The topic is about using the Altoid box for carrying things.
When using it for a trick in itself would require your emptying it.

However...
One idea would be to set it up something like Bert Allerton's "The Aspirin Box" trick. Eugene Burger also has published his 'aspirin' routine.

Eric DeCamps had an effect in 'Magic Menu-the first 5 years' where a selection was found folded in an aspirin tin.

I haven't see aspirin tins in a long time.
Some Altoid boxes are much bigger but could be adapted. I've also seen other products that come in smaller tins.

Good suggestion, Jaz.. thanks! I think Dan Harlan also has a similar effect in one of his early books/videos...

I'm thinking about having 2 rubber bands wrapped around the closed tin. Start a routine by doing CMH. Then, open the tin to reveal several props.. do two or three effects.

The standard Altoids tin is about the same size as a deck of cards... I would like to use the tin to contain multiple effects (spectators see you removing various props as needed from the tin).... then (after switching out the tin for a duplicate) at the end of the routine, you open the tin one last time to find it FULL OF ALTOIDS... offer everyone an "after magic" mint!

Does anyone know of a good deck switch that could be used for this?

If you wear a jacket. After putting the props back in the tin, replace the elastics and put the tin in your pocket. Do the switch and do 'one more trick' with the elastcs.
Or put something small in the full tin. Do the pocket switch. Open the tin, remove the prop and do another trick. When you agin open the tin, act surprised and offer them a mint.

Without a jacket. Altoid tins will adhere to magnets. If your shirt tails are hanging out you could rig something where one tin can be stolen while another can be stuck to the a magnet. Making a switch by placing the hand with the tin on your hip and a bit under your shirt tail could work.

Hey Jaz - Thanks for the excellent ideas! I'm going to go with the pocket switch.
I think it will look clean, and get the job done.

I used to actually carry around an altoid with magic stuff in it a few years a go. When my parents made me go to our house of worship I would have it in my pocket. Here's what I had:

A coin
2 silks
A handfull of rubber bands
The linking lifesavers trick.
Ropes
a ring
a mini wand
mini sponge balls
a TT

It was more for my own amusement than anything else.

What a great thread -- I'm going right out and work out a show from one.

I saw this thread and new I had to try it so heres what I have in my tin:

Buisness cards
A magic card
a mismade bill
a normal bill
One nite stand(kenton Knepper)
some nuts and screws(Doc's all screwed up)
coin collecter(Jay Sankey)
A Billusion
2 very tiny dice
2 safety pins(dreamweaver)
Some IT and some wax
a copper coin
a half dollar
a copper/silver coin
scotch and soda
a normal quarter
a folding quarter
a bent quarter
Puncture
some post-its
and a sharpie mini

.....wow that's enough stuff for me to do like an hour show, thanks for the idea guys, if anyone has any suggestions on anything I can put in my tin let me kno.

I am doing a show this Friday in which I will use a regular and mini altoids tin to accomplish a dollar bill reveal. After vanishing the bill, I instantly pull out the tin. The outer tin is sealed with electrician's tape. Then the inner one is sealed with rubber bands. Inside that is a small folder made out of a section of 3x5 card. Their signed dollar is inside that. This combines two of Kenton Kneppers tricks. I include a couple of odd coins in the mini-tin which I discuss as part of my money collection. In the process, the participant is actually holding on to my "bill folder." At the very end, I indicate that my very favorite piece of money is in the folder they are holding. As I open it up to reveal their signature, I say, "The reason it is my favorite is because... (person's name)... it has your name on it." A wonderful line that I believe Eugene Burger used on the Gormet Close-Up Magic tape. I thought I would mention this because it is an effect that utilizes 2 altoid-type tins to accomplish a single effect and relates to what Jaz was saying several posts ago regarding card in asprin tin.

Great idea -- and no more bulging pockets..

CW

I wouldn't want 25 tricks in the tin - too crowded for my tastes. Besides, I'd only want to do a short performance for impromptu work, anyway. I would want the contents to be able to be displayed - nothing to hide from the audience and there would be easy access to the contents. Here's what I might put in one:

*Ring and String
*Dice for Sachs Dice routine.
*Scotch and Soda, in a tiny purse or pouch.
*A 12" silk for a knot effect like Dai Vernon's Fadeaway or Slydini's silk routine, using opposite diagonal corners, or The Seven Cornered Hank.
*A matchbox for Ribbon Through Steel Plate.
*Business cards and a golf pencil for an Equivoque routine.

I relized that withh all the stuff in my tinn it was a little to crowded and hard to get to stuff so I narowed it down to like 10 effacts that fit nice in there with more room but still pack a big punch!!


thx for the help
Cameron

Don't crowd it... have two or three tins.

This is a great idea

Want some excellent Altoid Tin Aspirin Tin ideas check out Jonathan Kamm's "Toibox"
http://web.mac.com/jonathankamm/ToiBox/ToiBox.html

He doesn't sell that anymore and has not answered my e-mails about possibly "buying" the trick from him. Also, not that it matters but it appears he was banned from here for some reason (I tried to PM him).

-Thread for Gypsy Thread

-Post-it Notes for pencil/pen thru bill

-Small card

-Flash paper
-Sewing Needles for Tommy Wonder trick
-Bottle Caps for Chink-a-Chink
-Purse Frame
-Silver Extraction
-Match Book
-Match box/matches for haunted/animated match box
-Minature coins

This is a GREAT thread IMO

It is not clear if the tin box is used OPENLY or COVERTLY

For example, some have suggested using for props or utilities, but in that case you can't use it openly

Personally, I would like to remove the small box and perform and entire show from there; the idea is appealing to me

I believe Christian Cagigal (?) actually has a Magic Castle act in this way (it's in youtube)

Edward Victor, the famous english manipulator and shadowgraphist (?) released several decades ago a small match box which contained a lot of tricks (can't remember now how many). It had a dice, safety pins, some matches, string and other small stuff to perform many tricks. Lovely idea

Thanks for all the suggestions

A good question might also be, what could you carry with you that could allow you to perform 25 effects USING an Altoids tin?

I've really fallen in love with the tin idea. For an amateur an easy carry tin that's has as much variety as possible is very appealing. The bid downside is that I can't fit spongeballs in there - but a couple of those are easy enough to put in one's pocket.

Aside from the spongeballs, my basic rule at the moment is: 'If it can't go in the tin, it doesn't go in my magic' Forces me to be more ruthless and focus my spending Additionally, everything has to be examinable, no-refill, and minimal re-set. Easy and simple is the name of the game for me.

So, my tin at present (and as yet unfinished - bit more room left yet):

Deck of cards (with case window; case reveal; sh*rt card; joker reveal; sp*tted card; str*nger card for RHM)
Various reveals for card tricks - Freewilly; 'Chinese' writing; 3.5 clubs; Degrees of boredom

Packet tricks - B'wave

Some mental magic - Bingo number cards; Kolintrol prediction

Manipulation/SOH - 4 small coins; mini-wand

Paddle - small dry erase paddle (like Turbostick)

Sooooo... that's quite a lot, lol

But I think I'll have room to add, maybe, some or all of the following:

Cards:Another packet trick
Mental Magic: A haunted key; another 'mental' 'card/paper' effect
Manipulation: A finger ring
Other: Elastic Bands

Oh my!!!