I have been buying from Paul for quite some time now. I started purchasing items from him at conventions, then after a while started purchasing through his website.

Paul has been around for a long time and not only is he a great dealer, he is also a very good performing magician. He knows his products well and every time I have ever e-mailed or called with a question about a product, the availability of unlisted products or whatever, I have always gotten a clear, thorough and satisfactory answer. On the occasions where I have had to leave a voice message, I have always gotten a return call.

The service at Elmwood is top-notch and always very friendly. In my opinion the website is one of the best out there as far as ease of use and the features that it offers.

Two of the coolest features are the 'Magic Time Machine' which allows you to look back at previous years, broken down on a month-by-month basis, to see what items were 'HOT' at any given point. Another is the 'Paul's Picks' section. This feature is a sort of blog in which Paul discusses many different subjects, but he always has a product recommendation in it. The recommendation is not always the hottest, new, latest and greatest object but a genuinely great product. Paul is very qualified to have such opinions due simply to the sheer amount of material that he sees come through his doors and at various magic conventions around the world - more than many of us would ever see in two or three lifetimes.

Another awesome tool on the site is the 'Personal Shopper' - if you are a registered user it gets even better. What it does is takes the products you search for and view on the site, then matches those interests with other items of similarity that may also interest you. If you are a registered user of the website, it gets even better because especially after you have purchased some items from the website, it can make even more accurate guesses as to your taste. Very cool feature!

You will also find a sort of "notification system" on every product page. This is for you to submit your e-mail address when you come across an item which is out-of-stock. When that items comes back in stock, you will get an e-mail letting you know just that. Further, unlike many retail companies that use this feature on their websites (not just the magic industry), Paul actually keeps track of these requests and uses them to see what may be popular and what needs to be re-stocked.

The "Wish List" feature is also very easy to use - especially when your wife/kids/etc. are begging you for a list of what to buy for you on your birthday or any given holiday. They also have a "User Favorites" in which you can read reviews of products purchased from Elmwood.

Speaking of purchasing, every time you purchase anything from Elmwood you get an e-mail confirming your order, listing each product you purchased with a special link under them. If you follow the link and give your opinion/review on the product (once it has been delivered to your door and you have had time to use/play around with it), you get a discount good for your next order, but it must be used within 'X' amount of time before it expires.

Paul takes very good care of his customers and his prices are always fair, including shipping. I have never had a problem. This dealers is one of my three go-to dealers and will continue to be so because even though this is not a brick-and-mortar shop (which would just be AWESOME if it was), the level of service, the quality of the merchandise, the knowledge and everything else all makes it feel like so much more than a virtual magic shop.