Strolling through the flea market is like a walk down memory lane for us. We love seeing the games that our whole family played. So we set out to find a few more nostalgic games to add to our collections, and this year we were real winners!
Just to mix things up, we started out the morning in the middle row. We immediately got sucked into a booth loaded with children’s furniture, toys, and games. We asked the dealer about a round wooden board with marbles, which turned out to be a classic game called The Fox and The Geese. When he told us we could look up the rules online, we decided to get it, but not before checking out his croquet sets.
The nicest one was complete in a box with “Parlor Croquet” printed on the lid for $195. He also had a shabbier set that was missing three balls, but the mallets and painted stakes were in good shape. Kitty couldn’t resist it, and we joked about planning a Gatsby party for spring.
Around the corner, we discovered stacks of games for under $10 each, including Parcheesi, Life, Chinese checkers, and dominoes.
The seller had some really old games, too. She showed us a set of tabletop bowling pins by Milton Bradley nestled in their original crate and a German version of Lotto.
She also had a vintage Backgammon set in a hinged leather case that reminded us of our grandmother’s. We used to play all the time, but this antique one was too spendy at almost $200. Then we noticed a table with big wire baskets full of balls––baseballs, bocce balls, and croquet balls! Kitty picked out three colorful croquet balls for $5 each to complete her set. Jennifer picked out four to display in a bowl on her dining table. Playful idea!
We tried not to shout when we spotted an old-timey Bingo set in near-mint condition. It was made by PLA-MOR, and it came with a metal cage of Bingo balls and stitched cards with red plastic sliders, perfect for games night. The vendor was clearly in a good mood, because she made us the deal of the day. When all was said and done, we walked away with a carousel of poker chips, a dice cage, and all the Bingo goodies for only $60. Let the games begin!
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