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I'm working on a sleight of hand routine for our Edinrbugh show (exploiting the fact that Rhys and I have a bit of a Laurel and Hardy look going on) and I want to magically fill an empty cigarette box with cigarettes. I've got a couple of ideas, but was wondering if anyone knows of a book that might have something in it?

Cheers guys.

Would a deck switch do the trick?

Yes and no - I'd thought about just switching packets, but this is a silent stage routine, so not brilliantly suited for bold switches. Also, the luxury of stage is that nothing has to be examinable...

Do the cigarettes need to be real? Do they need to be shown to be full length when removed from the box? If not, then if it were me I'd cut two cigarette boxes in half and gaff them together with printed stickers so you've got two lids - one side that looks like an empty box and one side full of (half-sized) cigarettes (you could palm a real one off if you need to pull one out for some reason). All you have to do to justify the switch is go into your pocket for something with your free hand, fail to find what you're after, transfer the pack to your other hand so you can get it from the other pocket, and boom, trick's done.

If it's going to be a double act then can't you do the switch when the heat is off you and on your partner? Subtly put your hand in your pocket and do the switch when hopefully nobody is watching, and if you make it a 'habit' to have your hands in your pockets all the time then it won't look out of place at all

in fact, can't you "ditch" one packet onto the back of your partner?

IAIN wrote:in fact, can't you "ditch" one packet onto the back of your partner?

Been watching Penn and Teller, have you?

This reminded me of a clip of Cyril Takayama I saw a while back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j6JZoJ9 ... re=related

about 2 minutes in, he does the trick you mentioned. It might give you some ideas.

sleightlycrazy wrote:

IAIN wrote:in fact, can't you "ditch" one packet onto the back of your partner?

Been watching Penn and Teller, have you?

not since about 1990 on channel 4!

What about using the Appearing Deck principle, show a box net, then fold it up, wave then open the previously empty box to display the cigs? To make it more secure glue them together, but if you wanted to take one out for a effect then you can leave one loose. Just a idea.

Chris Tennant

Chris Tennant wrote:What about using the Appearing Deck principle, show a box net, then fold it up, wave then open the previously empty box to display the cigs? To make it more secure glue them together, but if you wanted to take one out for a effect then you can leave one loose. Just a idea.

Chris Tennant

Regal's Sudden Deck would work for this idea.

How about using the same idea as the vanishing crayons...would be dead easy to build, and seeing that it does not need to be examinable it would work fine. With a palm - on any sort - you would be able to apprarentrly remove a whole cig from it after

International magic sell such an item

You open a pack of cigarettes to show it empty, shut the lid, open again to show it full.
the cigarettes can then be handed out if needed.

It has the imaginative title of "The Magic cigarette Packet" and retails for £8.50

you say box. do you mean an old style cigarette box, rather than a fag packet?
either way, i know of methods that can be used.

I mean cheapo fag packet. I have a nice ornate cigarette case, but it's made for old fashioned cigarettes, which are very small, so not great for magic.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, this is very helpful