Fortune Teller

Whenever it comes time to write the old CQ column, hubby & I find ourselves wondering what to write about. Today I went to consult the wise oracle, the old Magic 8 Ball — but, being the old Magic 8 Ball, it was dried up and so there was no blue-black liquid to bounce a reply to me (not even a “reply hazy, try again”). Sure, hubby has a Simpsons Magic 8 Ball (not the talking one; the classic one, with a yellow top and red-ish bottom), but I don’t like, let alone trust, the Simpson’s. And he couldn’t find his CDW Tech Support ball — but even if he could have found it, it has 18 answers — none of which would help me at all.

Aghast, I could have turned to another of my vintage divination devices; but this would not rectify the problem of no Magic 8 Ball. And life is difficult enough without living sans Magic 8 Ball. So I need a replacement Magic 8 Ball. But in looking for one online, it’s easy to be distracted by all the other possibilities…

The Helpful Instant Excuse Ball

There are a plethora of licensed Magic 8 Balls, like Disney’s Hannah Man-Hand-a Montana Magic 8 Ball; there’s the Magic 8 Ball Date Ball (for the insecure &/or immature dater), the Instant Excuse Ball (certainly useful for women who still have not learned to say “no”), the Sarcastic Ball (for those who, perhaps without excuses who ended up doing too much and are now too tired to deliver their own snark), and Dr. Freud’s Therapy Ball (which, like any good therapist, never gives you answers, but makes you work to find your own).

But before I buy & collect such spheres of influence, I must get the original Magic 8 Ball. Not just because it’s the one I remember from my childhood, or even because it’s the iconic toy oracle, but because it’s always been right. Even today, unable to “play,” it performed well, instructing me to write about Magic 8 Balls. So here’s a little history on the retro classic.

Vintage Syco-Seer

According to Tim Walsh (in Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them), the Magic 8 Ball was invented by Albert C. Carter, son of a supposedly famous Cincinnati clairvoyant named Mary, and then Carter sold the patent to Abe Buchman. But this is all umm, hazy… As Walsh reports, there are many confusions due to similar names; read his book for the dizzying details. But in 1946, Carter’s “Miracle Home Fortune-Teller” was first produced by Alabe Crafts, Inc. (a novelty company formed by Max Levinson, Al Carter & Abe Bookman, with Alabe being derived from Carter & Bookman’s first names). Called the Syco-Seer, the 7 inch tall tube toy is the earliest version of the Magic 8 Ball. Next came the Syco-Slate.

At some point the tube became a ball and the oracles went from being made by Alabe Crafts to, at some time in the 1970’s, being manufactured by Tyco. In 1997, Mattel took over Tyco and therefore the rights to the Magic 8 Ball name and market. Since then, well, the outlook’s been great for the Magic 8 Ball.

Along with all the different themes, there’s been plenty of character licensing & movie tie-in items, including Magic 8 Ball mechanisms inside other shapes & figures, like the Empire Strikes Back Yoda (1980).

If you’re looking for a collectible that is easy to find year after year, the Magic 8 Ball has plenty of new incarnations, including ornaments, keyrings etc. And the long history of the fortune telling toy means there’s plenty of old versions & ephemera to collect as well as interesting themed items. Who knows where collecting will lead you? Old or new, Magic 8 Ball is sure to delight you. Without a doubt.

Vintage Alabe Syco-Slate

This past weekend I went to a number of yard sales. Lots of the ’same old-same old’ but eventually found a few nice things. You’ve got to ‘kiss a lot of frogs’ before you meet your prince you know. About the 5^th sale, I went into the garage area and there was a charming lady. She had a rope-line filled with ‘vintage’ clothing, some of which was pretty mundane. But then I came across a man’s swimsuit, wool, rather unattractive but definitely old! She saw that I was interested and said, “oh, my dear, if you like old clothing, I’ll show you something – I forgot all about it.”

She went in her house, and came back with a plastic bag. From the bag, she removed a brown clothing item. I looked at it for a minute, then saw the paper label pinned to it. It read “Stuart’s Knickers or First Pair of Long Pants – 1930s.” Oh, that was neat! I opened them up and saw they were in very nice condition, and priced quite reasonably. I commented on the nice shape they were in and she said they had belonged to her uncle Stuart and his wife, her aunt Gladys, had recently moved on to ‘other living arrangements.’

She had kept them all these years. But the story does not end here. As I wandered around to another table, I found several older books on Dreams and Fortune Telling. These are always fascinating so I said I’d take those too. The lady said that her aunt had always been into those types of books. It seems that aunt Gladys had been gifted one at her wedding shower. It was called “Bridal Superstitions” and after that, she became sort of hooked on them. She was especially dedicated to them while Stuart had been in World War II as a soldier. She was always searching for answers, signs or confirmation that he would return home to her safe and sound.

I paged through them and read the interpretation of dreams, some of them quite fascinating. I wondered how many ladies back then had been waiting for a loved one to return and turned to ‘fortune tellers’ or gypsies for reassurance. I recall my mom went to a county fair and had her fortune told before she was married to my dad. The lady gave her all sorts of information. She even told her she would be married before her 21^st birthday. That was definitely pretty perceptive because their wedding was scheduled for about 6 months down the road, and she would still be 20! When my dad heard that he got upset. He ranted and raved and said “no gypsy is going to tell me how my life will be!” Then he called the preacher and rescheduled the wedding for 2 months later, so my mom would be 21 and the gypsy would be wrong! (I loved my pops beyond words but he was a bit stubborn.) That’s been a favorite family story for years!

I purchased the woolen swim suit (wondering if this once smelled like wet mittens), the knickers and the fortune telling and dream books. I thanked her for sharing part of her history with me and said I had enjoyed meeting her. Then I had to ask “Did your uncle make it home from the war?” The answer made me sad. “No”, she said, “he never did get home.”

As I headed to the next sale, my thoughts turned to the men and women today who are hoping for a safe return from this war. Do they turn to this type of book, looking for answers to the unknown?

I’ve noticed a lot more interest in vintage clothing in antique malls and auctions. Lingerie, hats and purses are especially desirable these days! And of course, old military items remain collectible. Whether you collect vintage clothing, old books or militaria, give some thought to the original owners. Think about what their lives were like and if your retro items were worn every day or only on special occasions. Did they read the book and did it make an impact on them? Did the wearer of the uniform or badge return home to hang it in a closet or save in a drawer? Or were they returned to a waiting family member for safe keeping? It can be bittersweet to learn about the past but also quite thought-provoking and somehow makes the present more treasured.