Step Up Your Game: The Nostalgic Appeal of Vintage Board Games – WorthPoint

The rare toys that can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime, board games have captured the imagination of people worldwide for centuries. Not only do they strengthen your memory and strategizing skills and provide hours of family bonding, but they are magical worlds captured on binding board that are well-remembered decades after playing them. Very few things can transport an adult back to their childhood like toys—you see a board game you played religiously as a child decades later, it can be a nostalgic rush.

For collectors of all ages—especially those who grew up in the 1950s–1980s—board games represent time capsules of sorts that are still best played or displayed. In recent years, collectors have used board games as decorative elements in the home—a unique, whimsical touch that trumps average, cookie-cutter décor. Creative display ideas will follow, but first, some history.

Although no one knows the exact date when board games came to be, historians believe “Senet”—created by ancient Egyptians in 3500 BC—was the first real board game, played on long slabs of limestone or wood. Among its biggest fans were King Tut—who was buried with several Senet game boards—Queen Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Meanwhile, chess—the best-selling board game of all time—was created in the sixth century AD. Backgammon can be traced back to 17th-century England.

By the 18th century, a handmade game called “Game of the Goose” was popular. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1800s that the ability to mass-produce printed board games made them accessible to all. The 1930s–1960s was America’s first board game golden age. These four decades gave birth to perennial favorites: Risk, Yahtzee, Aggravation, Scrabble, Sorry, and Chutes and Ladders. Among the many games released at this time, three stood out above all the rest:

Candy Land

The children’s penultimate game was created in the somber environment of polio hospitals of the late 1940s. Creator Eleanor Abbott designed the game with sick children in mind, knowing nothing made them more upbeat than candy and ice cream. After it became a hit at her local Sand Diego polio ward, she sent the idea to toy company Milton Bradley, who loved it enough to mass market it. The rest is sweet, sweet history.

Monopoly

Often considered the world’s best-loved board game, Monopoly was the brainchild of Pennsylvania native Charles Darrow (although some claim Elizabeth Magie’s “Landlord’s Game” from 1904 was the first incarnation). Darrow’s version of Monopoly launched during the Great Depression and was an immediate hit. With many out of work at that time, the idea of buying Atlantic City property and throwing around paper money was appealing. Almost a century later, Parker Brothers has churned out many versions of its most popular game.

Clue

Created in 1943 by British musician Anthony Pratt, Clue—called “Cluedo” in the UK—was born out of Pratt’s desire for a country-manor life during constant German bombing. The murder/mystery angle was unique, as was the high-society “parlor game” aspect. Launched in 1949, Parker Brothers has released many incarnations over the years, tossing out and adding new characters. It even inspired a 1985 motion picture.

UP YOUR GAME

By the 1970s and 1980s, pop culture board games overtook the classics, resulting in a second golden age. For generations X and Y—a large contingent of today’s vintage collectors—these are the board games of youth. If there was a remotely successful movie, television show, or celebrity du jour—they became instant board game fodder. Among the favorite game subjects during these years were Charlie’s Angeles, Emergency, anything Disney, Donny and Marie, Star Wars, Full House, Pac-Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, Scooby-Doo, E.T., The Wizard of Oz, Happy Days, The Smurfs, among countless others.

Today, vintage collectors of all ages are snapping up board games for one of two reasons—to play or display. For the latter, we offer a few creative ways to exhibit your board game memories.

1. The most popular way to repurpose board games is to frame and hang—often in groupings for greater impact. Have fun with it. All sizes and types make for a more interesting look. You can buy or make frames; if neither is appealing, use mounting tape for a more streamlined appearance.
2. Although not an actual board, Hasbro’s Scrabble letters can become legit refrigerator magnets. A simple dot of glue and many small magnets = endless ways to express yourself.
3. Cut up a board and use it as spiral notebook covers.
4. A folded game can become an instant wall shelf. Use mounting pieces to hold the lower part of the board out from the wall while the top rests up against it. Add (lighter-weight) tchotchkes.
5. Board game table tops can jazz up any normal coffee table or nightstand. Glue or cover with fitted glass.
6. For the truly talented DIYer, turn board games into clocks; metal games like Chinese checkers or classic checkers are the most durable. You will need a small drill and clock kit.
7. Make tote bags using board game pieces to fashion two sides and a bottom.
8. The perfect display jar is one filled with various board game pieces—everything from dice to Monopoly’s metal irons and thimbles.

When purchasing at your local flea market or next weekend’s estate sale, consider the board’s condition, whether all pieces are included, if the graphic-covered box is in decent condition, and whether it’s a rare title. Most of all, no matter your age, soak in the nostalgia of once again owning one of childhood’s greatest, most impactful toys.

Jenna Girard has been a freelance writer and copy editor for over 25 years, with a focus on feature writing. A lifelong collector of antiques and collectibles, Jenna has amassed a remarkable collection of entertainment ephemera, vintage fabrics, head vases, and mid-century art and home décor. After 16 years of living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry, Jenna now resides in her home state of Michigan, where she continues to write/copy edit for LA-based media outlets.

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