The Hunter-Gatherer: Collecting on a Budget

by Darin Lowery

Everyone collects something: if you have more that two of an object, it’s legally considered a ‘collection’. Look it up in the Constitution. Those who scoff at my statement will remind everyone that it was Grandma who prized her 427 pieces of Hummel porcelain. Yet, they fail to own up to one simple fact:

Three souvenir tee shirts or more than two issues of Elle qualify as a collection.

So, like- there.

I’ve chosen vintage game boards to highlight in this week’s article. They were mass produced and therefore easily available today; the colors are rich and vibrant, the copy bold and striking. We’re talking Instant Art here, kids. Slap a few up on the wall- a Monopoly in the kitchen, three red and black checkerboards above the dining room table, a Parcheesi game board over the john and your friends will be impressed both with your thriftiness and your joie de vivre.

This is not new, either in collecting or decorating. I leafed through an old home décor mag a few months ago and saw a layout of a gal’s house where the walls were plastered with game boards. The clash of colors reminded me of a (really bad) trip I took in the Sixties (and it wasn’t to Cleveland). She had boards for Scrabble, Tiddly-Winks, Sorry!, Chinese Checkers and even the vinyl sheet for the 1960’s game Twister.

These popular games were manufactured by companies such as Milton Bradley, Transogram, Parker Brothers and Ideal. The boards are heavy duty paperboard, usually laminated, and the bonus is the cool plastic or wood playing pieces. Prices for perfect, in-the-original-box games run from $12-35. There are many sites available online where you can relive your youth in an afternoon. Or, if you’re the Thriftmeister like me, run over to a Salvation Army or Goodwill and go through the bins. Even if the box is sloppily taped and scrawled ‘this is Tammy’s- take it & I’ll kill you’ in red marker, chances are the board inside is in good shape.

Let me know if you come across a vintage CandyLand or Mystery Date board, and we’ll be pals for life!

For additional information, visit timewarptoys.com/games.htm