Parkway North High School senior Aaron Goldstein stumbled into a hobby and business for himself a few years ago when he attended the 55th wedding anniversary of his grandparents, Marcia and Sam Goldstein. The couple had hired a magician to provide entertainment at the family celebration in Kentucky. Two of the magician’s tricks, one with a coin and the other with rubber bands, mesmerized Aaron — especially the trick with the rubber bands.

“I really wanted to know — had to know — how he did it,” Aaron said.

It took him a year and a half after the party to finally locate the instructions for the rubber band trick on the Internet. It is an amazing technique and pretty easy to do once you get the hang of it, said Aaron. He purchased the instructions for the trick and then spent even more money on additional magic tricks.

“Aaron really got hooked on magic,” his father Richard said. “So we found a local magician to take Aaron under his wings and tutor him. The magician also introduced us to the International Brotherhood of Magicians.”

After he perfected some of the tricks, Aaron started carrying them with him and doing spontaneous performances in lots of different locations around town. It was Aaron’s demonstration of random tricks at his orthodontist’s office that landed him his first job. He also volunteered to do shows at Congregation B’nai Amoona, where his family belongs. Aaron said those performances gave him the opportunity to practice his techniques and helped him get comfortable in front of groups.

Each job started leading to another. Aaron advertised in the St. Louis Jewish Light, purchased business cards and started handing them out. Sometimes when he has to write something down as part of a trick he will write it on the back of his business cards.

Aaron continued to buy tricks off the Internet until it occurred to him that the people selling the tricks to him must be getting them cheaper someplace else. He realized he could do that as well and searched for a wholesaler to start his own internet business. Today he sells more than 150 items through his internet site. He is able to offer a unique perspective for his customers since he is also a magician.

“A lot of times when you buy a magic trick it just comes with a short description which might be hard to understand,” Aaron said. “As a magician myself, I am able to give my customers an in-depth description and understanding of the angles involved to make the trick work.”

High school graduation is in May and Aaron is considering getting a degree in business or psychology. He also would like to expand his business, both the performances and the internet. Though the inventory and mailing supplies do take up space, both ventures are portable.

“Aaron is having a great time with the internet business,” his mother Michelle said. “It’s really exciting because he is earning enough money from it to be able to give up his part-time after school job and just concentrate on the magic.”

Aaron admits it is kind of neat to go to school, hang out with friends and get home and find orders have come in on the computer.

“It is nice to make money even when I am not actually working,” Aaron said.

For more information contact Aaron Goldstein at 314-800-4656 and watch for his new website at: www.mrgzmagic.com.