# "Wee-JI" Ouija board at Five Below stores for $5



## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

Saw a bunch of these at one Five Below store yesterday--one further out from where I live--and none at the Five Below closest to me. The price is $5 at Five Below. But here's an Amazon.com listing for it. Almost bought one; but the box is so small that it must be a fold out board--was thinking haunted ouija board prop. But don't think I'd want / like the crease in the board. Either that or the board is tiny:

http://www.amazon.com/Wee-Ji-Mystical-Talking-Ouija-Board/dp/B00HNWHJGQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top/187-0425964-5477647

Here's a really crappy video some kids made; you can see the crease down the center of the board. Planchette looks huge. Are the dimensions far off from the "traditional" Parker Brothers Ouija board? Would be a good size for haunting as a motorized prop?

I may pick one of these up just for the planchette piece. Since I have some nice color prints of the original board.

Again, *not* my video:


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

It is not bad folded out. Someone on here picked up a couple for me. Sorry that I forgot who. It is worth the $5.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Can't you all tell just by glancing at this board? It was made by... could it be.... SATAN!?


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

I bought one sometime earlier this year. For $5, it is well worth the cost, I believe. I like that the planchette glows, plus the sun and moon icons on the board look wicked.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

Garthgoyle said:


> I bought one sometime earlier this year. For $5, it is well worth the cost, I believe. I like that the planchette glows, plus the sun and moon icons on the board look wicked.


Thanks everyone.

It would be wicked to have around 5 or so of these, converted to haunted ouija boards, then set-up mirrors such that they appear everywhere in a room. Might be a neat scene. I so need to find a place where I can set up a charity haunt...


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## thenightmarefamily (Nov 20, 2014)

mikeerdas said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> It would be wicked to have around 5 or so of these, converted to haunted ouija boards, then set-up mirrors such that they appear everywhere in a room. Might be a neat scene. I so need to find a place where I can set up a charity haunt...


You could always buy the cheapo's and glue them to wood to make them look more the way you want.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the tip, Mike! I should pick me up a few of those.
Yea, the board does look kind of plain, but the price is worth it just for the planchette. I would think it would work just fine for an animated Ouija board.

I don't know if those kids had any luck, but no ghost worth his salt is going to answer a $5 Ouija board.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

DaveintheGrave said:


> Thanks for the tip, Mike! I should pick me up a few of those.
> Yea, the board does look kind of plain, but the price is worth it just for the planchette. I would think it would work just fine for an animated Ouija board.
> 
> I don't know if those kids had any luck, but no ghost worth his salt is going to answer a $5 Ouija board.


Excellent, thanks Dave--appreciate confirming that it's worthwhile just for the planchette. Think I mentioned it before, but if you don't find these, check other local Five Below stores. Again, the one nearest to me had zero in stock. While one a 30 minute drive away had a good pile of them. At that price, maybe I should pick-up another 3.

Re: discriminating ghosts and quality talking boards, LOL. 

Speaking of animated ouija boards, I think I printed out a bunch of 11 x 17 sheets on a color printed that, when assembled, would make a pretty large ouija board if pasted to a stiff backing. I'll have to find them, assemble, and take a photo for scale. I've never done the animated ouija board because it wouldn't work in a yard haunt--so I guess I was thinking how do I scale it up? Might work well in a semi-pro charity haunt. Could do a seance room like the Haunted Mansion.

The Madame Leota room in the Haunted Mansion is one large homage to 19th century Spiritualism; from the floating, glowing musical instruments to other elements. The Spirit Cabinet was made famous by the Davenport Brothers, then exposed as stage magic effect by Houdini and others. Most of the seance / spiritualist effects were exposed over time. Table-rapper build anyone? (evidently was the Fox Sisters cracking joints in their ankles, etc).

I'd like to build a self-knocking ghost door knocker like the one in the Corridor of Doors in the Haunted Mansion.


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## HalloweenieChallenge (Oct 8, 2014)

My personal experiences with 5 Below Merch have not been good ones. We bought $5 water shoes from there and they completely fell apart after the first use - nothing extreme just walking the dog along the beach. It was as if they weren't.... water proof?


That being said...

If you buy a low quality board don't expect high quality spirits.

But I guess it would be a good buy if used for a prop!


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

HalloweenieChallenge said:


> That being said...
> 
> If you buy a low quality board don't expect high quality spirits.


So, _Boone's Farm_-grade ghosts are most apt to appear, huh?


