STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 20)

EXECUTIVE SUITE / RETAIL PEOPLE More Than Smoke and Mirrors Retail prestidigitator runs America’s oldest continuously operating magic store Larry Kahlow Eagle Magic Store Burnsville, Minn. olins Pentz opened Eagle Magic & Joke Store in 1899. Since then the store has called eight different Twin Cities’ locations home, and ownership has been passed down through the decades in apprentice-like fashion. You recently moved the store from its long-time location to the suburbs. How did that transition go? I decided, maybe selfishly, to move the business closer to my home from an urban, more central location. It was the right time in my career. In retail — and probably all things — I think it’s important to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others. Did long-time customers follow? C Magician Larry Kahlow took over in 1977, but he first eyed the store with his parents as a budding eightyear-old prestidigitator. Kahlow recently relocated the 109-year-old business to suburban Minneapolis, less than two miles from his Burnsville home. A neon sign calls out “Eagle Magic Store” and the vintage showcases are chock full of the sort of practical jokes persons of a certain age will remember seeing in the back pages of comic books. Yes, Eagle Magic has joy buzzers, itching powder and X-ray specs, but there also are time-honored illusions and magic tricks. In addition to his retail operation, which has expanded to include party and clown supplies, costumes, masks and novelty gifts, Kahlow offers magic classes for kids and grownups and has hosted more than 100 lectures by other successful magicians. He also maintains a booking agency for magicians, jugglers and ventriloquists. Who makes up your customer base? They did. In fact about 30 volunteers helped move the store to our new location. That saved us a lot of money. Retail is an amazing thing. At the end of the day, even though I don’t make a lot of money, it allows me to teach and mentor magicians including amateurs and kids. I can usually size up a customer in 30 seconds and find them an appropriate product – even ones that haven’t been made for 10 years. I can save them money by helping them select a [trick or illusion] they can successfully perform. What other passions or interests might y ou h ave p ursued i f y ou hadn’t taken this “magical” path? In elementary school I thought about being a teacher. I’m a teacher of magic now and a magic historian, but I also considered being a history teacher. What book is on the nightstand? Two, at the moment, and both are about magicians — an autobiography of Will Rock and one on the life of Harry Blackstone. A little known fact about you? I can stand in the same place for a long time. One customer gave me a really nice chair to sit in at the store and I’ve really never used it. What do you do with downtime? I’ve been involved with this store since 1958 and have been behind the counter since 1970. Some of those [early] customers are bringing back their kids and grandkids to recapture a part of their past, but we’ve also had teachers, preachers and heads of industry through the door. In 109 years, all of the big names have been through here, from Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston to more modern magicians. Then there’s both Harry Blackstones; Doug Henning, David Copperfield and Lance Burton have all been through here. Harry Connick Jr., Muhammad Ali and Billy [Gibbons] from ZZ Top have been here. [Gibbons] wanted to buy shocking lighters, joy buzzers and whoopee cushions. 20 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 I spend it refurbishing my collection of antique magic tricks. Guests — living or passed — that you’d invite to your ultimate dinner party? Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Johnny Carson, Adelaide Herrmann [wife of legendary magician Alexander Herrmann], Anita Bryant and Tim Conway. Any thoughts about your own “disappearing act”? I thought I might retire when I turn 65. StORES — Janet Groeber WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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