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{{Short description|Toy fortune telling device}}
{{Infobox Toy
{{Infobox Toy
|name=Magic 8-Ball
| name=Magic 8 Ball
|image=File:Magic 8 Ball - Instrument Of Evil? (2426454804).jpg
| image=File:Magic8ball.jpg
|caption=A Magic 8-Ball response
| caption=The Magic 8 Ball
|type=Novelty toy
| type=[[Novelty item|Novelty toy]]
|inventor=Albert Carter<br>Abe Bookman
| inventor=Albert C. Carter<br>Abe Bookman
|company=[[Mattel]]
| company=[[Mattel]]
|from=1950
| from=1950
|to=present
| to=present
|materials=[[Plastic]]<br>[[Alcohol]]<br>Blue dye
| materials=[[Plastic]]<br>[[Alcohol (chemistry)|Alcohol]]<br>Blue coloring
| website=https://shop.mattel.com/products/magic-8-ball-dhw39
|website=https://shop.mattel.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10103&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=36&searchTerm=magic+8+ball#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&contentPageSize:&}}
}}
The '''Magic 8-Ball''' is a toy used for [[fortune-telling]] or seeking advice, developed in the 1950s and manufactured by [[Mattel]]. The user asks a question to the large plastic ball, then turns it over to reveal a written answer which appears on the surface of the toy.
The '''Magic 8 Ball''' is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized {{cuegloss|8 ball|eight ball}}, that is used for [[fortune-telling]] or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and is manufactured by [[Mattel]].<ref name="britannica">{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/story/where-did-the-idea-for-the-magic-8-ball-come-from|title=Where Did the Idea for the Magic 8 Ball Come From?|website=www.britannica.com}}</ref> The user asks a [[yes–no question]] to the ball, then turns it over to reveal an answer that floats up into a window.


==Origin==
==Origin==
An [[billiard ball|8-ball]] was used as a fortune-telling device in the 1940 [[Three Stooges]] short, ''[[You Nazty Spy!]]'', and called a "magic ball".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Salem Press Encyclopedia|last=Minichiello|first=Mia|publisher=Salem Press|year=2015|isbn=|location=|pages=|chapter=The Great Dictator (film)}}</ref>{{synthesis-inline|date=July 2018}} While Magic 8-Ball did not exist in its current form until 1950, the functional component was invented by Albert C. Carter, inspired by a [[spirit writing]] device used by his mother, Mary, a Cincinnati [[clairvoyant]]. When Carter approached store owner Max Levinson about stocking the device, Levinson called in his brother-in-law Abe Bookman, a graduate of [[University of Cincinnati College of Applied Science|Ohio Mechanics Institute]]. In 1944, Carter filed for a patent<ref>{{cite web|last1=Coopee|first1=Todd|title=Magic 8-Ball from Alabe Crafts (1946)|url=https://toytales.ca/magic-8-ball-alabe-crafts/|website=ToyTales.ca}}</ref> for the cylindrical device, assigning it in 1946 to Bookman, Levinson, and another partner in what came to be Alabe Crafts, Inc. (''Al''bert and ''Abe''). Alabe marketed and sold the cylinder as The Syco-Slate. Carter died sometime before the patent was granted in 1948. Bookman made improvements to The Syco-Slate, and in 1948, it was encased in an iridescent [[crystal ball]]. Though unsuccessful, the revamped product caught the attention of Chicago's [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick Billiards]]. In 1950 they commissioned Alabe Crafts to make a version in the form of a traditional black-and-white 8-ball.<ref>Walsh, Tim. (2004). ''The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys'', pp. 94–5. Keys Publishing, Sarasota. {{ISBN|0-9646973-4-3}}.</ref>
The functional component of the Magic 8 Ball was invented by Albert C. Carter,<ref name="britannica"/> who was inspired by a [[spirit writing]] device used by his mother, a Cincinnati [[clairvoyant]].<ref name="britannica"/> When Carter approached store owner Max Levinson about stocking the device, Levinson called in Abe Bookman, Levinson's brother-in-law, and graduate of [[University of Cincinnati College of Applied Science|Ohio Mechanics Institute]]. In 1944, Carter filed for a patent<ref>{{cite web|last1=Coopee|first1=Todd|title=Magic 8 Ball from Alabe Crafts (1946)|url=https://toytales.ca/magic-8-ball-alabe-crafts/|website=ToyTales.ca|date=12 December 2016 }}</ref> for the cylindrical device, assigning it in 1946 to Bookman, Levinson and another partner in what came to be Alabe Crafts, Inc., combining the founder's names, Albert and Abe. Alabe marketed and sold the cylinder as The Syco-Slate. Carter died sometime before the patent was granted in 1948. Bookman made improvements to The Syco-Slate, and in 1948 it was encased in an iridescent [[crystal ball]]. Though not successful, the revamped product caught the attention of Chicago's [[Brunswick Bowling & Billiards|Brunswick Billiards]], who in 1950 commissioned Alabe Crafts to make a version in the form of a traditional black-and-white 8 ball,<ref name=walsh>Walsh, Tim. (2001). ''The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys'', pp. 94–5. Keys Publishing, Sarasota. {{ISBN|0-9646973-4-3}}.</ref> which was possibly inspired by a gag in the 1940 [[The Three Stooges|Three Stooges]] [[short film]], ''[[You Nazty Spy!]]'' <ref>{{Cite book|title=Salem Press Encyclopedia|last=Minichiello|first=Mia|publisher=Salem Press|year=2015|chapter=The Great Dictator (film)}}</ref>


