Seventy-nine years ago, two blokes named a magic shop on Elizabeth Street after their friend Bernard.
"Apparently he was very lucky and they figured the shop would be lucky too," said Kristina, the current owner and manager of Bernard's Magic Shop.
Lucky or not, that shop, which has been at the heart of Melbourne's magic community for nearly eight decades, is now facing the hardest trick of all: disappearing.
Kristina, who has been caretaker of the Bernard's name for 24 years, says the time is right for the shop to move to an e-commerce offering.
"Overall, the response has been amazingly very positive," she said.
"We have fans from interstate asking us to go online for years, but strangely enough locals are also excited for us. It seems they are pleased not to have to travel across town or pay for parking," she said.
But Kristina also mentioned several regulars are distraught, especially because the expertise she offers will no longer be on tap.
"While some people find it hard to believe a woman runs a magic business, lots of people have come to trust me. From their point of view, it's going to be quite a loss," she said.
Pushed to the fringes
The magic shop's slow drift to the online world began when the building at 211 Elizabeth Street was sold and the new landlord raised the rent by 70 per cent.
"The previous owners loved the store and the fact it was historic and really looked after us, which we really appreciated," she said.
But the new owner purchased the building for over $7 million and set a rent to match.
Kristina fears increasing rents will render the central business district dull, a carbon copy of the large shopping centres.
"Nobody is regulating the rentals. It's not just us who was pushed out. McGills Bookshop had the same problem and so did The Little Bookroom. Landlords don't care who is in there or whether it's long term or short term, so long as they pay the rent," she said.
After the Elizabeth Street rent was lifted, Bernard's shifted to Victoria Street in West Melbourne in 2015, but still couldn't quite make ends meet.
"You have to support local business; if you don't use it, you lose it," Kristina said.
Despite the mixed feelings, she says it's been an incredible ride.
"You just never know who is a magic enthusiast. We've had so many people in here from beginners through to professionals and hobbyists who you would never guess. People like Jason Alexander who played George in Seinfeld as well as Anthony Warlow and countless others," she said.
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