Since the 1950s , multiplication after multiplication of children have turned to one aim to bring home the bacon answers to the more combustion yes / no question of life : the Magic 8 Ball . But was the Magic 8 Ball always intended as a children ’s luck - telling toy ? And why , of all thing , is it shape like a billiard nut ?
If you were to grab the Magic 8 Ball off your desk properly now and need it “ Will this article answer all those motion and more ? ” the parole “ Without a uncertainty ” would hopefully emerge through the murky profane liquid . However , with numerical chance taken into consideration , this might not be the case;after consulting Dr. Lucien Cohen , a psychological science prof at the University of Cincinnati , the Almighty of the Magic 8 Ball determine upon 20 possible responses : 10 positive , five negative , and five indifferent .
IT BEGAN WITH A CLAIRVOYANT’S SON …
From an early old age , Albert C. Carter , the son of a Cincinnati clairvoyant , found himself fence in by all things mystic . As his mother Mary ’s popularity as a medium increased , so too did Albert ’s involvement in her work . In particular , he — like the majority of her clients — was intrigue by one of her fortune - telling inventions : thePsycho - Slate .
The Psycho - Slate consist of a modest chalkboard that could be placed inside of a sealed container . While with a client , Mary would shut down the hat of the container and ask a question aloud to the “ other existence . ” To her customer ’ amazement , the room would fill up with the sounds of chalk scribbling across the board . When the scratchings died down , Mary would then unfold the container to reveal the answer as order by the spirits . While no one is quite sure exactly how Mary achieve the result , it is safe to say that this inspired Albert to make his own rendering of the Psycho - Slate — one that did n’t ask any psychic ability .
In 1944 , Carter completed the gimmick that he would callthe Syco - Seer . The termination was a liquidness - filled metro , divided in the center . On each end , a clean windowpane allowed a horizon of the worded die Carter had aim in each half . By turning the underground upright piano , one die would slowly raise through the mucilaginous liquid , give away a response to the user ’s question . ( In his book , Timeless toy : Classic toy and the Playmakers Who make Them , author Tim Walsh claimsthat Carter used molasses early on on . )
feel confident in the Syco - Seer , Carter presented the prototype to a local Cincinnati memory proprietor , Max Levinson . Levinson like a shot took to the idea , so much so that he expressed an interest in working with Carter to people - produce the Syco - Seer . To accomplish this , Levinson contacted his brother - in - practice of law , Abe Bookman .
ALONG CAME BOOKMAN
Abe Bookman , or Buchmann as he was sleep together before the Anglicization of his name in 1955 , was a first - multiplication American born to Russian Judaic parent . A smart and business - savvy serviceman , Bookman graduate from the Ohio Mechanics Institute in 1921 . Because of this , Carter and Levinson turned to Bookman to handle the logistics of grow the Syco - Seer on a larger scurf .
They formed a gaud company , Alabe Crafts , Inc. ( a combination of Abe and Albert ’s first names ) in 1946 . Under Bookman ’s steering , Alabe Crafts produced andmarketed the Syco - Seeras a “ Miracle Home Fortune - Teller . ”
Though Carter hadapplied for a patentfor his “ Liquid Filled Dice Agitator ” on September 23 , 1944 , he unfortunately did n’t live to see it granted in 1948 . While it is unclear what became of Carter in his final years or exactly when he died , most rootage statethe cause of his trouble halt from his “ gypsy life style ” and alcoholism . Luckily for Alabe Crafts , Carter had shared the patent of invention assignment credit with Bookman and Levinson .
REDESIGNS, RE-MARKETING, AND THE BIRTH OF THE MAGIC 8 BALL
In 1948 , Bookman opt for another redesign , this time in an effort to tie in a marketing motif ; he placed the Syco - Slate tubing inside a watch glass formal . While this did nothing to amend sales , it garnered the attending of Brunswick Billiards who , in 1950 , were on the lookout for a fun item to use as a likely giveaway to raise their Chicago - based billiards company .
Bookman jump at the opportunity . He transfer the design once again , replace the vitreous silica Lucille Ball with the iconic mordant 8 ball we know today . Once the promotion had terminate and Bookman ’s declaration with Brunswick was satisfy , he decided to keep the 8 ball design , energise by the achiever of the game show .
Bookman then function on to commercialize the Magic 8 Ball asa paperweight . It was n’t until he acknowledge the 8 Ball ’s popularity among kid that Bookman decide to re - commercialise the mathematical product as a toy . With this , the Magic 8 Ball quickly observe its footing .
In 1971,Bookman soldAlabe Crafts and the Magic 8 Lucille Ball to Ideal Toys . Today , the Ball is have byMattel , who claim to deal a million Magic 8 Balls every yr . In 2011,TIMEMagazine namedthe Magic 8 Ball as one of the “ All - TIME 100 Greatest toy . ”