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

This is not my idea, but I liked it the first time I heard it told to me: Here is a public sidewalk, you notice something in the middle of the walk, right in everyone's way.
You get closer. It's a Oui-Ja Board.... then you happen to notice two small,neat piles of .. ashes on the left and on the right sides of the board.
"Oh,Oh!"


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Might be a good Ouija board for conjuring the spirit of the late Jack Benny!  

I don't think that haunted door knocker would be too hard to build.
As far as the animated Ouija---I use mine in my yard haunt. My daughter usually sets up a table with a couple of skeletons and one is a fortune teller. I have a square hole cut in the table for the animated Ouija to sit in. The TOTs seem to love it and I've never had the planchette disappear yet.
This year my daughter was at college, so I just sat this witch at the table. The square hole is where the Ouija would go.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

DaveintheGrave said:


> Might be a good Ouija board for conjuring the spirit of the late Jack Benny!
> 
> I don't think that haunted door knocker would be too hard to build.
> As far as the animated Ouija---I use mine in my yard haunt. My daughter usually sets up a table with a couple of skeletons and one is a fortune teller. I have a square hole cut in the table for the animated Ouija to sit in. The TOTs seem to love it and I've never had the planchette disappear yet.
> This year my daughter was at college, so I just sat this witch at the table. The square hole is where the Ouija would go.


Thanks Gym and Dave. @Dave, that's very cool--glad you successfully incorporated your animated board into your yard haunt. Thanks for posting the picture. I don't think it would play well in my neighborhood--could freak out or offend certain people of certain denominations of Christianity that are very popular where I live. So far, I've been the Cool / Best / Spookiest house every year--not tough to do when hardly anyone else decorates like a HF member would.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

On a slightly different but similar vein.. I had a small antique table that a normal Checker Board fit into perfectly. The table had a wooden decorative little "wall" around the outside edges
I cut a few of the squares from the checker board and cut some square holes lined up with the Checker board holes. I kept the lighting dim in the room.
I would tell people they would have to play me in a game of checkers.
The game ended and I had won by default when their checker vanished down through a hole in the space they were trying move across! Evil laughter followed!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

mikeerdas said:


> I don't think it would play well in my neighborhood--could freak out or offend certain people of certain denominations of Christianity that are very popular where I live. So far, I've been the Cool / Best / Spookiest house every year--not tough to do when hardly anyone else decorates like a HF member would.


I understand where you're coming from, Mike. You could just tell them you don't know where it came from. It's not yours. 

LOL, Gym. Pretty good trick.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

But then on the other hand.. there are quite a few stories out there concerning those "Boards" that had some very scary things connected to playing with them...
,,.. including right here in my own house.
Before I owned it,some tenants were "Bored" one night so they began playing with a Oui-Ja board.
"Something Scary Happened!" They put the board away.. after that every once and awhile as one of them were trying to sleep in that bedroom a loud voice would call them by their first name and wake them from a sound sleep.
Beneath that bedroom is a small crawl space,then under the crawl space is the wine cellar where people have seen a ghostly woman appear there ever since 1925.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks Dave. 

@Gym, don't know what to say. I don't believe in anything supernatural. Ouija boards are widely thought to work on the ideomotor response, with participants unwittingly moving the planchette. Similar to holding a pendulum over a Yes / No know piece of paper, then asking a question with focused concentration. Subconscious movements of the hand / wrist lead it to a particular spot, unbeknownst to the practitioner.

People often lie as well; for example, anyone who "believes" in the Amityville Horror Story hasn't heard of the concoction created to sell books. Inn Owners often lie, or play upon legends, to drum up business, etc. Not all are liars of course--other things can explain supposed ghost encounters. Joe Nickell is an investigator of ghosts / hauntings and has a number of books on the subject. Interesting reading; often there's quite a natural explanation to these things. Most people would rather believe, however, than investigate. I find the investigations revealing natural explanations to be more intriguing than the presumed reality of survival after death--don't think anyone's ever come back to provide proof of survival conclusively. 

One thing I find especially interesting is Sleep Paralysis; where a person swears they saw a ghost at their bed, couldn't move, etc. Google "sleep paralysis" and ghosts to read an example of a dream state with eyes open; but the body is paralyzed, since that's what occurs during dreaming--so the body doesn't act out dreams and hurt itself. That explains a lot of the classic Incubi and Succubi tales of old; ghost visitations through history; and in our times, claims of Alien Abductions; same psychological phenomenon at work in most cases. The interpretations of the experience do change over time.