==Design==
==Cultural impact==
[[File:Magic8ball.jpg|thumb|The Magic 8-Ball]]
⚫
The Magic 8-Ball is a hollow plastic sphere resembling an oversized, black-and-white [[8-ball]]. Inside, a cylindrical reservoir contains a white, plastic [[icosahedron]] floating in alcohol dyed dark blue. Each of the die's 20 faces has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed in raised letters. These messages are read through a window on the ball's bottom.


Although originally sold as a [[paperweight]], the Magic 8 Ball remained popular for several decades as both an [[office toy]] and a children's toy.{{r|walsh}}
⚫
To use the ball, it must be held with the window initially facing down. After "asking the ball" a [[yes–no question]], the user then turns the ball so that the window faces up, setting in motion the liquid and die inside. When the die floats to the top and one face presses against the window, the raised letters displace the blue liquid to reveal the message as white letters on a blue background. Although many users shake the ball before turning it upright, the instructions warn against doing so to avoid white bubbles, which interfere with the performance of the ball itself.


In 1971, Bookman sold Alabe Crafts, Inc., to [[Ideal Toy Company|Ideal Toys]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-08-24|title=A Brief History of the Magic 8 Ball|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/67702/brief-history-magic-8-ball|access-date=2021-06-04|website=www.mentalfloss.com|language=en}}</ref> who marketed the ball firmly at children. In 1987, the rights were again sold to [[Tyco Toys]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Abe Bookman, UC alum, created everlasting Magic 8 Ball|url=https://magazine.uc.edu/:8443https//magazine.uc.edu/famousalumni/designers/magic8.html|access-date=2021-06-04|website=University of Cincinnati|language=en-US}}</ref> spurring on another marketing campaign and resurgence in interest. Tyco Toys was acquired by Mattel, the current manufacturer, in 1997. Despite its numerous owners, the Magic 8 Ball has changed little in design and implementation.
⚫
==Possible answers==

The 20 answers inside a standard Magic 8-Ball are:ikjijkjkj
==Design and usage==
\
[[File:Magic 8 Ball - Instrument Of Evil? (2426454804).jpg|thumb|One of the possible responses of the Magic 8 Ball.]]
{|
⚫
The Magic 8 Ball is a hollow plastic sphere resembling a black-and-white 8 ball. Its standard size is larger than an ordinary pool ball, but it has been made in different sizes. Inside the ball, a cylindrical reservoir contains a white plastic 20-sided [[regular icosahedron]] [[dice|die]] floating in approximately {{convert|100|ml|usfloz|abbr=on|frac=2}} of alcohol dyed dark blue. Each of the die's 20 faces has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed in raised letters. These messages are read through a window on the ball's bottom.

⚫
To use the ball, it must be held with the window initially facing down to allow the die to float within the cylinder. After asking the ball a [[yes–no question]], the user then turns the ball so that the window faces up. The die floats to the top, and one face presses against the window; the raised letters displace the blue liquid to reveal the message as white letters on a blue background. Although most users shake the ball before turning it upright, the instructions warn against doing so to avoid white bubbles.

While the Magic 8 Ball has undergone very few changes, an addition in 1975 by new owners, [[Ideal Toy Company]], fixed the bubble problem.<ref>{{cite web |title=Today I Found Out |url=http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/05/inventing-the-magic-8-ball/ |website=Today I Found Out|date=2 May 2016 }}</ref> Their patented "Bubble Free Die Agitator", an inverted funnel, rerouted the air trapped inside.<ref>{{US patent|4049277}}</ref> The solution has been used ever since.

