Sold at toy stores for over a century, Ouija, the infamous "talking board" has been a source of mystery and wonder ever since it first landed on parlor tables in 1890. Now owned by Hasbro, it was originally trademarked by Kennard Novelty Company in 1891. William Fuld is credited with creating the game, but it was Kennard's manager's wife that came up with the name, who asked the board what it should be called. When asked what "Ouija" meant, the answer came back as "Good Luck". It wasn't long before spiritualists (including charlatans) adopted the board as a mysterious gateway to "the other side". Paying customers were not scarce.
The Ouija board is also maligned, especially by fundamental Christians, for being a pathway to demonic forces, including the Devil himself. Indeed, there have numerous stories of people who have experienced catastrophic results after using one. Whether coincidence or truth, it is still recommended caution be advised, even if sold as a toy. The two films, OUIJA (2014) and OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL (2016), written and directed by the now hot horror commodity, Mike Flanagan, perpetuated the dark side of the board.
This article from the November issue of ANTIQUE TRADER, explains the details of this unique product and includes comments from Robert Murch, the current chairman and president of the Talking Board Historical Society, who himself has a collection of over 1,000 talking boards! You might call him the "Chairman of the Boards" . . .
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