The game is neither a variation of checkers, nor did it originate in China or any part of Asia.
Chinese Checkers, also called Sternhalma, is a German strategy board game that can be played by 2-6 players. It is a simplified version of a game called Halma (a strategy board game invented in 1883 or 1884 by George Howard Monks). My parents had the version pictured here, a round metal container that stored the marbles and checker pieces. Flip it over and it was a checkerboard.
With over 60 years making toys, the best is yet to come for Colorforms!
It all started in the 1950s when Harry and Patricia Kislevitz began experimenting with a flexible vinyl material. They had bought rolls of different colored vinyl and simply cut out shapes that they would place on their bathroom walls. They left the vinyl and scissors available so guests could add their own touch. Their friends were intrigued and they knew they were on to something.
Behind the scenes with our Circle Sky artwork
Melody Hill was the Circle Sky Records official magazine while we were open between 2002 and 2010. We took a series of pictures of items strategically placed on a white piece of Coroplast with another piece of Coroplast as the background. Coroplast is a chemically inert, extremely durable polypropylene copolymer, extruded twin-wall fluted plastic sheet. It is resistant to water and we used them all the time to make signs advertising the record store. All the items on display were from Donnie’s personal collection.
Fiendishly Fun
Dark Shadows was an American Gothic soap opera that originally aired on the ABC network from June 27, 1966, until April 2, 1971. It aired, at my house, at 4 pm every weekday. I had to run up the driveway, after getting off the school bus, to be able to get a snack and seated, with Mother, in time to see each episode.
I got a pitch back when I was a kid. I used it for years, repaired it many times. It worked great and was incredibly durable. It is long disintegrated but I still have the instructions (See image at end of the post)! The net had 24 S-hooks to attach to the frame. You could stand far away and try to hit the center every throw.
I just finished all 7 seasons of Comic Book Men an Amazon Prime video. It was an AMC television show, podcast, starring Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II, Tusk) and his employees of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. This is a comic book store located in Red Bank, New Jersey. Sitting around a table Kevin Smith, Bryan Johnson (Mallrats, Dogma, Shooting Clerks, Making Fun: The Story of Funko, Impractical Jokers: The Movie), Walt Flanagan (Clerks, Mallrats, Vulgar),
Wow, I loved these balls. I remember that they surpassed any other ball I ever owned for how high it would bounce. Even a golf ball, off the concrete, could not match. I used to throw the super ball off the house and field it with my baseball glove. It was incredible but after a few hundred times off the bricks, it would disintegrate, unlike the rubber baseballs, tennis balls, or golf balls I also used. They were made of a synthetic rubber invented by chemist Norman Stingley in 1964.
All kinds of twitchy, twertchy, wriggly Things!
Thingmaker is a product by Mattel started in 1964. The toy came in kits, like Creepy Crawlers, with die cast moulds that you you heat in the open-face hot plate oven to about 390 degrees F (199 degrees C) and add the Plastigoop which would cure , when cooled by the placing in the water tray to form rubbery replicas.
Wheelie bikes are also called Muscle bikes, High-Riser bikes, Spyder bikes and Banana bikes. Designed in the 1960’s to resemble the Chopper motorcycles with ape hanger handlebars (wide, easy to see through, with high grips), banana seat with sissy bars
The Carousel gumball machine was started in the 1950’s by Arthur Gold. In the 1980’s the brand was purchased by Ford Gum & Machine. The machines are cast iron with glass globes. They are made in different sizes known as the King, Junior and Petite (like mine shown in the photo). They still make replicas today but the originals are sold on auction sites for a little more. You can also buy parts for all the models.
