C. 1900 Baseball Parlour Tabletop Game BIFFIT

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Posted By: chris

I won this through Ebay and a BIN, from an Australian seller a few months ago and have been meaning to post it here to try and find out more about it if possible.

"BIFFIT", "The LATEST CRAZE", "A BIG HIT" and "SOME GAME" is printed on the top of the box, along with an artist's rendering of a well-heeled young lad dressed in coat and tie, and an elegant lass in mid-game. The side of the box reads "BIFFIT Cricket and Baseball in the Home", "Rage of Two Continents------BUY IT". The top also has "Patent Applied For 7451, 7678".

I have contacted the Australian patent office, hoping they would be able to provide me with an exact date of the patent numbers, but they cannot help me unless I hire the services of a patent lawyer to make contact - too pricey.

The seller indicated that he felt it was c. 1900, but I wondered if it might be an 1890's piece due to the costume of the players? The instructions and most of the game pieces are intact, including the two pullys or "Base Blocks" that sit at either end of a table, the "posts" but no "rail", two "runners" that are attached to the string fed between the pullys; and a bat. No ball is included unfortunately. The instructions seem to represent the game as described on the box, as a mix of cricket and baseball....referencing both "batter" and "batsman" and "pitcher". The game may consist of one or more innings (two as in cricket)"; "A batter shall be given out -- (a) When he misses a good ball three times in succession. (b) When after his batting his ball is caught on the full by a fieldman". The scoring of runs is explained and the appointment of an "umpire" is suggested.

Reading "Spalding's World Tour by Mark Lamster currently, made me think this game may have been spawned from interest surrounding The Chicagos and the All-Americans barnstorming tour of Australia in 1888.

Love to here feedback from others. Does any one have access to Dr. Cooper's book on baseball games to see if this one is mentioned?


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Posted By: Butch & Co.

Chris, congrats on the acquisition! We too were long intrigued and tempted by that game, which was intermittently offered on eBay over quite a period of time, but the Aussie-US shipping alone was too much for our pipsqueak budget.

Cooper's book makes no mention of Biffit. Having it in your hands now makes you the expert on that game!

Baseball Games
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Posted By: Butch & Co.

By the way, Chris -- any trace of a manufacturer's name anywhere on the box, directions, or elsewhere?

One other thought regarding putting a date to the game -- you might look in on some antique-oriented Aussie on-line forums and see if anyone there knows enough about Australian patent numbers to put an approximate year on Biffit. Let us know if you find out anything!

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