you, there's no better place to get real advice like an actual shop. It's not about what you're about to buy, but if you happen to hear some whispers from the old boys in the corner, take note and listen close. For what you will hear will ultimately yield much better secrets than the trick you're about to buy. Any thoughts fellow magicians?
Semper Magus
|
|||||||||
Luke Dancy Inner circle Las Vegas 1157 Posts |
3M, glad to hear you enjoyed the article. I remember growing up and saving the little money I had for the big visit to the magic shop every once in a while. There really is nothing like walking in and being surrounded by the latest and greatest stuff.
For anyone else interested in reading the article 3M mentioned here ya go.. http://themagicsession.com/articles/requ......-knepper Have a great weekend guys! luke |
|||||||||
doormouse Regular user 152 Posts |
Try magic clubs, conventions and lectures. Boy's in the back don't pay the bills. Just saying.
|
|||||||||
rklew64 Inner circle 1265 Posts |
Move to a State that has magic stores like CA, FL, NY, IL, PA and more.
Check out any issue of Linking Rings to see where those magic chapters are. Just look in the back of any Magic magazine for all the listings. There's one in Milwaukee apparently. |
|||||||||
Craig Dickson Veteran user Pleasant Valley, NY 353 Posts |
Or MD. Denny's Magic is unbelievable. Make it a destination for everything magic, lecture's and a place to tell and hear stories, and hang. It ain't dead till that Fat Lady sings, and the only thing fat in Denny's shop is Babe 2 (the pig).
Craig R Dickson
Website: www.wizardcraft.com Blog: http://wizardcraftmagic.blogspot.com Magicalendar: http://allmagicguide.com/c.html |
|||||||||
MarkinMadison Regular user 174 Posts |
Hey 3M, I'm in Wisconsin too....there is Theopolis Magic in Milwaukee, Jest 4 Fun in Waukesha and another I don't know the name of in Janesville. Also, Chicago has several, with Midwest Magic in Franklin Park being my favorite. I try to buy from brick and mortar shops as often as possible, but have to admit Penguin Magic has always come through as an internet shop.
|
|||||||||
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
To me, the two are just not "Ducks and Ducks". The Internet is fine for buying parts and parts. There are some very fine and reputable suppliers there. There are also plenty of problems out there too. If you know exactly what you seek and find an Internet vendor you trust capable of supplying you, it may solve the problem. You certainly should expect a bargain to compensate for the service you are not buying.
The "Brick and Mortar" shop is a different animal. Many provide personal services well worth the extra price. Photographs are no match for getting to touch and hold (perhaps even try) actual props. The options should be broader too. These people can actually help you explore three props for facilitating MisMade Flag etc. They can help you see the difference in spring flowers and spring bills. They can help you routine your existing show with things you are looking to add or change. They often have experience repairing problem props. You can take the stuff home with you today! They may have less to offer a card magician but some will actually teach you the trick you bought. That is a deal. To me, the real overlap is mostly in literature. Books are great buys but the same from any vendor. The only vendor that has something extra of value to add is the author. A personalized autograph is added value to you. Otherwise, price and delivery dates are about the only differences. Videos are seldom the asset a good magic book can be but they are also very popular. Source is essentially a decision about price and delivery. Reality is that exposure to a good "Brick and Mortar" is rare to impossible for many magicians. That is definitely a handicap. But magicians are creative people and do what they can. Magic clubs and magic conventions are great supplements for magicians regardless of the accessibility of magic shops and Internet. After half a century of magic, my best sources of enjoyment are really my magic friends I have gathered over the years. Never underestimate the value of association with other magicians. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
|||||||||
Rick Fisher Elite user Rick Fisher 471 Posts |
Lots of discussion on magic shops. Funny..our walk in clients have tripled the last year. We are finding more and more customers making a day of it and coming to the magic shop - a destination place. The atmosphere you create goes a long way attracting new customers and they in turn spread the word to other.
