Games Anyone?
By Teresa Ambord
If you want to play a game of checkers or Parcheesi these days, you probably go to your game shelf and take out your cardboard box with a store bought game board and pieces inside. But people played these games before Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, and the McLoughlin Brothers came along. Where did they get the boards? Mostly, they were handmade. Single pieces of wood, twelve or more inches wide, inside a frame, fastened with square nails, and best of all, a hand-painted game board face.
Take a look at some of these game boards from the early 1900s.
Those who were there can tell you, entertainment was hard to come by. You made your own entertainment, made up stories, or built and painted a game board. Those boards, which spoke volumes about the culture of the times, spent years sitting on the parlor table where families competed at Parcheesi, or atop a barrel at the general store where men gathered to play checkers.
Now those boards, even with the wear of thousands of hours of use, are treasures to those whose grandmothers owned them, or those with an appreciation for folk art. Many are now in use as wall décor. Modern artists have caught onto the public interest in game boards and are creating a new wave of game board decorating. But of course, the truly valuable ones are the ones painted for use, many decades ago. The checkerboards, backgammon boards, and Parcheesi boards, among others inspire images of Grandma’s kitchen, with its gingham curtains, and a basket of apples. If you’re a collector and want to recapture that folksy feeling, check out these game boards.
How Much are They Worth?
If you are in the market for an antique game board, or you have one in your closet, you should know that games such as dart boards and penny tosses from the 1920s and '30s may be valued at $100 to $600. And checkers and backgammon games may each sell for thousands of dollars.
Here are some things to look for to know if you have a game board from the late 1800s or early 1900s:
- The paint will show some age, with gentle cracking over time.
- Wood will shrink and warp eventually. Look to see if the paint lines have moved with the wood’s movement.
- Back then, most paint for game boards was handmade, and therefore limited to primary colors. You'll see this in the examples on the websites. Yellows, reds, greens, blues, black, and creamy white are typical. Keep in mind, these boards were made to be functional, not distracting like the boards you buy today.
- Usually one single board, at least twelve inches wide, was used to make game boards. That was when larger boards were available. And as stated above, the single board was framed using square nails, since round nails were not available till much later.
- Finally, a true antique should show signs of wear in the right places. For example, a game that involves throwing dice will likely show wear in the center. A game that requires contemplation might show wear in the place a player would rest his hand, waiting or considering his move.
Tim Chambers has written a book called, The Art of the Game: A Collection of Vintage Game Boards. This great book takes a unique look at the culture of the times when people made game boards for entertainment, and for some, as a true art form, though still functional. You can order this book by calling the author, at 573-471-6949.
For one last look at some fine examples of original game boards, take a look at this website:
