Sleepovers, Monopoly And The Dark.

The feeling of nostalgia can have a powerful influence on the past... especially when your memories are filled with an atmosphere of wonder and eeriness. One such memory immediately pops into my mind. While the content isn't necessarily spooky in itself, the mood surrounding it sure is to me. I'll try to invoke it as best as possible.

The year was 1994.

When I was young, I always looked forward to sleepovers with my cousin Dale. He was a guy I looked up to. Cool, confident, talented, great at playing Nintendo. He was my partner in crime for many years. In many ways, he was like the older brother I never had. Sometimes I'd get the opportunity to stay over at his place, which I always eagerly anticipated. His basement was set up perfectly -- a giant television to play video games on, tons of Nintendo cartridges, plenty of room to crash and go to sleep, a little chilly but not damp. It was both inviting and a little creepy at the same time, especially when the lights were turned down low. Being able to stay there was one of the highlights of my youth. I remember those sleepovers with nothing but admiration.

On one such sleepover, there were more than just the two of us. His sister Ashley and our mutual cousin Jessica were there as well. We were all fairly close in age, so we could easily relate to one another. That night, we decided to play Monopoly until the wee hours of the morning. All of the lights in the house were turned low and candles were lit for a truly spectral ambiance. We'd rented a movie (remember VHS tapes and video stores?) to play on the living room television. It was a little known horror movie from 1993 called The Dark. This movie was your basic creature feature -- a monstrous rodent tunnels below a cemetery to consume the recently deceased. Within the film, a cop is trying to kill the monster, while a scientist is trying to save it. Why? The rat monster apparently secretes a powerful healing slime. No... I'm not making that plot up. It was a Canadian horror movie starring a pre-Party of Five Neve Campbell in one of her first roles -- go figure.

The Dark - a movie so bad, it's still not on DVD.

Anyway, we popped the tape in at some point after we had started to play Monopoly. I can recall how the atmosphere in the house progressively became so macabre. The combination of the dim lights, candles and the horror movie made the evening all the more memorable. I was young; just a teenager with all of my life ahead of me. There we were -- staying up way past our bedtime and living our lives to the fullest.

Sure, Monopoly and a horror movie doesn't seem like a very edgy experience, but I was thirteen years old and away from home. It was about as edgy as I got at the time.

I think back to that night often. It's not like anything special happened. We were just kids playing a board game and watching a horror movie. But, maybe that's the point. The mood from that evening was far more important than anything else. Teenage angst and anticipation were in the air. On that evening, the membrane separating the real world from the phantasmal was just a little bit thinner. We were vulnerable. We were turning into adults.

Every time I think about that night, I get goosebumps. I can still feel how I felt that night -- a little bit scared, a little bit restless.

We never finished the game of Monopoly. By the time early morning rolled around, we each started to doze off. One by one, we all retreated to our beds for the night. Just before I went to bed, I can recall standing there in the living room alone and turning the lights off; the last to go to sleep. One by one, the candles went out. Down to the basement I went, with only the orange glow of a bathroom light to guide my way past the stairs. The memory falls into darkness.

If you're reading this Dale, I hope you're well. I miss the time we spent together. Though us growing up seemed to get in the way, you'll always be someone I looked up to. Thanks for that.

The Future of the Toy Industry.

I am in the business of providing toys and collectibles to people of all ages, both young and old. From Transformers to Nintendo, Hot Wheels to Monopoly -- I sell all kinds of things to all sorts of people. I take pride in what I do. After walking away from a career in banking to work for myself, I can say over four years later that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only has my mental health improved since I began my own business, but also my physical health. I am my own boss. I set my own work hours. I make the decisions that directly affect the success of my business. Starting my business, The Cybertron Armory, has brought nothing but happiness to me.

In short -- I love my job.

Transformers featured in the 1985 Sears Holiday Wish Book Catalog.

As a retailer of toys both old and new, I stay abreast of the trends that take place in the toy market. I walk the aisles of department stores looking to see what kids are buying these days. As I like to say -- today's kid is tomorrow's collector. LEGO is consistently popular. Barbie has taken a back seat to Monster High. Hot Wheels and other die-cast vehicles don't interest nearly as many kids as they once did. Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are two of the great success stories in the toy industry. G.I. Joe has gone AWOL from the toy aisle. Board games and puzzles are relegated to a tiny corner shelf.

The toy industry has become more concentrated as the years have gone by. When I was a kid, there were dozens of various toy lines dedicated just to action figures, let alone droves of others for creative play, drawing, roleplay, games and the like. Thundercats, Visionaries, Rock Lords, Jem, Star Wars, Dino Riders, Polly Pocket and the Inhumanoids are just a few of the hundreds of series developed by manufacturers throughout the '80s and '90s. There was vast diversity among toys as recently as twenty years ago.

D'Compose, Metlar and Tendril were the major villains in the Inhumanoids toy series. These figures were gigantic, as well as a little scary.

Today, that has all changed. There are only a few major players in the toy industry -- chiefly Hasbro, Mattel and LEGO. Where there once stood a multitude of toy brands, there are now only a handful. For example, while walking through the action figure aisles of the toy department in my local Target, here are the brands I could spot, as well as their respective owners:

• WWE - Mattel
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Playmates
• Power Rangers - Bandai
• Transformers - Hasbro
• Star Wars - Hasbro
• Marvel Comics - Hasbro
• DC Comics - Mattel
• Imaginext - Mattel

That's right -- only eight major action figure toy series by my count. Twenty five years ago, there would have been a couple dozen hanging on the shelves. As the decades have progressed, only the most successful toy lines have withstood the test of time. The market for kids to desire these types of toys has become smaller and more dense, with less variety to choose from.

Star Wars is one of the cornerstones of the toy industry, but even its market share has shrunk. These days, it is marketed more towards adult collectors.

What do I believe has caused this to happen? Modern technology, of course. With the birth of the internet in the '90s, kids started finding new ways to play. What once began as a means to check your email, research book reports and talk in chat rooms has become the prime method for entertainment -- both for the young and old alike. Young boys and girls aren't as interested in dolls, board games and action figures as they once were. In the age of high-powered video game consoles, smart phones, tablets and the internet, traditional toys simply don't hold up like they once did. Why play with a Captain America doll when you can play as Captain America on your Playstation 4?

Amiibos from Nintendo are a clear example of how toys and video games

have begun to merge into one entity.

This change in how children play is interesting to watch from my position. Children simply aren't entertained as easily as they once were. What does that hold for the future? Will traditional toys become a thing of the past in my lifetime? Are the children of today the last to enjoy toys that require the sole use of their imagination?

Toys are in a clear state of transition to the digital landscape.

In terms of the business side of things, I will always have a customer base. Adult collectors will continue to buy up the toys of their youth, trying to reclaim a lost sense of comfort. Yet, as I get older, so too will the collector. Future retailers may not have a customer base to sell toys and collectibles to because kids simply won't play with them anymore. It's a bleak situation, but one must accept reality -- the toys we see today may not be around in the future. For now, I enjoy the work that I do. I help people have fun and feel happy. That's a powerful motivation to continue in my line of work. Knowing that each and every toy I mail out to a customer is going to be cherished, to make someone jubilant... that's very satisfying for me.

If you are looking for a toy or collectible from your youth, contact me. If I don't already have it, I can help you find it. Or, visit my store on eBay. Either way -- take advantage of the time frame we live in. Be thankful that you can still buy an Optimus Prime or a Barbie. Future generations may not be so lucky.

We live in an age where Barbie has been surpassed by Monster High.

Shall We Play A Game?

No sentient computers hell-bent on world destruction were harmed in the composition of this blog.

Today's article is really more of an open dialogue for the friends and family in my life. I have an idea to run by you. Perhaps you'll like it, perhaps you won't. Either way, your feedback is encouraged.

Every year, I try to host my family and friends for a barbecue feast. It's nothing too fancy, but it fills our bellies and provides the opportunity for some much needed comradery. I always look forward to the event. With the weather now warm and the Spring allergy season over, I believe the time is right. This year, though; I was thinking about doing something a little bit different. Let's not just have a family meal...

What if we had an all-day Monopoly tournament?

