guest who?
alix from modern kiddo

by mari

Vintage Kids Board Game Designs

image: maeve dooley

Happy New Year’s everyone! I think we might spend our day playing some family games together – we just got Hungry Hippos for Christmas! What better time for a post on games than today? A big thank you to Alix of Modern Kiddo today. Modern Kiddo is a blog that I constantly admire and wish I could emulate. Tag-teamed by Alix and Dottie (see Dottie’s post later this week!), they manage to be the most uber-modern mommas and simultaneously the queens of all things glamorously vintage. I can’t get enough.

Hello fabulous Small for Big readers! This is Alix, from Modern Kiddo. I was so pleased when sweet Mari asked me to Guest Post for her while she is on holiday.

I’m a girl who is obsessed with vintage—and many of my most treasured finds were procured at local thrift store. Like many thrifters, I usually have my little “areas” I like to check out at the thrift store. Of course you want to check out everything, but you really have to prioritize, ya know? When I was younger, I used to bee-line to the dresses and lingerie (for groovy nighties and slips) and then I’d hit the shoes and jewelry and purses. Once I had a nicer flat, I branched out to include housewares and occasionally furniture (I didn’t have a car, so that limited my “big items”) and of course records. As I got older, and eventually had a bebe, I developed a passion for graphic design—unearthing vintage children’s books was on the top of my list. And then one day, right around when Wolfie was born, I cruising through the toy aisle and I spied this:

It was a simple Memory game….the box was a bit beat up, but I loved the type in the title so I stuck it in my cart. As I wheeled around the store I kept glancing at it. I decided to open it up, carefully prying the masking tape that help the sides closed. I was DEEELIGHTED to find the most wonderful collection of little picture tiles imaginable.

My favorite part of thrifting is when you when find something you didn’t even know you wanted. And this was like a little box of mid-century modern chocolates. Each little illustration was more special than the next. Some were actually Eames illustrations (yes, “those” Eames….) from their House of Cards deck. The others were just super cool and charming little drawings.

I was smitten! And also delighted. Just when I thought I had figured out all my little “areas” in the thrift store, here was a whole new category. Board games! It had never really occurred to me to check that section. I remember thinking, “Have I been under a rock? Is everyone snapping up games?? How have I missed this!” Luckily my friend Jenny said to me, “You know after you found that Memory game, I always make a point to swing by the games!” She’s a consummate thrifter so I felt better knowing that I wasn’t alone in my new discovery.

Ever since then, I always make sure I take a little stroll down the toy and puzzle aisle to look for fun board games. I’m rarely disappointed. The games are usually fun (we love to play boardgames and card games) but even when they’re a little lame, the graphics more than make up for it. Check out the mysterious 3-Up. No clue how to play this, but I loved the colors and had to buy it!

Here are some others that I thought were really fun:

image: e.e. reilly

Heh. I remember this one….featuring the exciting SLAM-O-MATIC!

image: christian montone

These little shopping cart game pieces are brilliant.

image: neato coolville

So good, it’s NIRTZ. (huh?)

image: christian montone

Please note the “cootie” in the bottom right corner.

image: PopKulture

This one I left at the store—not sure I would ever be up for a rousing game of FINANCE. But I do love the cover and snapped a photo of it.

Hee. For some reason Wolfie loves this next game, even though he doesn’t really “get it”. It’s from 1967 and it’s called Chutzpah. It’s essentially a Jewish version of Monopoly—a mazel to the illustrator because the lettering is pretty awesome.

Often you’ll find the artwork changed from year to year and I always love to discover different versions of games I loved. Take this classic, Go to the Head of Class. In the 50s it looked like this:

image: popkulture

So sweet, isn’t it? But then check out the 1967 version….this is the one my cousin had in the 70s. I think the illustrations on the game pieces are soooooo terrific!

image: hm david

Butch! Susie! Cowboy Joe! Oh how I love ya. They totally remind me of Art Seiden drawings.

image: susanna ryan

And finally. One of my faaaaaaavorite games growing up was CLUE. I loved it. My 70s version had photographs of all the characters—I loved the vampy Miss Scarlet the best. Then I found THIS:

Colonel Mustard, in the library, with the leadpipe…

Aw yeah, so fantastic, eh?? Miss Scarlet is so much sweeter here—wonder who made the call, “Let’s vamp her up!” My Miss Scarlett was asian with a sultry stare and a red cigarette holder. A far cry from that demure cutie below!

So there you have it. Pretty fun huh! And if you don’t want to play the actual board games, you can always hang them up and enjoy them as art—which I think is a pretty swell idea.

Thanks so much Mari for having me. And please stop by Modern Kiddo for a daily dose of vintage style and fun! Xoxo Alix

image: buddy rooster

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Simone January 9, 2013 at 10:29 pm

I love retro board games too and have so many I don’t know what to do with them or how to display them.
I really enjoyed looking at your guest post today.
Thanks
Simone

Reply

2 Miz Big January 14, 2013 at 7:52 pm

What a great thing to collect, thanks for reading Simone!

Reply

3 garcinia indica April 29, 2013 at 4:27 pm

I all the time used to study post in news papers but now as I am a user of internet therefore from now I am using net for articles,
thanks to web.

Reply

4 http://naturalmelatoninsleep.hpage.com/ August 28, 2013 at 6:04 am

Hi there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would
be okay. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new updates.

Reply

5 Miz Big August 28, 2013 at 12:17 pm

My twitter link is in the top right section of this blog, thanks!

Reply

6 weight loss HCG UK November 11, 2013 at 12:28 am

Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your website
and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts.
Anyway I’ll be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.

Reply

7 business management January 26, 2015 at 6:14 am

Good post. I learn sokething totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always exciting to read through articles from other writers aand practice a little something from other sites.

Reply

Cancel reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post:

Google+ Tag Code: