Vintage & Antique Game Tables Back in Style

In the good old 1950’s, no home was complete without a table with four matching chairs in the family room or den, where we could all sit around and play games. Whether it was board games like Monopoly or card games, family and friends gathered around and had a good time. Of course, this was all before the advent and meteoric sales of radios and televisions. Although the 1950’s was a good time for the game table, their beginnings go a lot further than that.

In the 18th century, most homes had a game table made for the family room or living room. The most basic of models featured a top that opened and spun to form a square table, however many more game tables were elaborately made using the best and most exotic woods and many were ornately designed. Later models even featured many trimmings including wells for gaming chips and or holders for drinks. However, in the 1900’s game tables lost their popularity.

Fast forward to 2007 and there is now resurgence in the popularity of the game table. Probably because Americans are spending more on finishing their basements and creating elaborate game rooms in their homes. Game tables are now available not only at the local antique shop or flea market, but reproductions are popping up everywhere. Checking the Internet we saw small game tables for just over $300 to more elaborate game tables going for thousands of dollars.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives – February 16, 2007 . . .

Antique Barometers - A Brief History

It wasn’t until 1844 that the first mass marketable barometer was made in France, but the barometer has a much longer history than that. The first mercury barometer was invented by a student of Galileo named Torricelli in 1643. After much research and development by scientists and weathermen, the antique mercury barometer was used to predict changing weather patterns. During the 1700’s many stick barometers were made. These were nothing more than a glass tube with mercury inside and a scale either engraved on a piece of wood or paper scale attached to the wood. Due to the mercury that these antique barometers contain, collectors must use caution when handling them. As a matter of fact, the CDC issued a warning in June of 2007 about these types of antiques.

During the Victorian period, many cabinet makers and clock designers started making elaborate wooden cases for barometers. The wooden cases are often works of art themselves and can bring in thousands of dollars at auction. Many of the antique barometers that we see from this period are in the familiar banjo shape and made of different woods including rosewood and mahogany. After 1844, aneroid (without liquid) barometers were made by many manufacturers and sold on the open market. These barometers are considered safer because they contained no mercury and better because they were smaller, accurate and were more portable. By the late 1800’s mercury barometers were a thing of the past.