The "Do it again, Tampah!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Everyone is seated in the living room when one of my grandkids yells out, "Do it again, Tampah!"  For the last 20 minutes I have been amazing my family, mostly the grandkids, with a display of magic.  Actually one trick, but the grandkids love it and the rest of the family is laughing at the excitement that the kids are displaying.  The adults know how my trick is done; at least I think they do.  Ever since my grandkids, as well as my own kids, were born I have been surprising them with tricks.  Mostly pulling coins from behind their ears and then the truly amazing candy under the pillow trick.  That one goes like this:  Before my grandkids arrive I place a piece of candy under a pillow or in a drawer somewhere in the house.  While doing the trick I tell them I will make a piece of candy disappear and then tell them where it may be found.  The excitement rises as I take a piece of candy, unwrap it and …. pop it in my mouth.  After a short time I show them that it is no longer in my mouth, but tell them that I have made it travel through time to ….. the drawer in the middle bedroom.  Off they hustle and in a few seconds you can hear the excitement again when they have found it.  "Do it again, Tampah!"  So I did it again.  Must do it three times, since I have three grandkids and they all need to find a treat.  After a few years they caught on to that trick so I had to come up with something new and more refined.  

This is the magic trick that my grandkids like.  I place
these on my thumbs and when you push on them, they
glow red.  Looks just like a firefly that is illuminated.

So, I made a trip to Ziggy's Magic Shop in downtown Lancaster, PA.  Almar the Professional Idiot showed me an easy trick that would only cost me $10.  I was set.  At the next family gathering, after the room had darkened slightly,  I had everyone sit and I told my daughter to come stand next to me.  I pulled a firefly (lighted naturally) from my black bag in my hand and showed it to the group.  It really did look neat held between my thumb and forefinger.  Even surprised my daughter I think.  I told them I was going to place it in her ear, which I quickly did.  Then I told them it was traveling throughout her body.  

Here I am pressing my thumb and forefinger together.
When I release the pressure the light goes out.  I can
make it look as if the firefly is jumping from one hand
to the other, or I can pretend to put it in your ear or nose
and when I release the pressure, the light will go off
which makes it seem he is inside you ear or nose.

"Can you see it?" I asked.  Some swore they could see it …. or at least they played along me.  Then I grabbed her stomach and ….. Presto!  I pulled it out of her belly button.  "Do it again, Tampah!"  I did it over and over until I had pulled it out of just about every orifice on everyone's body.  After a few years of this trick they again caught on.  I loaned it to my granddaughters who wanted to show it to their friends.  Now, if this story sounds somewhat familiar, it is because I posted a similar story a few years ago.  The reason for my story today it to go a few steps further and tell you about the disappearing act that has just happened in downtown Lancaster.  Ziggy's Magic Shop closed!  No wait, it didn't just close, it disappeared!  Almar the Professional Idiot has performed his last trick on North Queen Street.  Ed (his real name) decided it was getting too expensive to keep the shop open.  It wasn't that he didn't have customers.  It was that he didn't have PAYING customers!  Everyone always entered the store to see a magic trip and Almar would produce one for them.  But when he asked what they wanted to buy, they would say, "Do it again."  And you can't live on too many "Do it agains."  

Almar the Professional Idiot is lighting his hand on fire in
front of his store which he just recently made disappear.
Photo was taken by Andy Blackburn from the Lancaster Newspaper.

His store was fantastic.  Filled with just about every magic trick you could imagine.  The store had an old, cluttered, worn glass counter that held quite a few of the smaller tricks.  On the walls were photos of famous magicians and those not so famous.  No, my photo did not adorn his wall, if you're wondering.  But one of my friends, Lavelle, who I taught with for a few years and who retired from teaching to be a magician had his photo on display.  Taken in Atlantic City during one of his shows.  Ed said that the brick and mortar magic stores are becoming rare.  Most are going online, which is exactly what he plans to do.  Will allow him to fill his orders while still on the road or on vacation.  Just a shame that it has to come to this.  The personal touch and attention that he gave to his customers, including me, will be greatly missed.  At least I'll still be able to visit Central Market in downtown Lancaster and see the street magicians that frequent the sidewalk on the days that the market is open.  Oh yeah, do you want to see my new trick where I can make a half dozen cookies disappear into my cup of milk?  KIds'll love that one.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.