Well, it’s public now that Hocus Pocus in Fresno has closed. For me, this is the end of the “family magic shop” era. Aside from Stevens Magic Emporium, there really aren’t any prominent family run magic shops in the USA anymore. Yes, there are some smaller ones, but not really any with national/international reach.
I first met Paul and Betty Gross when I was performing at The Big Fresno Fair about a decade ago. They came to the fair and watched my show, and then they introduced themselves. I had done business with Paul Gross long before that. Hocus-Pocus was the second shop to sell my Evaporation trick. The first was Max Krause’s magic shop, but he called me at around 10pm, right after I had sent out an email to magic shops announcing the product. Paul put in an order the next morning and he immediately sold out and reordered.
After Paul’s passing, I continued doing business with Hocus Pocus when Max took over. Max was involved before that, but he became the face of the business at that point. For not being a magician, Max knew a lot about the industry and a ton about collectible magic!
That brings us to today (technically last night) with them officially being closed. Last week I got a call from them giving me a heads up about it, and I immediately booked a flight down to say good by to them. Every magic product I’ve released for the last decade has been through them, and it’s been a great relationship.
It’s sad to see this shop going away, and it was great to chat with them about what’s next. Max is a super smart guy, and he kept his Dad’s dream alive and now he’s working on his dream, and I wish him and the rest of the family the best!
-Louie
Sad to see Hocus Pocus close their door. They were (are) good people and they ran a good business. I was excited to see Max expanding into the line of custom-made 3D-printed magic apparatus and had some good email conversations with him about possible future additions to their line of 3D-printed props. Frustrating to see these great magic shops shut down. It’s a tough business to survive in. I hope Stevens, Abbott’s and Magic Inc. can survive a while longer . Those are the only long time family-run shops I can think of which still exist. (there may be others?) Oh, also Williams Magic in Arizona.
I’ve determined the average lifespan of an owner operated magic shop is 50 years. That’s about the working lifespan of the owner. Making the transition past the original owner is touch, and Abbotts and Magic Inc really did that before the internet, so they were able to hold their clients a bit more than now.
Steven’s I’ve heard no longer has a physical location after the fire a few years ago, so it’s just a mail order place now.
There are tons of owner operated shops still around. The huge challenge they’re facing of the overhead of running a physical location. One thing I’ve noticed is the modern magic shops that are making it have a theater or event space in the back.
MJM Magic is (and always has been) family owned (husband and wife team). Also located and shipping from California, they’ve been around since 2004 and are known for the family-friendly support. (https://www.MJMMagic.com)
Sad to see H.P. going out of business. This industry has always been tough to thrive in, especially with so many foreign knock offs and online exposure videos. Wishing Max the best in his future endeavors.
I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with MJM. I just peeked at their site and it looks like their mail order only?
Any shop that not just ships, but also gives support is good in my book!
Joe Pon continues to operate Misdirections in San Francisco with a faithful following visiting his shop regularly where he offers personal instructions to buyers and presents lectures by high profile magicians.
Gary
I visit Joe once or twice a year as my tour schedule takes me to/through San Francisco. One of the advantages with Joe is the personal instructions he offers and he knows his stuff!
Max has been just amazing and Hocus Pocus has been my favourite online supplier. I genuinely wish him and all his family well but will definitely miss the personal touch they provided. Many of my orders included a personal email exchange between Max and myself and I’ve rarely met a more friendly or professional individual in any capacity.
They definitely were able to add a personal touch to their interactions with customers. I think it has it’s roots in them also having had a walk in business. They knew what people were into, and if it came into the shop, they’d let you know!
-Louie
Hi: I was just going to order an ata tip over trunk. I wish I knew how to get ahold of them to see if they have one left laying around.
Terry,
There are a bunch out there, you’ll just have to do some hunting on the secondary market.
Louie
I have one i can sell you, brand new
339.499.8759
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