Mark of the Week—Can You Identify It?

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The company with this mark licensed one of the best-selling board games of all time: Trivial Pursuit.

Game manufacturer Selchow & Righter of New York was started in 1867 when Elisha G. Selchow founded it as E. G. Selchow. The company manufactured games under the brand Chaffee & Selchow.

E. G. Selchow became Selchow & Righter in 1880 after John Righter became a partner. Through the mid-20th century, Selchow & Righter was a jobber that produced and licensed games by others. In 1927, the company started making its own games.

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This Policeman board game from 1957 has an early Selcher & Righter trademark on the box’s cover.

Among its many games and puzzles, Selchow & Righter is best known for its Big Three: Parcheesi, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit. The company purchased the rights to Parcheesi in 1870 and trademarked it in 1874. Scrabble was licensed in 1952, and the trademark was bought in 1972. Trivial Pursuit, one of the best-selling board games in history, was licensed in 1982. This game was such a hit that by 1983, Selchow & Righter had 11 million back orders. But when Trivial Pursuit sales cooled, the company had more than 20 million copies in its inventory.

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The colorful lithography of Chaffee and Selchow board games appeals to collectors. This Merry Go Round game from 1898 sold for $854.

In 1986, Selchow & Righter sold its games portfolio to Coleco Industries for $60 million. In 1989, Coleco declared bankruptcy, and Hasbro purchased its Selchow & Righter assets.

Collectors are drawn to games by Chaffee & Selchow for their colorfully lithographed boxes. Notable games include Cinderella and the Glass Slipper, Game of Robinson Crusoe, and Tug of War.

The first editions of Selchow & Righters’ Parcheesi, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit hold more value for collectors, as these are considered generic games, and millions of copies were produced and now flood the secondary market. Other games by the company include Vignette Authors (1874), Mr. Ree! The Fireside Detective (1937), Karate (1964), and Whodunit (1972).

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This complete set of Mr. Ree! Fireside Detective from 1937, with Art Deco graphics, sold for $540.

If you would like to learn more about Selchow & Righter, check out our WorthPoint® tools:
To see other marks used by Selchow & Righter, click our Selchow & Righter M.A.P.S. page.
To learn more about Selchow & Righter, read our Selchow & Righter Dictionary page.


Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than 20 years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts. 

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