⚫
===Possible answers===
⚫
A standard Magic 8 Ball has twenty possible answers, including ten affirmative answers (<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span>), five non-committal answers (<span style = "font-size: x-large; color: Gold;">●</span>), and five negative answers (<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span>).

{| class="wikitable"
|
|
:<span style="font-size: medium; color: green;">●</span> It is certain.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> It is certain<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> It is decidedly so.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> It is decidedly so<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Without a doubt.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Without a doubt<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Yes - definitely.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Yes definitely<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> You may rely on it.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> You may rely on it
|
|
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> As I see it, yes.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> As I see it, yes<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Most likely.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Most likely<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Outlook good.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Outlook good<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Yes.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Yes<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Signs point to yes.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span> Signs point to yes
|
|
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Reply hazy, try again.
<span style="font-size: x-Large; color: gold;">●</span> Reply hazy, try again<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Ask again later.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Ask again later<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Better not tell you now.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Better not tell you now<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Cannot predict now.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Cannot predict now<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Concentrate and ask again.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span> Concentrate and ask again
|
|
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Don't count on it.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Don't count on it<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> My reply is no.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> My reply is no<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> My sources say no.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> My sources say no<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Outlook not so good.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Outlook not so good<br>
:<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Very doubtful.
<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span> Very doubtful
|}
|}

⚫
Ten of the possible answers are affirmative (<span style="font-size: x-large; color: green;">●</span>), while five are non-committal (<span style = "font-size: x-large; color: gold;">●</span>) and five are negative (<span style="font-size: x-large; color: red;">●</span>).


== See also ==
== See also ==
⚫
{{Portal|Toys}}
* [[Flipism]]
<!-- alphabetical order please [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
*[[Divination]]
<!-- please add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]], via {{subst:AnnotatedListOfLinks}} or {{Annotated link}} -->
* [[Gambling]]
* {{Annotated link |Divination}}
* {{Annotated link |Flipism}}
* {{Annotated link |Fortune teller machine}}
* {{Annotated link |Ka-Bala}}
* {{Annotated link |Ouija}}
<!-- alphabetical order please [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->


==References==
== Patents ==
⚫
{{Reflist}}


=== Patents ===
* {{US patent|2452730}}—''Liquid Filled Dice Agitator ca. 1944''
* {{US patent|2452730}}—''Liquid Filled Dice Agitator ca. 1944''
* {{US patent|3119621}}—''Liquid filled die agitator containing a die having raised indicia on the facets thereof, 1962''
* {{US patent|3119621}}—''Liquid filled die agitator containing a die having raised indicia on the facets thereof, 1962''
* {{US patent|3168315}}—''Amusement Device ca. 1961''
* {{US patent|3168315}}—''Amusement Device ca. 1961''

==References==
⚫
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Magic 8 Ball}}
* {{cite web | url= http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/the-inscrutable-magic-8-ball-revealed/84167812/ | title= The Inscrutable Magic 8-Ball Revealed! | work = [[eBaum's World]] | accessdate= September 24, 2017}}
* {{cite web | url= http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/the-inscrutable-magic-8-ball-revealed/84167812/ | title= The Inscrutable Magic 8 Ball Revealed! | work = [[eBaum's World]] | access-date= September 24, 2017}}
⚫
{{Portal bar|Toys|1980s}}

{{Mattel}}
{{Mattel}}
{{Authority control}}


⚫
[[Category:Products introduced in 1946]]
[[Category:Cue sports toys and games]]
[[Category:Cue sports toys and games]]
[[Category:Divination software and games]]
[[Category:Divination software and games]]
[[Category:Novelty items]]
[[Category:Mattel]]
[[Category:Mattel]]
⚫
[[Category:Products introduced in 1946]]
[[Category:1940s toys]]
[[Category:1940s toys]]
[[Category:1950s toys]]
[[Category:1950s toys]]
[[Category:1960s toys]]
[[Category:1970s toys]]
[[Category:1970s toys]]
[[Category:1980s toys]]
[[Category:1980s toys]]
[[Category:1990s toys]]
[[Category:2000s toys]]
[[Category:2010s toys]]
[[Category:2020s toys]]

Latest revision as of 13:42, 28 November 2024

Magic 8 Ball
The Magic 8 Ball
TypeNovelty toy
Inventor(s)Albert C. Carter
Abe Bookman
CompanyMattel
Availability1950–present
MaterialsPlastic
Alcohol
Blue coloring
Official website

The Magic 8 Ball is a plastic sphere, made to look like an oversized eight ball, that is used for fortune-telling or seeking advice. It was invented in 1946 by Albert C. Carter and Abe Bookman and is manufactured by Mattel.[1] The user asks a yes–no question to the ball, then turns it over to reveal an answer that floats up into a window.

