Merlins of Wakefield

Merlins of Wakefield has a catchphrase: ‘It’s always magic at Merlins!’ This venerable local magic shop offers both products and informed advice to beginner and experienced magicians – to anyone wishing to impress with a party trick or get the intricacies of magic work under their belt. The shop was established in 1995 by Phil Peters and Mark Lee, both professional magicians with experience performing close-up and cabaret magic right across the UK. Now, Merlins supplies occasional and full-time magicians with props, books, DVDs and routines, with an in-house range of products that includes exclusive and premier items.

Situated on a sloping road within sight of the Grade I listed Wakefield Cathedral, with its magnificent spire, Merlins is the place to go for a wide range of close-up accessories, including sponge magic, coins and card magic. The shop’s own products include Apparitionally Yours, a magic trick with accompanying DVD by Mark Lee himself, brass locking pentra coins (a trick that sees four coins pass through solid brass), a collectors dice stacking set, magic wands, coin collectors and much more. There’s a range of instructional books, comedy and cabaret items for stage work, and a selection of products that fit under the ‘mentalism’ theme – all demonstrating the performer’s heightened mental or psychic abilities.

Perhaps most interesting is the selection of collectables, including rare, handcrafted teak tricks by magician Alan Warner and clever, ring flight tricks from magician Joe Porper. These are where Merlins’ range becomes especially exclusive, with the products’ heritage forming part of their value and appeal. There’s a huge amount more to discover, particularly for those new to magic, its culture and history – and Merlins offers an excellent way in, with both supportive advice and comprehensive sets for beginners. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all; these skills don’t appear with the wave of a wand…