My siblings will remember our rousing games of Monopoly when we were young. I can recall just how often Josh seemed to win -- he has a knack for slinging real estate and making deals. Why not continue the tradition? The deluxe edition of Monopoly can accommodate up to ten players. Should we have more than ten people participating, teams could be drawn. There would be no actual money involved -- we would play for glory. Because Monopoly has the potential to go on for a long time, we can set a time limit. Should more then one player or team still be solvent upon reaching the time limit, play will stop. Those players/teams will tally up their total assets, with the champion having the highest value.

Best of all, a trophy will be awarded to the victor. You'll have a whole year of bragging rights.

So, what do you think? Good idea? Have a different game in mind? Bounce some ideas off of me.

My Top Five Favorite Board Games.

I absolutely L-O-V-E board games. They require you to take part in a fanciful game of wits and will in a purely physical setting. Sure, video games are fun... but a board game puts you right up against your competition -- mano-a-mano! Tonight, I want to share my top five favorite board games (in no particular order).

Othello - Originating from the game Reversi invented in the late 1800's, Othello is a simple game where you must attempt to flip as many discs as possible to your color (white or black) on a square grid. The game is easy to learn, but extremely difficult to master. I've played it for over twenty years and wouldn't consider myself an experienced player at all. To succeed, a certain measure of anticipation comes into play -- you must be able to predict how and when your opponent will react to your moves. Having a sensible instinct can determine the outcome even before the first move is executed. The modern version of Othello was trademarked in Japan in the early 1970's by the Tsukuda Original Company. Since then, the Japanese have dominated the Othello World Championship.

Monopoly - We all know and love this classic real estate trading game! Monopoly comes from Parker Brothers, whom first released the game in 1933. Original versions of the game board were circular and not square! The real estate pieces used in the game are based upon actual places in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I always try to lock up the Purple and Orange properties if possible. The Purples (Mediterranean Ave. and Baltic Ave.) are cheap to acquire and produce much needed income in the short game, while the Oranges (St. James Place, Tennessee Ave. and New York Ave.) are statistically-speaking the most landed on spaces in the game. My favorite classic piece? The top hat! Here's an interesting piece of trivia -- the United Kingdom version of Monopoly changes Baltic Ave. to Whitechapel Road. What's so interesting about that? Whitechapel is the area that Jack the Ripper committed his gruesome murders! Chilling!

Risk - This should require little explanation. In Risk, you attempt to conquer the world! For a Moriarty-esque would-be-tyrant such as myself, it's a pure passion play! In my experience, the secret to winning Risk is not to back yourself into a corner. Try to occupy as many territories as possible (preferably entire continents), even if you feel you're stretching yourself thin. Remember - units can always be moved and occupying more continents adds to your troop development bonus. You can approach Risk from three different perspectives -- the turtle (all defense), the snake (targeted strikes) or the octopus (tentacles everywhere). BE THE OCTOPUS!

Key to the Kingdom - Wow... what a game. Key to the Kingdom is a fantasy adventure where you must traverse a dangerous world full of monsters and villains. As a treasure-seeking knight, you hope to enter this dangerous world, retrieve one of the hidden treasures and escape. Along the way, you're forced to complete various missions with tools and weapons. Beware! The evil Demon King stalks you around the board at every turn! The great thing about Key to the Kingdom is that the board is interactive. You can jump through "whirlpools" in the board, which causes it to open up and expose a much larger playing area. I can't recommend Key to the Kingdom enough!

Chess - The perennial classic! Chess challenges you against another human in a pure game of wit. Learning how all of the pieces move is daunting enough, but predicting your opponent's game-plan is even harder. Gaining early control of the center of the board is important for success, as is maintaining a strong defense for your back row. Don't be afraid to sacrifice a pawn to achieve a greater tactical advantage (that's what they're for). Be cautious of employing your more important pieces too early - you're sure to lose them. My favorite piece? The Rook. Yet another game I've played all my life, but have not completely mastered (and I probably never will). One of my favorite versions of Chess is the video game classic Battle Chess. Any child of the '80s whom played with a computer should remember this legendary game. Watching the various pieces massacre each other is hilarious! Here's a fantastic video of all the death scenes from Battle Chess.

What are some of your favorite board games?