If you're shopping for a magician, here are some suggestions for gifts that will be well appreciated. And if you are a magician, these are worthy items for your wish list.

It's all in the new Magic Gift Guide.

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In our magic forum, Christian3 posted some helpful advice for beginners on how to maximize the impact of an effect.

He says: "Pause at certain KEY POINTS! If I am performing invisible deck, I always give a long pause before flipping over the reversed card. If you are performing sponge balls and when they jump to the other persons hand, pause and let the effect and the laughs of surprise go."

You can read the entire post on our forum. And if you ever have a magic related question, you can often find answers here as well.

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The Disneyland Main Street Magic Shop, run by Houdini's Magic Shop, is now open for business. On initial look, the shop looks a lot like it did before the Houdini's make over with a similar layout as well as product boards and demo counters. The shop opened for business on October 28.

While the shop is filled with the typical tourist-oriented magic tricks that one would expect, I was pleased to see lots of beginning and intermediate magic books, many of them classic titles, which shows that the shop is equipped to fill the needs of those who are serious about learning magic. Overall, the shop is filled with more books and magic tricks than at any other time that I've seen in the past ten years.

When I arrived at the shop, I met none other than Geno Munari, President of Houdini's Magic Shop. I found him to be an enthusiastic cheerleader for magic.

I know that many of you are less than enthusiastic about the Houdini's taking over the beloved Disneyland Magic Shop. But without Houdini's, there would likely be no Main Street magic shop today. And after seeing the shop for myself and watching the courteous demonstrators, I came away with a positive feeling.

I have encountered overzealous salespeople at Las Vegas Houdini's shops, but felt that the new Main Street shop provided a positive magic experience to its visitors. I'm hoping that the Houdini's-branded shop can inspire kids to seriously study magic as the old one did.

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According to this article, Allan Grove and Frank Culler of the King Magic Ring in Maryland organized and performed a benefit show to help eight-year-old David Greeley who suffered injuries and had his leg amputated after a serious bike riding accident. The article says that 100% of the show's proceeds were to go to David Greeley's family to assist with his medical bills.

Kudos to Allan Grove, Frank Culler and the King Magic Ring. You are shining examples of those who practice our art of magic. If there are other performers who participated in this worthy effort, please make their names known either through e-mail or comments.

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