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Its probably because you know its there, remember that your audience don't know what to look for so aren't going to notice it.

You do have to be a little careful of the lighting when you perform, avoid performing under bright lights but honestly don't worry about people spotting the loop against your skin

You don't have to buy the fancy dispencer. The advantage is that it is pre stripped. If you don't know what that means then you will find out eventually. However stripping the thread is not all that hard, so if you are willing to go through that little bit of extra effort, go to your local supplier of magic stuff and get a spool of thread, elastic thread if you like. Kevlar is best if you don't need it to stretch.

But here is the deal. Even if you pay the 20 for the device you get so much thread that it really comes down to pennies. Thread in general is stupidly cheap, except if you are buying that little packet of five loops. I've almost always bought it on a spool and stripped it myself and cut to size and made my own loops, although now I don't use loops at all. Heck I remember the day when you couldn't get the thread in the magic shop but had to go to the department store and get it in its finished form and do the hard work yourself of getting it to the IT. Now I'm sounding old.

In any event. If you choose to work in this medium and find the price of replacing the items factors in, then I strongly suggest finding another branch or method of magic. Because thread is going to break, it will break in practice, in rehersal and in performance. And you will always have to lay out some cash, and time, and swear words. It is a delicate field. If you plan on using it on a regular basis you need to practice with different backgrounds, and different lighting. (depending on what you are doing of course) and all that experimenting is going to lead to more breaks, more frustration and more swearing.

And remember always have a back up plan if you are using in performance. Nothing sucks more than that moment when the object is in the palm of your hand. Your other hand is making magical gestures, you can taste the tension in the room as all eyes are on that object. Just as you are about to pull back and make the object come to life you realize the thread is broken and nothing, I mean nothing is going to happen. Sucks man, big time oh and it is going to happen.

What is my point? Weigh your options, choose your weapons carefully. While this particular one is very powerful it is also really delicate.

I do have another point, (although I am sure you have stopped reading, but for those few who hang on) I think using IT for rising card or haunted pack is really a waste of method. There are so many other variations that are easier and much more dependable. Keep in mind the audience doesn't know the method. You could be using a pully system with an elephant outside pulling on the stuff. If the audience doesn't know, they don't know, try to see if from their eyes. Save yourself a lot of time and grief and use another method. (the only exception is Kundalini rising, but even then there are other methods).

IT comes into its own when animating objects. To bring life to the 'dead'. Isn't that what its all about anyway?

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Just one more piece of general advice because I'm just that type of guy. Consider this more of a life lesson. Try not to fall into the 'it can only be done with..." traps. such as your words above, "But I us IT for an effect which can only be done with IT" IT may be, a the moment the easiest, most practicle, and the only one you can think of. But thinking that way limits what you can achieve. Both inside and outside of magic. Imagine if everyone though the only way we could communicate long distances was through the mail? If that were true we wouldn't be having this communication. There is always another way..possibly.

The trick you are doing is the Haunted Pack/Deck. The method you have chosen is Dynamo's one. What bmat means is consider learning other ways to do the Haunted Pack. Same (or similar trick) different method.

I understand that Uri Geller had a few different ways of doing his famous drawing duplication. As I recall, he had a preferred method, but if that got shut off by the particular circumstances in which he had to appear, he had other options.

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Personal experience of the elastics dispenser is that I like the idea but in practice the thread got hooked up and didn't run freely and despite all my efforts I lost the end multiple times. I'd suggest getting IET on a plain spool, much less hassle!

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I'm gonna be using the Million Dollar Knot method but I think I know what you mean, I'll be aware of that problem.[/quote]
Whichever method you use, if the thread won't leave the dispenser...

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Yeah, that's true, I will definitely keep that in mind.

But I think it's safe to say that IT should be involved because the trick that I am doing is Dynamo's method for the Haunted Pack.[/quote]

It all comes down to personal preferance of course. But for all the bother of IT, There are so many better options for the Haunted pack.

Loops are like Landrovers. They look cool but they're expensive and they break!