Jul 10, 2010

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

Memory Walk Portsmouth 2010As part of our "Think Outside the Bag" initiative, G.Willikers! Toy Shop in Portsmouth,NH is donating a dime to the Alzheimer's Foundation every time a customer opts not to take a bag with their purchase.  This program has been in effect for over two years now and has been a great success; saving literally thousands of bags from potentially going into landfills AND generating hundreds of dollars in donations to local non-profits and other organizations.  We'll be supporting the Alzheimer's Memory Walk with this money and donating it at the local event on Saturday, September 11th at the South Mill Playground. 

 

In addition to the donations made at the counter for saving a bag, G.Willikers! will also donate $2.00 of every "GO3801" t-shirt sale for Alzheimer's as well!  SO SUPPORT OUR FAVORITE ZIP CODE (03801!!) AND PURCHASE A VERY LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT AND HELP Limited Edition G03801 T-ShirtTHE CAUSE.  Wear your passion for PORTSMOUTH!

Sizes currently available are

XS (2-4)/ Small (6-8)/ Med (10-12)/ Adult Small (34-36)/ Adult Med (38-40)

 

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Jul 08, 2010

Who Really Invented Monopoly?

Strong Museum acquires rare early Monopoly GameStrong Museum Rochester, NY
Playthings Staff -- Playthings, 7/1/2010 2:54:58 PM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A rare and unique early version of Monopoly, used as evidence in a controversial, 10-year legal copyright battle over the iconic American game's true inventor, has been acquired by Strong National Museum of Play - home of the National Toy Hall of Fame.

The museum has announced that second oldest known version of the world's most popular board game ever has been added to its world-renowned collections of play-related objects: a folk-art Monopoly game created by a member of the Heap family between 1910 and 1917 when the family lived in Altoona, Penn.

The Heap board game also has the distinction of being the oldest Monopoly game with all its playing pieces intact including hand-made money, property cards in color groupings, and houses and other "improvement" buildings. The Heap game was an important piece of evidence in a Monopoly copyright dispute that began in 1974 and spanned a decade.

To briefly summarize the copyright disagreement: Pennsylvanian Charles Darrow claimed to have invented the game of Monopoly and in 1935 sold the rights to Parker Brothers. In 1973, Ralph Anspach, a professor of economics, invented a game called Anti-Monopoly; and, in 1974, became embroiled in a lawsuit for trademark infringement brought against him by the General Mills Fun Group.

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