Magic 8-Ball

Yes, I know this isn’t exactly a new product, but I can’t think of another one that is more compelling. If you see a Magic 8-Ball^® on someone’s desk, dresser, coffee table, toy chest, underwear drawer (don’t ask), or wherever, it takes more self-control than you’d think to not want to ask it a question or two…or a dozen.

Whether via prophets with their prophesies, oracles with their vague statements, newspapers with their mass-consumption horoscopes, or your Aunt Nelly’s freaky second-sight…we are all curious about the future, the choices before us, and the choices we’ve made. If there is some entity that knows the answers to these questions, why wouldn’t it use an icosahedral die trapped in a dye-filled cylinder, wrapped by the image of the odd ball of a billiard set (as well as the color opposite of the action-initiating cue ball), to transmit the answer? It’s certainly no worse than the other methods.

Think about it. If you’re some divine entity and a population of over 6-billion is praying, chanting, casting, or whatever to you, what would be your choice for answers? A message in their sleep that will probably be forgotten or misinterpreted, or a mass-marketed device that will give easy answers with no fuss? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

It could happen.

In any case, for whatever reason, the Magic 8-Ball has captured the imagination of all who have wielded it in the more than 60 years since its creation in 1946. Some oldsters, like me, will remember when it was made of stouter stuff than the current models. Unfortunately, that stout was also a bit more fragile. Magic 8-Balls used to have chips and cracks and any number of signs of use that you just don’t see at much nowadays.

Though many faddish versions of the Magic 8-Ball exist at any given time (Hannah Montana Sarcastic, High School Musical, Dating, etc.) I feel that you can never go wrong with the classic. In an age where many a childhood diversion can cost hundreds of dollars, how can you not want a classic that comes in at well under $10?

Some usage tips: Keep it to yes/no answers. Don’t shake it…bubbles make it tough to read after a while. If the liquid disappears and you can’t read it any more? Get a new one. Seriously. Don’t be cheap when it comes to the answers of the universe.

I’ve asked my Magic 8-Ball if I was correct in writing this article. It says “Signs Point to Yes”. Don’t make it a liar.