The owners of a vintage bookstore in Auckland say a deceased magician's book collection saved them from closure during the Covid lockdowns.
The massive collection of old magic books once owned by a magician was the much-needed lifeline for BookMark in Devonport, its owners tell Summer Times.
Photo: Fred Pixlab
Mark was investigating a large book collection in a deceased estate sale when he discovered a huge trove of magic books.
At first, Mark wasn't sure whether they'd be right for BookMark.
“It was a gamble to take them because our stock in trade is fiction and children's books. Could we possibly sell thousands of magic and UFO books? But we took the gamble, and it paid off hugely.”
When the couple listed all of the titles on their website, Fiona says international orders started to flow in.
“During the lockdown, we had sales all over the world for these books. It's just so rare to get such a huge collection in one place. It’s probably the biggest collection of magic and UFO books for sale anywhere in the southern hemisphere.”
The original owner of the collection was a local magician, she says, and aspiring young magicians are seeking out arcane tricks documented in his book collection.
"We've had quite a lot of young magicians coming to pick up tips and we had someone coming in from Brazil who heard about the collection. He was in New Zealand so he came over and had a look.”
Last year, BookMark put the magic books on display and the president of the local New Zealand Society for Magicians [club] happened to visit the shop.
Mark says word spread quickly through Aotearoa's magician community.
"We've got people from all over New Zealand ringing and coming to visit. It has just been fantastic.”
The experience of browsing through old books can’t be replicated online, Fiona adds.
“It’s just so much about the physical experience. These beautiful books and the stories that they have to tell in them, not just the actual stories but where they've been with all the inscriptions on the inside.”
The BookMark bookstore in Devonport Photo: Abdullah / Four Square
