Chances are that when you or your family have visited a historic place of interest, you have probably seen some notable memorabilia in the gift shops of those tourist destinations. Many times you will find children’s toys and games of skill that are modeled after periods in the history of our country. For many children, purchasing a historic era toy or game is a fascinating experience. In some instances the children have never seen the game or toy before. Toys and games from the Colonial and Civil War times require no electricity, while being easy to use and understand. This Kansas City Blog chatted with Patsy Ellis of the Cooperman Company which operates History Lives, which focuses on the production and sale of historic educational toys and games which can be found at gift shops everywhere from Colonial Williamsburg to National Parks.
“She’s absolutely a pleasure to work with.” -Patsy Ellis of History Lives
Some of the many tools Linda uses to make her one of a kind creations.
History Lives is focused on preserving the antiquities of the past by providing simple and fun ways to experience the past through games and toys. We spoke with Patsy about her connection to a Kansas City based craft wizard by the name of Linda Fulghum. Patsy told us that she found Linda through the State Line Bag Company, who referred her to Linda to handle History Lives’ custom printed cotton bag needs. Patsy said that History Lives is currently using Linda to manufacture the packaging for their latest products; a game called Fox and Geese and a game called Battledore. Fox and Geese is an 18th century board game that can be played against an opponent or by a solitary person. Battledore is another 18th century game that is essentially a combination between Badminton and Ping Pong. The bags have a custom design and feature text that explains about the games contained within the bags. Patsy said that it was imperative that Linda Fulghum’s product had an authentic period look to it. The aesthetic of the bag had to match the time frame from which the games originated in. The text also had to easily readable to spark people’s initial interest and understanding of the games. Patsy had this to say in regards to the Linda’s custom printed cotton bags and their period themed look. “It’s great to work with someone who get’s it.”
“It’s great to work with someone who gets it.” Patsy Ellis of History Lives
Keep your eyes peeled the next time you are in a gift shop because there is a good chance that you will find one of History Lives’ products packaged up nicely inside one of Linda Fulghum’s handmade creations.
To learn about more Kansas City business connections, stay in touch with Blogger Local, your Kansas City blog.