Not saying there are no such things as ghosts or the supernatural. Can't prove a negative. Just that there seems scant evidence for it; and when investigated properly, often evaporate. So many different causes that any "real" cases may be like finding a needle in a haystack. Same with "psychics" for which Cold Reading, on purpose or accidentally, is typically the explanation.

I do enjoy ghost stories of course. Always have. But again, I find investigations of hauntings that reveal terrestrial explanations much more interesting; just as I find secret illusions and effects explained (e.g. Fox Sisters and other Spiritualist con-artist methods) more interesting than any alleged real "power." I remain open minded however to new evidence, properly examined by those with strong analytical skills and critical thinking methods; vs. assuming one's conclusion from the start.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Gym, that vanishing checker is pretty funny. 

A few years back Target was selling some test tube candy which had 3D figurines as tops of the tubes in the shape of I want to say Vampires and Monsters. All the candy was on clearance really cheap and I picked up the whole batch for a few dollars. Mostly I was interested in the test tubes for my mad lab but thought the tops could be put into their own base (made out of wood or foam) and used as Halloween Chess pieces. One of those far down the road rainy day projects would be to make a chess board for them and add metal to the bottoms of the pieces and use a strong magnet wand under the chess board to move the pieces around. Your checker board and the weeji board made me think about that project again.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

That's a great idea to use those tube tops as chess pieces, Spookie!

I've been wanting to try to make an animated chess board like you describe for quite a while. I recently found a chess board on E-bay that I think would work great for that prop.
If I make any progress, I'll post it.


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## icemanfred (Aug 18, 2005)

well it isnt $5. but its got a cool look:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=43539606&cp=&parentPage=search


$10 at walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/36246075?...65878832&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=81890073872&veh=sem


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

That box is very cool looking. I wonder if it is wood with hinges or just a box that looks like it?


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

I picked up an extra when I bought mine (actually, I think I bought four at the time, because I got a couple for someone else...printersdevil, maybe?). Our store hasn't restocked them. I don't know if they're going to ever get more, or not.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Yes, the ones from the Five and Below store were for me Lair Mistress. I plan to use them but haven't yet. I have a regular Ouija board that I got from a FB garage sale online site and today bought on of the shown above that look like a wooden box. It was weird because right after I read this last night and asked if the box was wood, I logged into FB and someone had just listed this particular Ouija board. I bought it and it looks brand new. I paid her $20 for it, which is what they are on clearance for at Toys R Us. We don't have one of those stores and I would either have to drive or pay shipping. I went ahead and paid that for it used and was very pleasantly surprised it looks brand new. 

I agree the board is cheaply made and the planchette is plastic, but it does look like wood and is pretty cool looking. I am going to hang it or use only as a prop. 

Thanks again LairMistress for picking up the Wee Jees for me. They do have definite plans.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

Noticed with the Wee-Ji board from Five Below that its planchette doesn't have casters of any kind. Would that make a difference / be a problem with creating a haunted ouija board effect (magnet and reindeer motor below). Do all Hasbro ouija board planchettes have casters that allow them to roll smoothly across the board?


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Hey Mike, I don't have my Ouija Board box handy to check but as I recall it had felt pads on the bottom of the planchet and my first board back in the 60s was wooden or something like that (not cardboard anyway). I did pick up a Wee-ji Board off e bay a little while ago just for the planchet more or less and noticed that there wasn't anything to keep it from scratching the board. Easy enough to add some felt padding I suppose. They've been making this game board for so many years now, can't speak to what other versions throughout the years may have done with the planchet. Where did you get the idea there were casters or ball bearings on them? I'm planning a haunted Ouija board so have been looking for "parts" so to speak but haven't sat down to really work it out yet.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

icemanfred said:


> well it isnt $5. but its got a cool look:
> http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=43539606&cp=&parentPage=search
> 
> 
> ...



The Walmart one is on clearance now for 7.88 and with shipping to me was 12.85 total. Too bad it wasn't available for me to pick up in the store to save on shipping, would have bought otherwise. I was able to find 3_ Buy It Now_ auctions on e bay where they each had a small quantity left for sale and shipping was free. All in the total price range of 11.16-11.18. Decided take a chance on this latest Hasbro version and ordered one from e bay that should arrive to me by Wednesday being shipping is within the same state. Liked the look of the Habro's new board (great box cover) and the planchet might be interesting on this one.

Does anyone has this latest version of Hasbro's Ouija? I assume it came out around the same time as the Ouija movie did. I noticed the planchet takes 3 AAA batteries....what's that about? Figure either it lights up the view window or it simulates a vibrating movement to send the planchet across the board? 

