1948 Scrabble Game

”In 1931 Alfred Butts translated his lifelong love of crossword puzzles into a board game. Mr. Butts, attempting to create a game that would use both chance and skill, combined features of anagrams and the crossword puzzle-and called his new game ”Criss Cross Words.” In 1948, Mr. and Mrs. James Brunot, owners of one of the original Criss Cross Words sets, thought the game should be marketed. Brunot had made one or two changes to the game, including the rule about starting across the middle instead of in the top left corner, and, perhaps more inspirationally, changing the name to Scrabble. Mr. Butts authorized the Brunots to manufacture the game  Under a new arrangement between the two, Brunot would manufacture and market the newly named game through his business facility, the Production and Marketing Company. The first four years were a struggle. Mr. Brunot kept his regular job. In 1949, the Brunots made 2,400 sets and lost $450. However, year by year, the orders increased as news about the game spread, mainly by word of mouth.Then, in 1952, the Brunots left for a trip to Kentucky, returning to find their little factory deluged with orders. Obviously, the game was no fad…Click HERE to read more!