{"id":201899,"date":"2026-05-25T13:30:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T13:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/201899\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T13:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T13:30:12","slug":"mingus-magic-shop-going-strong-after-nearly-90-years-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/201899\/","title":{"rendered":"Mingus Magic Shop going strong after nearly 90 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wayne Shifflett was 16 years old when magic shop owner LeRoy Mingus taught him the ancient trick of cups and balls.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he taught me the trick, I thought it was kind of stupid,\u201d Shifflett, who is now 75, recalled during a recent interview at Mingus Magic Shop, 528 Lancaster Ave. in Reading. \u201cIt seemed easy but guess what? Learning that trick got me hooked on magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shifflett celebrated 50 years of ownership of Mingus Magic Shop on May 20.<\/p>\n

Shifflett, who retired from a career as an industrial designer, long ago perfected cups and balls, along with many other sleight-of-hand magic tricks.<\/p>\n

\"WayneWayne Shifflett has owned the Mingus Magic Shop on Lancaster Ave. for 50 years. (BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)<\/p>\n

As the long-time owner of the magic shop \u2014 one of a dwindling number throughout the United States \u2014 Shifflett also is credited with kindling a love of magic in generations of children who visited there.<\/p>\n

One of those children was Wayne Hoffman, a well-known mentalist and illusionist who grew up in Reading and made his first visit to Mingus Magic Shop at age 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d ride my bike over to the shop and spend the whole afternoon there,\u201d recalled Hoffman, who is now 45. \u201cThere were always magicians hanging around, learning from each other and passing the time. It was a great place to grow up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoffman, who performs throughout the country and abroad and has been featured on television shows including \u201cTODAY,\u201d \u201cThe Ellen DeGeneres Show\u201d and \u201cPenn & Teller: Fool Us,\u201d credits Shifflett with much of his success.<\/p>\n

Hoffman posted recently on his Facebook page, \u201cIf you\u2019ve ever seen me perform something amazing, it is all because of Wayne Shifflett and the Mingus Magic Shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men have remained extremely close, visiting frequently and appearing together on an episode of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent\u201d in 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeRoy Mingus was my mentor in magic, and I guess you could say that I was Wayne Hoffman\u2019s,\u201d Shifflett said. \u201cThat\u2019s been one of the high points of my life and my career in magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WayneWayne Shifflett has owned the Mingus Magic Shop on Lancaster Ave. for 50 years. (BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
\nMingus Magic Shop<\/p>\n

While Shifflett just celebrated 50 years of ownership, Mingus Magic Shop has a history that extends back to 1938 when it was founded by LeRoy Mingus.<\/p>\n

After purchasing the shop from his mentor in 1976, Shifflett relocated it to its current location on Lancaster Avenue from West Reading in 1988.<\/p>\n

A scarcity of brick-and-mortar magic shops attracts people from a wide area to the shop, including Alan Loewen, who had driven from Gettysburg to replace some magic tricks that had been damaged.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no magic shop near me and I hate to buy online because you can\u2019t tell what you\u2019re getting,\u201d Loewen explained. \u201cBrick-and-mortar magic shops are as scarce as hen\u2019s teeth these days, so I drive to Reading.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shop carries numerous tricks, books and other items, including the famous Mingus feather flowers.<\/p>\n

First crafted by LeRoy Mingus, Shifflett has continued the art of flower making.<\/p>\n

Used in a variety of magic tricks, Mingus flowers are a favorite of magician David Copperfield, who recently commissioned Shifflett to create a basket of them.<\/p>\n

The feathers also have been part of the \u201cMiss America Pageant\u201d and have appeared on \u201cHappy Days,\u201d \u201cLove Boat,\u201d \u201cFantasy Island\u201d and other television shows.<\/p>\n

Shop remains a gathering spot<\/p>\n

Mingus Magic Shop carries a variety of merchandise that magicians need, but it probably is better valued as a friendly, comfortable gathering spot for those who love magic.<\/p>\n

\"WayneWayne Shifflett has owned the Mingus Magic Shop on Lancaster Ave. for 50 years. (BILL UHRICH\/MEDIANEWS GROUP)<\/p>\n

A stage in a small theater in the rear of the shop is used frequently for shows and lectures, providing a practice ground for burgeoning magicians.<\/p>\n

A magic marathon is held there on the first Saturday of each May, featuring different magicians performing every half hour.<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Joel Delgado-Rivera is a frequent visitor to the shop, where he converses with Shifflett and other magicians while practicing some magic tricks of his own.<\/p>\n

The general manager for Spotlight PA\u2019s Berks Bureau, Delgado-Rivera received a FARO community grant through Barrio Alegria and the Wyomissing Foundation, enabling him to present magic shows for kids.<\/p>\n

Doing so, he said, allows him to pass down his love of magic to future generations, just as Mingus and Shifflett have.<\/p>\n

Celebration set to honor Shifflett<\/p>\n

A private celebration honoring Shifflett and the legacy of Mingus Magic Shop is set for Sunday, May 31 at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.<\/p>\n

With a theme of \u201cInto the Future Together,\u201d the event will feature the showing of a new documentary chronicling the story of Shifflett\u2019s 50-year ownership of Mingus Magic Shop.<\/p>\n

The DeLorean \u201cTime Machine\u201d featured in the first \u201cBack to the Future\u201d film will be on hand for photos and rides, according to Hoffman, who was instrumental in arranging the celebration.<\/p>\n

Shifflett, who has contributed much to the world of magic, said he is honored to be recognized as a member of the magic community.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have been practicing magic since ancient times,\u201d he said. \u201cThe cups and balls trick is from Roman times and the first book about magic was written in the 1500s. I can\u2019t imagine not being a part of all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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