Man I had or still have packed away somewhere the version from the 60s with the blue oracle on it and was shocked at some of the asking prices for boards from that year. Who would have known. There are tons of Ouija boards up for auction though and hope the heads up on the auctions above will help someone out if they are looking for one of those.


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## mikeerdas (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks Spookie. I'd read a few articles on the origins and evolution of the Ouija Board / aka Talking Board and the first devices were planchettes only with a pencil at the point of the heart shape and casters for easy movement. The Smithsonian had a good article and there was also a nice one from a place online called something like The Museum of Talking Boards. I've actually never seen a "real" one. (e.g. the Hasbro, nee' Parker Brothers "Robert Fuld"). Thanks for the tip and info on the felt. The Automatic Writing planchette was an Upgrade from the former practice of table rapping (Fox Sisters--professed frauds) to obtain letters from the alphabet. Took too long... and then it went from the planchette with a pencil to the planchette moving over a board with all letters and numbers present, aka The Talking Board.

*The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board*
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-strange-and-mysterious-history-of-the-ouija-board-5860627/?all

History of the Talking Board:
http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/history.html

Hope y'all find these articles as interesting as I did.

I find the whole Spiritualism movement and era fascinating; especially all the Exposure literature of how mediums seemingly spoke with the dead--all the tricks and effects and ruses. The Madame Leota Seance room in Disney's Haunted Mansion is one huge tribute and/or influence of that era; especially with the the floating and mysteriously playing instruments--typical of the Spirit Cabinet shows made famous by the Davenport Brothers.

Anyone interested in this stuff--especially also in the Pepper's Ghost illusion--should buy Jim Steinmeyer's book Hiding the Elephant. Very inexpensive paperback editions on Amazon--used too.



Ghost of Spookie said:


> Hey Mike, I don't have my Ouija Board box handy to check but as I recall it had felt pads on the bottom of the planchet and my first board back in the 60s was wooden or something like that (not cardboard anyway). I did pick up a Wee-ji Board off e bay a little while ago just for the planchet more or less and noticed that there wasn't anything to keep it from scratching the board. Easy enough to add some felt padding I suppose. They've been making this game board for so many years now, can't speak to what other versions throughout the years may have done with the planchet. Where did you get the idea there were casters or ball bearings on them? I'm planning a haunted Ouija board so have been looking for "parts" so to speak but haven't sat down to really work it out yet.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

mikeerdas said:


> Noticed with the Wee-Ji board from Five Below that its planchette doesn't have casters of any kind. Would that make a difference / be a problem with creating a haunted ouija board effect (magnet and reindeer motor below). Do all Hasbro ouija board planchettes have casters that allow them to roll smoothly across the board?


When I make my animated Ouijas, the feet really don't matter at all because I don't want them to touch the board. I balance the planchette on the magnet stack, right in the center of the planchette with the feet lifted about 1/16th of an inch off the board. This is the only way to get it to spin as it moves. (A circle of felt is on the bottom of the magnets.)

Spookie---Those newer Ouijas have been out at least a couple of years, before the "Ouija" movie came out. I almost bought one at Toys 'r Us, but didn't.

I like the way it lights up, but it must be heavy with those batteries.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

My e bay Hasbro Ouija Board arrived yesterday (great price, 11.17 delivered, and it arrived super fast). As DaveintheGrave said it did come out a few years ago (copyright 2013). I like it! Not sure if I would mess with this set for a haunted prop or not but here's some photos of what it looks like. Here's the box lid. I think they did a super job making this look like a real wooden box. Even the sides of the box continue with the look so I can see leaving the box on the table and people thinking the storage box is wooden.

.









It comes with an LED lit planchet (uses 3AAA batteries not supplied) and instructions. 










Here's a closeup of the planchet. When the planchet is depressed as you touch it and move it around the board, the LED lighting is activated illuminating the board below.










View of the board and lit planchet. The board is interesting. It is smaller than the old version with the blue Oracle on the box lid but is all one piece. The board has an interesting texture to it, kind of wood like.










The wooden look of the board continues on the reverse side of the board. I have to say I was impressed with this level of detail. Here's a view of the back.










I think if I used this as a halloween prop on a table I would use "as is" and just lay something across the non-game text on the lid. It really does look nice. The planchet is a plastic with plank wood graining on it. Probably the least realistic thing about the game but it's cool all the same. BTW the bottom legs on the planchet do have small round felt pads on them. The planchet with batteries installed does have some weight to it but since they are 3AAAs not that heavy really.


