I'm new to The Magic Cafe - but not new to magic - so please humor me.

A lot of my work is in bars & restaurants and in this connection I use bottle tops instead of coins, Top in Bottle, Cig through bottle top to name a few. If anyone is interested I can go into this in greater detail.

If you are with me so far the reason for raising this topic is because I'm trying to find someone who can make/supply:-

a: expanded beer/coke bottle tops
b: Jumbo beer/coke bottle tops 3 inch & 5 inch.

The top design is not that important as only the "underside" will be seen.

That should set you thinking!!!

Thought-provoking ideas, Mike. I'd be interested in hearing more.

Tom Mullica does a chink-a-chink routine with bottle caps in his tapes.

Chink-a-chink with bottle caps is very easy to do since the ridges on the caps make palming extremely easy to do. Goshman used to use them for that.
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat

I assume you know the "flaming assembly" David Harkey published during his run in--what was it--Magic magazine? You know, it starts with four bottle caps lying "mouth up" (I suppose we'll need a new set of terms) in a square on the table. Each has a little lighter fluid in it, and two pieces of flash string connect the diagonal corners. The performance starts when you light the crossing point of the string, simultaneously ignighting all the caps, which you then cause to gather, ala matrix. Ends with a jumbo cap production, I believe.

Also, a good friend of mine does a lotof bar magic, gets sceams with his "bottlecap from eye" bit: With a bottlecap hidden in right fingerpalm, he holds his right eye open (the position being perfect for the concealment) and asks "is there anything in my eye? Something's been bugging me..." he then makes a "reaching in" motion, and produces the cap resting on the tip of his thumb. It looks great, and a little geeky, at the same time.

Good luck with it. I doubt the expanded cap would be hard to find. Try comparing existing caps from European or Asian versions of American brands. They might already be in production somewhere.

Thanks for the input - especially the suggestion of european metric size & standard US size will try it out.

Chink-aChink is already part of my routine.
Other practical effects are:-
Bottle Top on Forehead like Don Allen's coin on Forehead.
"Slapped Flat" with bottle top.
Karate Top - like Karate Coin.
Copper/Siver signed caps like Scotty York
Tops through Hand like stack of quarters
Cap in Bottle - Michael Webber & others.
Cig thro Cap - Camirand Version of Cig thro coin.
The list seems endless & you can get bottle tops anywhere.
Am developing a Lecture on it

Now I need Jumbo Caps to do a Fred Kapps type routine as a closer.

If anyone wants to follow this up write to me at mail@jorden.org.

Mike,

Several years ago I bought an effect that was advertised in Magic Mag called "Capped."
A very cleverly gaffed bottle cap.

Please tell me more about "Capped". I've looked at current websites and can't find it.
Can you remember which dealer sold it?

Mike,
Sorry for the delay on this one. I did send you a PM on this effect. This was privately sold by Innovative ideas by Angus magic @1998

I was playing around with a bottle top tonight.
It is possible to hide a sponge ball under a cap as it is held in classic palm.
Also 1, 2 or 3 coins can be hidden under the cap in classic palm. Quarter, 10pence or 2 pence size coins or smaller.
The cap can be shown in the centre of the right hand palm, the hand closed, turn the cap once to load the coin/s into finger palm then turn the cap again to show it empty at fingertips. Toss the cap into left hand and show, fake throw the cap back into right hand to reveal 3 quarters or a sponge ball.

The 3 coins in the cap perhaps could be developed into some sort of impromptu coin box routine. I am not familiar with Okito/Boston boxes.

Any thoughts Magic Café-ers?
Are there any effects out there already using a bottle top and coins?