Thrifty Thursday ~ Game Boards!

It's Thrifty Thursday!  Today I thought I would share about game boards!  I'm also linking with Tales from Bloggeritaville to share my thrifty finds.

I have many memories of playing board games, mainly checkers, with both sets of grandparents.  My great-grandmother had an old Chinese checker game that we loved to play with ~ even though none of us knew how to actually play Chinese checkers.  When she moved into town from the farm, the game disappeared and no one will 'fess up to having it :(  I'm always on the look-out for a similar game board, but have yet to find one. 

Country Sampler has become one of my favorite magazines and I love to see how game boards have been used in home decor.  Our children's "toy room" is in our basement and I have been wanting to find some game boards to decorate with.  DS and DD have outgrown the Little People and other "baby toys", as they call them, and so now is my chance!  Within the last few months, I have come across some boards at Goodwill and other stores at extremely reasonable prices.  None are original, all reproductions ~ but that fact doesn't bother me.  I'm not looking at resale value, I want them for sentimental value!

This first checker board was found at Goodwill for $1.99.

Another $1.99 Goodwill find!

This checker board was found at an antique store for $7.00 ~ still not a bad price.

This game board came from a local store that was going out of business ~ remember I paid $10 for the game board, 2 mini quilts, and the Americana basket (see next photo).

Here's the display ~ I added them to the wall grouping that includes the shelf I made-over.

This ring toss game is my latest purchase.  I found it at an antique store.  They were asking $8 and I negotiated it down to $6.50!  I just love the colors and those stars ~ I'm a sucker for stars!  The wood blocks were DS and the dominoes are wood and were found in one of our previous homes.

It's just a start, but I love the feeling that the boards are giving the toy/game room.  Now DS and DD ask to play checkers all the time ~ I love that those simple games can still provide lots of entertainment.  They can't wait until Thanksgiving when the entire family gets together.  Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma are first on the list as opponents!