Danny Malin: I’ve just bought the Wakefield magic shop that sparked my childhood dream
The magic shop I loved as a kid is now my business
I grew up in Barnsley, where I loved riding my bike, fishing and playing on my Amstrad computer.
But I had another secret passion, other than eating food, which was magic.
My passion peaked from watching magic on TV and playing tricks with my grandad. When I first stepped foot in Merlins of Wakefield magic shop, I was hooked.
Phil Peters and Mark Lee set up Merlins back in 1995.
Both are professional magicians who would show me the latest tricks and how to perform them.
They didn’t mind whether I was spending a few quid or most of my wage, for them it was all about sharing their love of magic.
They performed close-up and cabaret magic all across the UK. So it was a real honour to have these guys local.
Mark even began designing and selling his own tricks, which he now supplies internationally.
Merlins has stood the test of time, it’s the happy place I always return to.
Unlike a lot of magic shops these guys have stuck to their roots and continued with a bricks-and-mortar store whilst building their online business. They’ve built a community of new and experienced magicians with well-known magicians such as Dynamo, aka Steven Frayne, and Stephen Mulhern.
It’s always been my dream to work with these guys. After 30 years, Phil is retiring, so Mark invited me to buy into the business to be his new partner.
Last week we signed the contract, so I’m the new co-owner of Merlins with Mark.
I can’t wait to get my teeth into creating content, building our audience and growing the business. Of course I’ll still be on the road dannymalin.co.uk, but in between work I will be building Merlins online and when I’m home, I’ll be helping in the shop.