talkmagic.co.uk

- snip - sorry, posted in error

I've just come back from New York, I went with another magician and we had a great time, we're going back in February too.

We visited Fantasma and had a great time, we stayed about an hour chatting to David Roth and other customers. I found them very pleasant and helpful. They had a reasonable selection of props.

We then visited Tannens, again, we stayed nearly an hour, chatting and showing effects with staff and other customers. Apparently Tannens was a lot better a few years ago though but we found it quite pleasant and the staff were fine. They had quite a lot of stuff too.

When you go there, don't look for a shop with a shop front. Both shops are a little difficult to find. For Fantasma, you will have to follow a tight staircase and along a corridor with other retail units around, as with Tannens, but you will have to take a lift then along a few corridors.

When we were there, Monday night magic was not on, but I hear it will be back on soon.

just a quick question for anyone that has bought anything in Tannen's, or USA in general -

Are standard magic DVDs (I'm thinking Jay Sankey's Ear Plugs, and maybe Williamson's Magic Farm) region free, or are they region encoded?

It would be worth my while picking up a few while I'm there if they are cheaper, but I don't have a multiregion DVD player, which would defeat the purpose...

thanks

just back from New York, and wow! What an experience. A truly crazy, mad city! I spent several hours over the 6 days I was in New York in both Tannens and Fantasma, and can report the following:

What ElliottB said above is true about Tannens, the first time I was in, the store was very busy (which is pretty strange, as unless you know exactly how to find the store, as Demitri says, you'll never find it, and as a result, the salesman, while spending time with me, was trying to serve about 6 people at once, so I didn't get his undivided attention. The other times I was in, it was quieter, and the staff were friendly, helpful, happy to demonstrate tricks, and discuss the merits of one DVD over another etc. The range, compared with what I'm used to (Tam Shepherds in Glasgow) was much better, but not the best I've seen (Old Town Magic Shop, or Magic Max as it is now in Florida had more). In the end, I purchased a Sponge Balls DVD (World's Greatest Magic), Sankey's Holy Moly, a PK ring, and Paul Harris' Deep Astonishment II (which isn't on their website, but they had one in stock).

I visited Fantasma twice, again, staff very friendly, were more than happy to demonstrate several tricks, despite me stating that I wasn't buying anything that particular day, and went away amazed, and amused. The range in Fantasma wasn't as good as Tannens, but the shop looks better, and the staff were friendlier, and in my opinion, demonstrated the tricks better. On the whole, i think Fantasma was more expensive than Tannens, but they had a good range of beginner's magic sets etc (which they also sold at Monday Night Magic). In the end, I bought NFW from there, after being blown away by it. I asked what sleights were involved (and said that if it had an Elmsley Count, I would struggle), and the salesman told me that that was the main move in the trick, but I couldn't resist.

As I was staying at Hotel Pennsylvania (literally next door to Fantasma, and just around the corner from Tannens), I was rather spoiled for choice, and it really made my holiday. I would highly recommend a visit to both, but maybe research what you're after before you go, so you don't get the old CUPS while you're there.