The Jingle Board, an early carnival game, coined the name due to the sound the heavy steel curtain rings made jingling against the coins when they were tossed
Here we have an Early Canival Game Jingle Board. Years ago, it didn’t take big money to get into the carnival concession business. Here we see an investment in rough-cut, unpainted lumber and a used painters’ tarp being used for a top amounting to approximately $3.50 ( in the money of that era ).
Jingle Board -The one in the photo is ‘flashed’ rather poorly, meaning many more coins, which may account for its lack of players.
Also, looks like “back aching” work at the end of the day!
This innocuous little game was called a ‘Jingle Board’ due to the sound the heavy steel curtain rings made jingling against the coins when they were tossed. The idea was to get one of the rings to completely encircle a coin without touching it anywhere to win that particular coin. Coins placed on paper money won that bill when the coin was circled. Decidedly, it was a poor man’s game at the price of 3 rings for a nickle but don’t let its rather shabby appearance fool you, it won plenty of money for the operator over the long run.
The nice thing about this game was that if local law enforcement decided to raid or confiscate it, you just bailed out of the joint with your change apron and you only lost about $7.00 total.
Imagine bending over all day in the hot sun, picking up coins and heavy steel curtain rings all day long. On the other hand, you could build this entire game in about an hour and haul it in your trunk or pick up as you moved from town to town. This early carnival game, the Jingle Board, was simple yet effective.