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## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

Great info!

GOS, great review of this newest Ouija Board. I also have this and agree that the box is
a nice touch. 

I bought mine from an online Garage Sale and paid $10 recently.
I would love the have a moving one and have thought about doing one. I really don't want people playing with it. I had one as a teen, but the sort of freak me now. Lol


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the pics, Spookie! I like the look of the planchette. Is the light in it an LED?
Maybe I'll order one.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Dave, yes they are...two of them. Here's a photo of the underside of the planchet from the 2013 Hasbro Ouija board version.











Unless you find a better deal for yourself, I would recommend the e bay free ship/buy now ones priced just over $11. I bought mine from a California seller since I was closer to him. I did a search for "Ouija board" and used the lowest price filter and found 3 sellers within pennies of each other maybe 8 or so many pages into the search results last week. I think all three sellers I saw had multiple games available.


Just checked e bay and now there's only 1 seller left in this price range with only 2 games available (11.18 total), not surprised it is going fast at this price I guess. Next one I see is for 12.06 total (4 available). At some point that Walmart listing posted a few pages back (7.88 clearance and shipping) would also make sense for low pricing.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the pics! I was thinking it might be hard for me to use those planchettes for animated Ouijas. Looks like the center of gravity for the magnets might be inside the clear part.
I still like the looks of it, though.

I just went ahead and ordered three of the boards. Even though I put 3 Ouijas in my cart, the shipping was still only $4.97 total. I would have rather done the "site to store" free pickup, but it didn't give me that option.
Still a great deal, though.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

LOL! Dave, didn't we come up with the lighted planchette idea a couple of years ago? 2011 to be exact!














DaveintheGrave said:


> Thanks for the pics, Spookie! I like the look of the planchette. Is the light in it an LED?
> Maybe I'll order one.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

GOS; What are the dimensions of the board? I really like this design and wonder if I can use it in place of my old board. I think the Planchette is going to be too heavy with three AAA batteries inside. I don't know why they didn't use one of the batteries that they use for the battery operated tea lights.



Ghost of Spookie said:


> My e bay Hasbro Ouija Board arrived yesterday (great price, 11.17 delivered, and it arrived super fast). As DaveintheGrave said it did come out a few years ago (copyright 2013). I like it! Not sure if I would mess with this set for a haunted prop or not but here's some photos of what it looks like. Here's the box lid. I think they did a super job making this look like a real wooden box. Even the sides of the box continue with the look so I can see leaving the box on the table and people thinking the storage box is wooden.
> 
> .
> 
> ...


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

I too love the idea of an animated chess board. I want to say that BuccaneerDude made one a number of years ago. Looks very cool. The one thing that I would try to improve upon is figure out how to get the magnet to go across the board in a straight line rather than in an arc like it does on the Ouija board. The animated chess board has been on my list ever since I made my Ouija board and to my recollection, the vent motor that was so popular back in 2011 is no longer available. Anybody know if that Is that still true?



Ghost of Spookie said:


> Gym, that vanishing checker is pretty funny.
> 
> A few years back Target was selling some test tube candy which had 3D figurines as tops of the tubes in the shape of I want to say Vampires and Monsters. All the candy was on clearance really cheap and I picked up the whole batch for a few dollars. Mostly I was interested in the test tubes for my mad lab but thought the tops could be put into their own base (made out of wood or foam) and used as Halloween Chess pieces. One of those far down the road rainy day projects would be to make a chess board for them and add metal to the bottoms of the pieces and use a strong magnet wand under the chess board to move the pieces around. Your checker board and the weeji board made me think about that project again.


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## SavageEye (Aug 30, 2010)

The one thing that I do like about my current board is that it is Glow in the Dark. I light it with a black light above and I also have a UV LED on my planchette (as shown in the pic in my previous post). You will notice in the picture below that the UV LED draws a line on the Glow in the Dark board as it spins. It really trips people out when they see it!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

SavageEye, don't have the game out right now to measure but it lays flat in the box which is 10.5 x 15.75 wide and long according to online product descriptions.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

SavageEye said:


> LOL! Dave, didn't we come up with the lighted planchette idea a couple of years ago? 2011 to be exact!
> ]


Ha! Yes, you're right. We DID. Dang, we should sue the maker........

And yes, the vent motors are still nowhere to be found.

I really want to try to make an animated Chess board. I'm still trying to figure out the best kind of board and chess pieces to use for it.


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