Game Cupboard

Here's a peek into one of my game cupboards. So much to play, so little time...

BASH! Game

Mere words cannot describe how incredibly satisfying this toy is. Dating from 1965, BASH! was one of the hardest-to-find games on my wish list. Now that I have it, I can't get enough of it. Game play is simple: stack up the yellow and red plastic slices that comprise the BASH man's body. Then, using the special hammer, take a WHACK at the slices, trying to smack one the heck out of there! If you do it right, it's like that old gag where someone yanks a tablecloth off a crowded table without any of the dishes falling: BASH's head will simply plop down onto the remaining slices. But if you do it wrong, the whole thing crashes apart in a magnificent cascade of clattering plastic. It took me a few days to get the technique down, but now I can BASH happily away, thinking all the while of things that are stressing me out. A few WHACKS and the stress is gone! Loads cheaper than therapy, I highly recommend a few sessions of BASH for all your troubles.

Vintage Colorforms Set: Twisto - Change-O

I loved Colorforms as a child, and still do today: they're a great calming, soothing stress-reliever. (Try it, you'll see!) This set, Twisto - Change-O, was introduced in 1972, and featured an innovation for the Colorforms line. After suiting up the little boy, you turn the red knob on the Twisto - Change-O machine, and different faces appear where the boy's head is, courtesy of a cardboard wheel under the picture featuring several different faces that revolve into view. Simple yet ingenious and lots of fun to play with, this device was used again in Colorforms' Tricky Mickey Magic set (which I'll try to post soon. It's way cool...).

"Deck Derby" Tin Horse Race Game

I love old games, and this was one of my most unusual finds. Dating from the 1920s or 30s, it's called "Deck Derby," and is made of beautifully lithographed tin. It folds down to form a more or less oval race track, and includes pressed tin horses and fences. The game play is pretty simple: roll the lovely old dice and move your horse around the track. There are lots of old horse race games out there, but this one is unique in its apparent intended use: on a cruise liner! The center of the board features a fantastic illustration of elegant travelers at play on the deck of a steamship, and the horses and fences include magnets which hold them firmly in place, a precaution against loss on rough waters.

Kreskin's ESP Game

Been finding a lot of great vintage board games lately. This is good news for me, as I LOVE playing board games, but bad news for my sweetie, who I suspect is growing tired of being asked to "play it just one more time, pleeeeeease?!"

Anyway, today's discovery is a 1960s Kreskin's ESP game, featuring a youthful Kreskin himself on the cover. As an aside, I've actually met the Amazing Kreskin (his full title) and was forced to participate in one of his mind-reading effects in front of a theatre full of people. As I am painfully shy, this was not fun. Hopefully the game will be, though!

Vintage James Bond Board Game

Got this 1960s James Bond Secret Agent 007 Game last week. It has a great likeness of Sean Connery on the cover, and tiny plastic James Bond figures to use as markers ("Pawn, James Pawn"...) The game play seems rather complicated, but then, so do the plots of most Bond movies, so I guess that's suitable.

Magnetic Spy Toy

Found at an antique market this past weekend was this great 1960s magnetic toy, similar to the classic "Wooly Willy", but with a spy theme! I have a bunch of Wooly Willy type toys, but I'd never seen this variation before, so it was a pretty thrilling find.

Addams Family Card Game

Just found this vintage Addams Family game at my local antique mall. I was trying to save it to post around Halloween-time, but I just couldn't wait that long! I'm a big Addams aficionado, so there'll be more of their stuff coming later, including my favorite piece: an original Colorforms set...

Vintage Dexterity Puzzle Games

I'm somewhat obsessed with collecting old dexterity games. They're like fascinating little worlds behind their glass or plastic windows, they often feature beautiful lithography, and they're just fun to play, too. Here's a small portion of my collection.