talkmagic.co.uk

Split off from another thread, previous posts were:

daleshrimpton wrote:.....with the unfortunate demise of Abra this weekend.

dat8962 wrote:Sad to hear of the news on Abra through Dales post. I can't seem to find any more information on this, even on the Davenports web site.

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I gather that there will be an official anouncement tomorrow, or friday.
I came across the news yesterday on Genii.
And then had it confirmed elsewhere.

Perhaps a new or split thread should be started as there will no doubt be a lot of posts and comments on this sad news

Good idea - here it is.

I only clicked on this because I was wondering who Denise is and what her role is within Abra.

I was in Davenports on Monday morning and they still had Abra for sale. Wish I picked up a copy now.

I'll see if Walt or Roy mention it tonight and report back.

Replicant wrote:I only clicked on this because I was wondering who Denise is and what her role is within Abra

The first version actually said 'Demise of A bra' glad I spotted it before anyone else did....

That's the end of another tradition. Picking up an Abra when I am passing near Davenports

As I am stupid, what is abra?
is it a magazine or some drunk who sat outside Davenports?

I just noticed a batch of 78 Abra magazines on Ebay--August 1952 to March 1954. The Buy it Now price is $249.95 plus shipping.

I remember, as a kid, buying this magazine from my local magic store, Kharduni's in Wallasey. I've never seen it since, but it's a shame to see it disappear.

Someone very confused has just PM'd me saying they thought Abba had already broken up !

This is truly horrible news. I feel quite sick to hear it. It is almost as if a close relative has died. I have known Abra all my life. I can't believe it is gone.

FRK wrote:As I am stupid, what is abra?
is it a magazine or some drunk who sat outside Davenports?

It's a very low-budget magic weekly sold in Davenports. Looks like it was laid out using a photocopier, scissors and pritstick.

26 years in magic and I bought one copy once.

Print is dead. I'm amazed it lasted this long.

thats a bit harsh.
Abra was for more than 60 years, just about the only way many magicians world wide, could keep up with all the news and reviews.
It also contained a vast ammount of magical effects and routines, submitted by some of the largest names in magic during its publication.
indeed the list of contribuors reads like a who's who of magic.


i dont think that you should judge the magazine, based on just one copy.

True it is harsh, but I'm in a mood.

Over the years it certainly served a purpose. It should have moved online and should have been one of the best email newsletters or websites for uk magic.

However, like many other print titles, it held out. Ignoring the internet was its downfall. Mr Kaufman's forum, when he works out how to make money from it properly, will certainly replace Genii as a magazine in probably as little as 5 years.

The internet has beaten print. The clever people are working out how to get money from content. Or, more importantly, niche communities.

I actually got given about 100 of these mags a couple of years back dating from the 50s right through to the 90s which is when I presumed that they discontinued so even thoe I'm dissapointed I have already grieved which doesen't make it so bad. Excellent information in most of them thoe with some top names of the day.