Origin

[edit]

The functional component of the Magic 8 Ball was invented by Albert C. Carter,[1] who was inspired by a spirit writing device used by his mother, a Cincinnati clairvoyant.[1] When Carter approached store owner Max Levinson about stocking the device, Levinson called in Abe Bookman, Levinson's brother-in-law, and graduate of Ohio Mechanics Institute. In 1944, Carter filed for a patent[2] for the cylindrical device, assigning it in 1946 to Bookman, Levinson and another partner in what came to be Alabe Crafts, Inc., combining the founder's names, Albert and Abe. Alabe marketed and sold the cylinder as The Syco-Slate. Carter died sometime before the patent was granted in 1948. Bookman made improvements to The Syco-Slate, and in 1948 it was encased in an iridescent crystal ball. Though not successful, the revamped product caught the attention of Chicago's Brunswick Billiards, who in 1950 commissioned Alabe Crafts to make a version in the form of a traditional black-and-white 8 ball,[3] which was possibly inspired by a gag in the 1940 Three Stooges short film, You Nazty Spy! [4]

Cultural impact

[edit]

Although originally sold as a paperweight, the Magic 8 Ball remained popular for several decades as both an office toy and a children's toy.[3]

In 1971, Bookman sold Alabe Crafts, Inc., to Ideal Toys,[5] who marketed the ball firmly at children. In 1987, the rights were again sold to Tyco Toys,[6] spurring on another marketing campaign and resurgence in interest. Tyco Toys was acquired by Mattel, the current manufacturer, in 1997. Despite its numerous owners, the Magic 8 Ball has changed little in design and implementation.

Design and usage

[edit]
One of the possible responses of the Magic 8 Ball.

The Magic 8 Ball is a hollow plastic sphere resembling a black-and-white 8 ball. Its standard size is larger than an ordinary pool ball, but it has been made in different sizes. Inside the ball, a cylindrical reservoir contains a white plastic 20-sided regular icosahedron die floating in approximately 100 ml (3+1⁄2 US fl oz) of alcohol dyed dark blue. Each of the die's 20 faces has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed in raised letters. These messages are read through a window on the ball's bottom.

To use the ball, it must be held with the window initially facing down to allow the die to float within the cylinder. After asking the ball a yes–no question, the user then turns the ball so that the window faces up. The die floats to the top, and one face presses against the window; the raised letters displace the blue liquid to reveal the message as white letters on a blue background. Although most users shake the ball before turning it upright, the instructions warn against doing so to avoid white bubbles.

While the Magic 8 Ball has undergone very few changes, an addition in 1975 by new owners, Ideal Toy Company, fixed the bubble problem.[7] Their patented "Bubble Free Die Agitator", an inverted funnel, rerouted the air trapped inside.[8] The solution has been used ever since.

Possible answers

[edit]

A standard Magic 8 Ball has twenty possible answers, including ten affirmative answers (●), five non-committal answers (●), and five negative answers (●).

● It is certain
● It is decidedly so
● Without a doubt
● Yes definitely
● You may rely on it

● As I see it, yes
● Most likely
● Outlook good
● Yes
● Signs point to yes

● Reply hazy, try again
● Ask again later
● Better not tell you now
● Cannot predict now
● Concentrate and ask again

● Don't count on it
● My reply is no
● My sources say no
● Outlook not so good
● Very doubtful

See also

[edit]
  • Divination – Attempt to gain insight into a question or situation
  • Flipism – Practice or personal philosophy in which all decisions are made by flipping a coin
  • Fortune teller machine – Automaton that prints out reader's fortune
  • Ka-Bala – Talking board game manufactured and released by Transogram in 1967
  • Ouija – Flat board for communicating with spirits

Patents

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Where Did the Idea for the Magic 8 Ball Come From?". www.britannica.com.
  2. ^ Coopee, Todd (12 December 2016). "Magic 8 Ball from Alabe Crafts (1946)". ToyTales.ca.
  3. ^ a b Walsh, Tim. (2001). The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys, pp. 94–5. Keys Publishing, Sarasota. ISBN 0-9646973-4-3.
  4. ^ Minichiello, Mia (2015). "The Great Dictator (film)". Salem Press Encyclopedia. Salem Press.
  5. ^ "A Brief History of the Magic 8 Ball". www.mentalfloss.com. 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  6. ^ "Abe Bookman, UC alum, created everlasting Magic 8 Ball". University of Cincinnati. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
  7. ^ "Today I Found Out". Today I Found Out. 2 May 2016.
  8. ^ U.S. patent 4,049,277
[edit]
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