The "Another Great Birthday Gift From My Brother" Story

A 1796 Bible that was a gift from my brother Steve.

It was an ordinary day.  And then my brother handed me my birthday present.  As soon as I looked at it I knew it was going to be one of the most interesting presents I have received in quite a while.  My brother Steve is a "Picker" or scavenger if I must pin a name on him.  Loves to go to auctions and sales where he will buy boxes of old goods that are no longer wanted by their owners.  Some boxes at auction houses yield buried treasures that had long been forgotten by their owners and whose owners want a few dollars for unwanted items rather than throw the boxes in the trash.  

My latest gift, a board game titled "All About Lancaster."

A year or so ago Steve gave me a plastic bag that had an old Bible in it that proved to be a real find.  It had been printed in the city of Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania in 1796 at the Bailey and Dickson print shop in downtown Lancaster.  The plastic bag which contained the Bible was part of a box of items he had bid on and won at the Green Dragon Farmer's Market in Ephrata, PA.  

The 6-piece cardboard playing board showing Lancaster, PA

Well, my new gift is a table game that was in its original box with two rubberbands on it to hold it together.  Printed in 1980 and carried the name "All About Lancaster."  The board game consisted of six cardboard pieces that when placed together revealed a map of the city of Lancaster with streets and businesses that existed in the late 1970s to early 1980s.  As I looked more closely I found Watt & Shand Department Store, Darmstaetters Camera Store, Oblender's Furniture Store, Shenk Bros. and a few other businesses that no longer exist.  

Game pieces and playing parts can be seen here.  Now,
can't wait for a visit with friends of family to get a chance
to play my new game.

Also saw Saint Joseph Hospital that has now changed hands twice since this game was produced.  The directions to the game list the object, setting up the game, setting up play, playing the game plus a few other rules needed to have a good time.  Just had to check on eBay to see if there were any more game boards such as the one I had just received and sure enough, there was one with a bid of $22.49 with 18 hours before the item was closed to bidding.  Pretty neat gift to go with the bobblehead of Robert Fulton and the bobblehead of Thadeus Stevens and the miniature 16-wheeler tractor trailer with "Rocky Springs Carousel" painted on the side of it.  Presents that he had found during "Picker" excursions around Lancaster County.  Don't you wish that you had a brother as I do who gives presents that are truly treasures!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.