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by Kary Pardy

Playing the Game: Understanding & Collecting Boardwalk Games

ish Bowl, Duck trend resulted in more
Pond, Wheel of homemade games simply
FFortune: most of us designed to last for a few
have fond memories of years, whereas arcade games
these games and others like are more often fixed struc-
them. From the Coney tures or contain heavier
Island boardwalk to machinery. You can move
traveling fairs, carnival a carnival game and pop
games have been a part of it up and break it down
America’s childhood land- as seasons and locations
scape for more than a demand, making old
century, and the central carnival games in top
premise hasn’t changed. condition rare and enticing
Game operators entice collectibles. Conversely,
participants to stop, play, arcade games on the market
and hopefully keep playing might be so sturdy that
as players set their sights on they’re still playable, and
a sometimes-unattainable that brings a two-fold value.
prize. While the structure
and costs behind the The Selection
carnival gaming world have Carnival games are
modernized, many of the loosely broken into two
games people loved years types: games of skill and
ago are still relevant, games of chance. Skill
making carnival games and The hand-made nature of many vintage carnival games can give them a folk art quality, games include tossing hoops
their accessories nostalgic but also makes collectibles in tip-top condition hard to find (and valuable). over bottles, shooting
and fun collectibles that This assortment from Tracy’s Toys (and Some Other Stuff) is circa 1930 and has baskets, target practice
stand the test of time. seen its share of use from traveling carnivals.
games, strength-based
games, and games of precision. Skin the Wire, or its modern iteration,
The Set-Up the Wacky Wire, asks participants to slide a thin hoop over the length
For the past few years, the Coney Island History Project has been of a slightly electrified wire. Much like Operation, the anxiety over
collecting oral histories from the people that keep the Boardwalk lights hitting the wire makes players jumpy, and ironically, more likely to get
on, and one common thread runs amongst the older game operators: buzzed. High Striker, the game that allows men to roll up their sleeves
games are about fun. The joy of watching a child win a prize, the fun and display their strength by swinging a mallet, has been around for
of challenging a friend to a competition: some games are hard to win, years and carnivals have even offered women and children-specific
but players keep coming back. What brings these games to life? The versions. Favorite games of chance include spinning wheels and
first step is all about location. While arcade and carnival games share a randomly tossed objects, or Duck Pond, where children select a floating
good deal of overlap, arcade games, such as Skeeball or pinball, have the duck at random and win whatever the duck is marked with. Simplicity
benefit of a fixed space. seems to be the name of the game, and yes, that pun is intended.
Monica Ghee, a third-generation game operator, points out that These games are all about fun, but if they were too easy to win,
people returning to carnival games are expecting variety. They get tired players wouldn’t keep coming back. Whether skill or chance was
of the same old thing and are more enticed by new games, even if the involved, there were always tricks that kept players wanting to try just
new games are just a fresh spin on a classic. Thus, carnival games see one more time, some more honest than others.
increased turnover as games are cycled through. Over the years, this In the 1950s, the television show You Asked for It took on the tricky
nature of carnival games and employed master magician Robert Haskell
to reveal the secrets behind their difficult nature. He demonstrated that
Being a Carney in the 1950s and 60s
could bring in comparatively good money. for most games, the answer lay in their engineering. Optical illusions
Game operators made a commission of and physical relationships often baffled participants, such as in the ring
30%-40% of what they brought in, and toss, where a successful toss from the operator on the side looked easy.
the number could climb as high as 50% From where the players stood, however, the angle was such that
for talented individuals. Guessing games winning was nearly impossible.
have been popular and rewarded savvy Remember the game where you attempt to topple an arrangement
operators for their smarts and strategy. of milk bottles? Some bottles may be heavier than others and how
This vintage guessing game sign was sold they are stacked will ultimately determine your chances of winning.
Gameroom Show for $450.
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