About Nightshade Mercantile
Who?
Nightshade is home to Paul Kostrach, who has been crafting bizarre magic since 2010. His creations include Calaveras, The Philosopher's Cube, The Pocket Pendulum Board, Day of the Dead Fortune Cards, Little Bag of Spirits, The Guardian, and the Arca spirit message boxes.
Paul has done a number of joint projects with Alchemy Moon: The King In Green, Little Box of Spirits, Arabian Nights, The Artifactum Altar, and The Wheel. He has also worked with Dr. Todd Landman on two joint projects, The Moon Board and The Arcana Hermeticus.
He has been performing magic and mentalism since the 1970's and is a past member of the S.A.M., I.B.M., and The Academy of Magical Arts (at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, CA).
What We Do
Here at Nightshade, we create original bizarre magic effects and aged props for those who perform theatrical seances and other similar shows.
We try to keep our offerings affordable, so you can own them without having to take out a second mortgage on your home.
All of our products are made in small runs; nothing is mass produced.
We try to make cards, boxes, etc. look like the artifacts they are meant to represent, as much as possible.
We favor cabinet style cards, but sometimes use E27 Eco printed cards when the routine requires them.
Our soundscapes are composed and played by Paul, and included with every product for use as performance or pre-show soundtracks.
There may be times when some items are out of stock. Unless we are retiring a product, more will be on the way. Email us for details and an estimated production date at our Contact Us page.
What We Don't Do
We do not use AI. No one believes that AI generated images are from an earlier time, and they are easily spotted these days.
We do not use 3D printing, for the same reason.
While we do accept some private commissions, we will not build or copy from anyone else's IP.
We will never take money until product is ready to ship. There are no pre-sale charges at Nightshade. We do maintain a waiting list but there is no cost to be on it, and no cost if you change your mind prior to shipping.