Magic shops have been viable..are viable and in my opinion will gain strength in the years to come as customers sometimes get "burned" on the internet with a product that does not deliver. If they are wanting to spend a good chunk of money..they are finding it worth the trip to come in to the shop and get good advice and see the products first hand. In the midst of blizzard and ice storms this winter our walk in traffic still consistent..what does that say??? Magic Shops - "A new era of old traditions" - that is our motto |
|||||||||
satellite23 Elite user 424 Posts |
Ever since I've began reading 'Farenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury, everything about the future has seemed so disappointing!!!! WHY????!!!!! A book has ruined my dreams of the future being so electronically efficient...........
Just saying, though. Who are the biggest customers to magic shops, online and offline? We magicians are. We control the future of the shops. If you guys are too lazy to take a stroll to your neighborhood dealer, then don't complain when the 'Brick and Mortars' collapse That's the problems with humans. Efficiency is ruining our race. Anyways, I think that magic will adapt to the world constantly. As I've said before, do we see any top hats and wands in magic acts anymore? No, because the world has excluded them from fashion. Magic has adapted to the world many times over, so I'm not too concerned about the well-being of the art. And there will always be that one genius magician that defines a generation of magic, guys like Houdini, Copperfield, Vernon, Angel, Houdin, Brown, and others who completely bring magic to a new area that was never really explored. Houdini brought the escapes. Derren Brown made mentalism famous. Copperfield was the master of the stage. Angel brings magic to the home. As you can see, magic will never die!!!! |
|||||||||
BatsMagic Inner circle New York 1052 Posts |
Real brick and mortar shops may seem good, but I'm not pleased with them. Every time I have gone to a well known magic shop in NYC I am treated rudely by the staff. I'm an adult with cash to spend, but I have been treated like a kid. On the other hand, I also go to a real unknown shop nearer to my home, and there I am treated well. I'm known by name, and the owner actually lets me in on the method of some tricks before I buy. That's where I spend my money! I have never been treated rudely by an internet shop, and they do have some customer service, so it's not like you are just a dollar bill. Look at Jamie Grant- his customer service is EXCELLENT! A real gentleman! Hopefully there is room for both in this world.
|
|||||||||
Zombie Magic Inner circle I went out for a beer and now have 8733 Posts |
Depends on the shop. In NYC, Fantasama is wonderful. And it looks like a magic shop. Go to Tannen's and they are rude. It looks like a stock room.
Going to any magic shop is like going to a car dealer. The more research you do ahead of time, the better off you are. Magic shops are there to sell and have no problem pressuring you into buying junk. |
|||||||||
Rick Fisher Elite user Rick Fisher 471 Posts |
I disagree whole heartedly...going to a magic shop is NOT like going to a car dealer. Yes, magic shops are there to sell magic ...that is how they keep the lights on. Sorry you had bad experience but not every shop is like that and not everyone pressures you into buying 'junk'......I know of several shop managers who take their time to explain and answer questions, our staff included, on the internet only sites you get an 'email'...hmmmmmmmmm something to think about.
|
|||||||||
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts |
I agree with Rick. I worked with a shop in Birmingham, AL on and off over a twenty year period. This was before internet sales. It was a no-brainer that we could do better business by nurturing a client over a long period of time, instead of "shaking them down" for what cash they had in their pockets the first time they walked in.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
|||||||||
Zombie Magic Inner circle I went out for a beer and now have 8733 Posts |
I still visit them because I love the feeling of the experience. Like any business, some are wonderful and some not so much.
|
|||||||||
chrom Regular user 110 Posts |
I was just recently in MD on a business trip and made a point to stop at Barry's in Rockville. Having purchased products online it was a real pleasure to go in the store and be able to browse all of their items. Plus they have a ton of figurines and exclusive content that is not for sale that made a pleasurable time. I spent a good amount in the store and while I am sure I could have gotten it cheaper online it was nice to support a local business.
