Magic Seats is pleased to chat with Mick Wilson - mentalist and stage magician who is also an avid collector of Paul Daniels magic tricks. Known throughout the magic and collector
community for running his FaceBook page - "Paul Daniels TV Magic Tricks".
An amazing page that details many pictures of the entire Paul Daniels TV magic trick range that was released in the 80's.
Thanks to Mick for his time chatting and for his permission to use some of his pictures dealing his amazing collection. Do visit his page as many more photos and news/updates are available to view.
The Facebook page first started in February 2019 with Olly Graham and has close to 1,000 followers who are all interested in Mick, Olly and Paul Daniels. If you are visiting , welcome to Magic Seats and please do follow our FaceBook page here.
Thanks a lot Mick for having a chat with Magic Seats today - What made you decide that you wanted to find and collect all the Paul Daniels tricks range?
Good question, one that I find hard to answer with the correct words, but here goes. Impulse, I suppose. I was sitting at my computer one cold, January day, in 2016 and I suddenly, from nowhere, decided I wanted to reacquire the Paul Daniels TV Magic Tricks that I owned as a child. Thinking back, I don’t think I had that many really, but I really wanted to have the handful that I did have, back in my magic collection, especially the Mystery Box. So, nostalgia is maybe the correct answer really.
Certainly the pictures of your collection (above) look really impressive. I understand that your collection is now complete whereas I just have a few. Were any of the tricks particularly hard to find in a decent condition?
Definitely! The Double Diddling Diamond, TV Magic Tricks numbers 26 to 30 and the Card Tricks Collection were exceedingly hard to come by. Having said that, plenty that are really hard to get hold of, but I was extremely fortunate that the good folk of Facebook were so forthcoming with their effect donations and exceedingly low-priced sales of effects. As time has gone by, a lot more items have become harder for people to get their hands on.
I certainly keep an eye on e-Bay for various PD tricks and remember fondly some that I owned as a child such as "Coin through a glass". Which tricks are your personal favourite (s)?
AH, that’s nice and easy. Double Diddling Diamond and the Magic Domino from the Velvet Range. The Colour Changing Record from the 12 Piece Compendium (1982). From the TV Magic Tricks range, No.3 Mind Reader Dice, No.6 The All-Seeing Eye, No.19 Pencil Through Glass, No.28 The Vanishing Glass and The Incredible Imprisoned Penny. Plus, all the card tricks, they’re all brilliant.
I remember playing with the playing cards which I think was the marked deck while watching the TV show. What memories do you have of the Paul Daniels TV show as a child?
My most vivid memory, by far, is of watching the first ever episode on Saturday 9th June 1979 (7pm I believe). I was glued to the TV from the moment it started. As soon as the show finished, I ran through to the dining room, where my Mam and Dad were sitting and told them I simply MUST learn to be a magician. When they asked why, I replied “because I want to make people feel the way I feel right now.” I was 9 years old and addicted from that moment on.
Did you or Olly ever get to meet Paul and if so, can you share any of your experiences?
About 2 dozen people and I were extremely lucky to spend time with Paul and Debbie at the South Tyneside International Magic Convention (2009). On the Saturday afternoon, Paul and Debbie sat with us in the café/bar area and Paul had the time of his life sharing anecdotes and a great deal of advice with the folks who were there. It was amazing!
That is a fantastic memory/experience. Do you have any other Paul Daniels unique collectables that you are proud of outside the tricks range?
My prize possessions are a key fob that Paul used in episode 8 of his ‘Secrets’ TV series. It is part of the props for the ‘watch in bird cage’ effect. Freddie Wilkinson gifted to me along with some props I acquired and the instructions for ‘The Double Diddling Diamond.’ The others are 3 sketches, drawn and gifted to me, by John Helvin.
That is brilliant that you have a prop from the TV show. I managed to get a Ali Bongo poster from the Paul Daniels collection recently.
Do you have any future plans for your page? E.g., Performance of said tricks on YouTube.
I certainly do! The wheels are in motion to start interviewing collectors of the TV Magic Tricks as well as magicians who had an extensive collection of them as a child. I am naming the channel, ‘TV Magic Talk.’ There are also going to be performances of all of the effects recorded and uploaded to the YouTube channel. Thankfully, a few of my magician friends have agreed to perform some of them for me, that way, folk would fall asleep at the repetitive sound of my dull Geordie tone, hee hee.
Sounds like an ambitious project. Have you ever taken the collection on tour to magic clubs or had it on display?
I haven’t yet! I certainly plan to though.
I would definitely attend a lecture to hear about this collection. I am sure that others would also be interested.
Mick - thank you for your time today. Appreciated.
To learn more about Mick and his collection, visit -
Also many thanks to Olly Graham who also runs the PD page.
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