Shane |
|||||||||
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
The problem we Internet Only magic dealers have is in training our customers to treat us as if we were a "walk-in shop." When you go to Amazon or Target on the Internet, you never think to ask someone about the purchase you are thinking of making. Come to think of it,if you walked into a Target store in person, you probably wouldn't ask a clerk's opinion about a purchase because you know that they are just stock handlers and cashiers. Many Internet magic stores are set up with automated systems to make selling magic easy for them, not easy for the customer, and certainly not to provide customers with service before, during and after a purchase. But a few of the Internet sites are run by real people, real magicians and as magic customers we need to learn to find those places and use them in the same way we would use a real live magic dealer in his or her shop.
Test: If you want to know whether or not a certain item that catches your attention on-line will fill a need you have in your current act... ask. Send the Internet dealer an e-mail and see what kind of response - or lack of response - you get. Remember, though, just because you are wide awake and eager to buy magic at 3:00 AM don't expect the magic dealer to be awake and have a ready answer for you in real time. You may have to wait a day for your answer. But you should get an answer within 24 hours. If not, or you get some kind of automated one-answer-fits-all response, you are on your own dealing with a warehouse and a robot. But you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that you have contacted a real person who is eager to give you advice, and not necessarily for the purpose of making a sale... just as if you had walked into the old fashioned magic store. Bookmark those sites because as more and more walk-in stores become on-0line stores, you will need to know which ones you can trust and count on.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
|||||||||
Italia16 New user 49 Posts |
Here in the Dallas area, one of my favorite magic shops closed last year. It had been around for probably 30 years. I recently got into magic, so I missed out on seeing this shop as an adult with money to spend. There was nothing greater than hanging out there as a child though. I buy a ton of stuff from online magic shops but I would prefer to be able to stop by one in person.
|
|||||||||
MichalMystic Veteran user 326 Posts |
The biggest problem is shops don't support eachother. For many won't even help you if you don't buy or haven't bought from them. Not only that magicians have stopped supporting these great shops. Magic for me is at the lowest point I ever seen. Magic these days isn't a brotherhood or community.
Its very selfish these days and this one of the biggest reasons in general magic is suffering. |
|||||||||
cgscpa Elite user Ashton, MD 447 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-03-19 13:51, chrom wrote: And now Barry's Magic Shop will be closing this summer. http://www.barrysmagicshop.com |
|||||||||
algebraic Inner circle 1008 Posts |
There's two brick and mortar shops I no longer do business with because of their rude and condescending behavior.
Comments such as,"You don't have that yet!!", "What do you want that for!","Hey tricky ricky, what do you want now!" Then on top of that I receive their newsletters not to shop at online magic sites , but support brick and mortar shops because they provide a better service and are more knowledgeable. I no longer purchase from these two insulting brick and mortar shops, nor do I shop from online shops that are insulting and condescending to me on the phone. Don't complain about a lack of sales when you're not bright enough to realize that not only are you insulting your present customer, but also your repeat customer for years to come! What I find even more insulting is that they think that they are actually fooling you with their unprofessional behavior. I have no respect for them, nor will I purchase from them again. Guess what, there are other companies bright enough and more business savy to realise that you always treat the customer with respect. They are, after all, PAYING your bills, staff, etc. GROW UP. Shops like this should close. Bad business decisions come in many forms. I have my B.S. in Business Administration and I'm constantly amazed at how some magic shops/sites treat their customers. Amazing. Don't complain about a lack of sales when your shop is almost empty, poorly organized, poorly displayed, poorly advertised on your store front, and your staff is more interested in practicing their magic on store hours instead of waiting on customers. Stop degrading your customers. Having been in retail as an Assistant Manager and also a Store Manager, I knew the customer was paying my salary and that I needed to keep the store well stocked, well organized, clean, well lit, and that customers were waited on in a very timely manner with respect. That's how you get repeat customers for life. You don't insult the customer and degrade their purchases. If you're degrading their purchases, then why are you carrying the product in the first place. I'll leave my rant with this. One online magic site owner said it best-"It's the hobbyists who are driving the market. Professional magicians only buy a few things because they already have a complete act. That's why I pay attention to what hobbyists want." That's an owner who understands the business of business. The customer that is treated with respect and good service will return as a repeat customer. Business 101. |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » A tangled web we weave... » » "Brick and Mortar" vs. Internet Shops (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.05 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |