The Bill Wilson Ouija Board Treasure Hunt

"February 10th, 1891 marked a great day in history. The first Ouija board was patented by Charles Kennard. It is pretty much unknown who actually invented the Ouija board...but if I had to place my guess on it, it would be Elijah Bond. This is because his name is listed on the original patent documents under the title of 'Inventor". If Ouija boards were invented by someone else, such as Charles Kennard or William Fuld, why would they allow Elijah Bond to put his name on there like that? Still...the answer lies unknown. This was the first Ouija board ever made...it's also one of the only Ouija boards to be made out of actual wood (instead of veneered plywood). It's made of several horizontal boards joined together. There are two vertical boards on the back to help keep the board sturdy. They've done a wonderful job. This board is in amazing shape considering the 110+ years it's been on this planet. If only I could find a planchette for it."

http://www.witchboards.net/kennard.html

Of course it will most likely end up being a William Fuld Ouija Board, but Bill Wilson's Quija is still very valuable at auction no matter who the manufacturer is:

"Over the last century, spirit or talking boards have brought endless hours of entertainment to those who have dared to play. Spirit boards, witchboards, oracle boards, and mystery boards are all guises of the talking board. Though talking boards made their debut in America circa 1880, many precursor incarnations appeared by the mid-1800s in Europe. Edward O’Brian discovered the earliest known patent for a talking board in the patent offices in London, England. Adolphus Theodore Wagner, a professor of music and resident of Berlin of the Kingdom of Prussia, filed his patent for a “PSYCHOGRAPH, OR APPARATUS FOR INDICATING PERSONS THOUGHTS BY THE AGENT OF NERVOUS ELECTRICITY” on January 23, 1854. That was 30 years before the first talking board patent was even filed in the United States."

Very interesting read on the Ouija Board that helped to build Alcoholics Anonymous: http://www.williamfuld.com/ouija1.html

Currently the collector value of early AA memorabilia tied to Bill Wilson varies. ABookMan appears to be the market leader and price setter of these pieces of AA history. As of December 9, 2011 they had three of the 4,650 1st Edition 1st Printing dated April 1939 of the "Big Book" for sale.

Item #V476 in Near Fine condition is priced at $12,400
Item #V453 in Good Condition inscribed by Bill W. & Chuck C. for $14,000
Item #V405 in near fine condition with the original dust jacket for $28,000

http://abookman.com/Alcoholics%20Anonymous%201st%201st%20for%20sale.htm

On Ebay we have:

Alcoholics Anonymous 1st Edition 1st & 14th printing
Signed By Bill Wilson
$20,000 starting Bid and a But it now for $25,000
Seller info
Member id rlb262
Item number: 180770338136
Item location: Dallas, Texas, United States

AA Grapevine magazines do not have nearly as high a resale or collectors value with no early editions currently available. With a very Good Condition July 1959 edition Item # FGV100 currently going for $110.

http://abookman.com/aa_grapevine.htm

There seems to be little, if any market for vintage AA medallions and are most likely a bad long term investment. I can find no reported selling of any vintage Ouija Boards used by any of the founders or early pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous and if found, the market value will most likely be extremely high. If found, the most probable spot will be at flea markets, garage sales or estate sales in the state of Florida, but New York, Vermont and California should not be eliminated as possibilities.

While it is still not known the make, year and model of Bill Wilson's Ouija Board, there is a very god chance that it was made by the William Fuld factories in Baltimore, Maryland. it is well documented that the Ouija board was instrumental in helping Bil Wilson write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" an he should be congratulated for it.

February 12, 2008
"Obsessed Ouija Board Collector Builds Virtual Shrine to Those Responsible for Its Invention
Boston, MA -- Ouija Board enthusiast Robert Murch has built an online museum to the works, inventions, family, and associates of William Fuld, who manufactured and marketed the Ouija board for almost a century. Murch hopes his new site, williamfuld.com, will highlight those responsible for casting a spell over an entire nation and launching a craze that helped make the Ouija Board one of America's most popular games… and a household word. "

http://www.ghostvillage.com/news/2008/news_02122008.shtml

The History of the William Fuld factory:

"William Fuld Manufacturing Company was the first company William owned outright and he incorporated his own name into it. It was born in 1901 after the partnership with his brother Isaac dissolved into a ninety-six year old family feud. William started his own company at his home of 1208 Federal Street in 1901. He moved again in 1903 to 1306 North Central Avenue and continued to work out of his home. In 1907 he moved his Ouija board operations to 331 North Gay Street and called this address his "Factory and Show Rooms." In 1910 William launched his new showrooms at 1226-1228 North Central Avenue just a few blocks away from his home at 1306 North Central Avenue which he kept as the company's main office. In 1917 the Ouija board told him to “prepare for big business” so he bought a block of land across the street from his old address of 1208 Federal Street. 1508-1514 Harford, Lamont and Federal was a three story, thirty-six thousand square foot factory unlike anything built in Baltimore at that time. It cost one-hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars and opened its doors in late 1918."

The Tragic Death of the owner:

"On February 24th 1927 fate intervened. While overseeing the replacement of a flagpole, William Fuld was tragically killed by complications falling from the roof of his three story factory. The iron support he was leaning on gave way, and he tumbled backwards off the roof, grasping and catching one of the factory windows and then falling to the ground. He suffered a “concussion of the brain, five fractured ribs, a broken arm, a fractured leg, and numerous cuts and bruises.” An employee who witnessed the fall picked him up and rushed him to the hospital where he later died from one of his broken ribs piercing his heart. Laying on his deathbed he made his children promise they would never sell the Ouija board."

http://www.williamfuld.com/ouija_factories_williamfuld.html

The making of the factory a National Landmark:

"In the Spring of 2009 two years of coordinating with Baltimore Maryland’s Mayor’s office paid off. The Ouija factory William Fuld built at the suggestion of the board and produced them from 1919 through the 1940s was designated a historic city landmark.

Robert L Murch Jr., resides in Boston, Massachusetts. He continues working with Baltimore city officials, the Maryland Historical Society, The Baltimore Museum of Industry, and the Maryland State Archives to preserve their Ouija legacy and document their favorite son, William Fuld. Today he is also working with award-winning filmmaker T. Patrick Murray to create the ultimate documentary on the Ouija board. What's next for Murch? Just ask the Ouija board!"

http://www.robertmurch.com/

The Ouija Board and the manufacturer of the tool that allowed Bill Wilson to talk to Boniface and write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" should be celebrated.

Not only that, if you find a Ouija Board that one of the early founders and pioneers of AA used, it's worth a fortune!

The Return on Investment of AA related memorabilia and artifacts is very hard to judge. Most AA antiques are found at Goodwill Stores, garage sales, estate sales and thrift stores after the prospect has been made to hit bottom following the Jellinek Curve where they are often donated or given away at rock bottom prices.

The highest price paid to date for an AA artifact was the original manuscript of the "Big Book" that started the Alcoholics Anonymous craze. In June of 2004 it was originally sold at Sotheby's for, the a hammer price of $1,400,000 for a total cost of $1,576,000. The same original manuscript sold again at Sotheby's on June 21,2007 for a hammer price of $850,000 which after fee's cost $992,000. This represents;

Gain or Loss on Investment ($) -584,000
Investment Term (Years) 3
Return on Investment (%) -37.1%
Simple Annualized ROI (%) -12.7

http://www.money-zine.com/Calculators/Investment-Calculators/Return-on-I...

Currently you can buy "The Book That Started It All: The Original Working Manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous" (ISBN-10: 159285947X, ISBN-13: 978-1592859474) on Amazon which is a copy of the book bought for $992,000 for the price of $40.95.

Bill Wilson's Library at Stepping Stones in Bedford Hills, New York has old books which are most likely worth quite a lot since they are inscribed or owned by the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and family:

1.) “Judge John W. Edmonds of the New York Court of Appeals: A Psychic Sensitive” by Paul R. Lomaxe, 1945.
2.) “Psychic Life and Laws” by Charles Oliver Sahler, 1901. Inscribed “”With best wishes C.O. Sahler May 25th 1909 Kingslin on Hudson”
3.) “Challenge of the Unknown: Exploring the Psychic World” by Louis K. Anspacher, 1947. Inscribed “In Bill Wilson’s handwriting: “Dear Smits: A Merry Christmas to you. Bill Whoo, whoo! Dec/47″ In Lois Wilson’s handwriting: “I bought this at [Wilbur and Ruth] Smith’s garage sale after they had sold their house in Chappaqua – 9/77″
4.) “The Seven Purposes: An Experience in Psychic Phenomena” by Margaret Cameron, 1918.
5.) “The Psychic Stream” by Arthur Findlay, 1947. Inscribed “”To my Mentor and luminary, Bill-with Sincere Gratitude Clix [in pencil, separate hand: 'Berthoud']”
6.) “The Law of Psychic Phenomena” by Thomson Jay Hudson, 1913, Inscribed “”May Seter Smith 9-18, 1914″

http://www.scribd.com/doc/44668729/Books-at-Stepping-Stones

Lois Wilson had a profound impact on the the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson and it started at Emerald Lake in Dorset,Vermont. Lois was the granddaughter of a Swedenborgian pastor, and practiced that faith, which entails the use of channeling. Bill Wilson perfected that art when he contacted Boniface using a Ouija Board to write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Swedenborgian antiques are very collectable and may be a good investment in the long run. Lois and her parents Clark Burnham and his wife, the former Matilda Spelman vacationed in Dorset Vermont and may have left some legacies of the woman that helped Bill W contact the spirit world to build the three corporations of AA, now firmly planted at the Interchurch Center at 475 Riverside Drive in New York. If these Swedenborgian artifacts are found and somehow linked to Lois Wilson, the value will be very high.

"Warren Felt Evans was born in 1817 in rural Vermont. His family was poor, but he yearned for an education, and worked his way through Dartmouth College in NH. He had to drop out before his senior year, perhaps because he fell in love, and realized he wanted to be a minister.

On June 21st of 1840 Evans was married. On July 1st, he was appointed as minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Peacham, Vermont.

For the next twenty years Warren and his wife Charlotte served in thirteen New England parishes, and had 3 children.

At age thirty-four Evans became a pastor in Concord, New Hampshire, where the primary New England seminary for the Methodist Church was located. (Later, the school became Boston University.)

He had achieved a brilliant career in the Methodist ministry. However, in 1860, at age 44, he became dissatisfied with his life and got depressed.

He wrote in his journal that he was seeking “a higher and deeper experience in religion,” one including a felt and conscious communion with God, “a calm happiness of unbroken fellowship with Him.”.

He was becoming bored with church writings and spoken prayers. He was reading the ‘mystics, and began praying to be led to “some book or books which would satisfy this inmost need.” Of course, one must be careful what one prays for! He felt guided to a bookshop in Portsmouth where he saw a book by mystic Emanuel Swedenborg. He began reading Swedenborg with great enthusiasm. His theology became transformed.

He was greatly inspired by Swedenborg, and wrote:

“But during this complete prostration of my nervous system my soul has tranquilly reposed in God. Far down below my trembling nerves there is a region of soul where all is still and silent.”

Yet his health, which had never been good, began to worsen. He had lived with dyspepsia all of his life."

http://www.swedenborgiancommunity.com/page_to_print.cfm?id=2192&content_...

Another place to look for these artifacts may be in California near where Bill W experimented with LSD as a way to find Spirituality.

"The Swedenborgian Church is a San Francisco gem of exquisite beauty and spirituality. This 100-year old church radiates friendship and community and has been a haven to countless San Franciscans." - Nancy Pelosi announcing that the Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. "

http://www.sfswedenborgian.org/

Wit's End, the cottage Bill Wilson built so he could get away form Lois (or sneak off to Helen Wynn's house in Pleasantville) has the original desk from Hank P. who believes he stole it. It is an oak desk of unknown manufacturer from the 1920's era and still has Bill's cigarette burns on it. The value of this desk as an antique is hard to tell without further research. Similar desks of the same manufacture and date could bring a much higher sale value. This is a picture of the Desk:

http://www.steppingstones.org/_images//desk_in_wits_end.JPG

The description of the desk where most of AA was written is here:

http://www.steppingstones.org/witsend.html

It is most likely of 1920's era and American manufacture, but more research needs to be done. Similar desks like the one at Wit's End may be found on this site and appear to be only a few hundred dollars or less:

http://www.antique-furniture-online.com/desks/

If it is a European make, a replacement for Wilson's desk can be researched here:

http://antiquedesks.net/stock/antique-pedestal-desks.html

In 1978 Lois Wilson gave away the original manuscript of "Alcoholics Anonymous" to Barry Leach of Montreal. It ended up eventually at Hazelden who sells copies of the book on their website and state:

"This four-color cloth edition is available for $65.00 (sugg. retail) from bookstores nationwide. In addition, a numbered, leather-bound limited edition, available only direct from Hazelden, is available for $125.00. [The leather-bound version has sold out.]"

Source: http://www.hazelden.org/web/public/101001pr.page?

Barry Leach is the author of "Living Sober" (ISBN-10: 0916856046) currently on Amazon for $6.85. Bary Leach promised "the manuscript goes to AA Archives Upon my demise" three years before his death. The manuscript was sold the first time for $1,576,000 in 2004 after his death.

Source: http://www.aabibliography.com/barry_leach_living_sober.html

PLEASE NOTE: the AAWS German lawsuit against the fellowship which ruined many peoples lives was due to the translation of the original manuscript which the copyright had lapsed on.

Shouldn't this manuscript be at Stepping Stones or even the Interchurch Center in New York?

Lois Wilson, the founder of Al-Anon, used a map at Stepping Stones to plot the growth of the corporation of Alcoholics Anonymous for her husband who was having an affair with Helen Wynn 15 minutes away in Pleasantville. The Stepping Stones Foundation has restored the map and it can be seen at the Stepping Stones Shrine in Westchester, New York and online:

http://www.steppingstones.org/Lois_AA_map_after.jpg

The Lois Wilson map is inscribed:

MAP OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND DETACHED TERRITORIES

Printed by Rand McNally & Company
For distribution through the Newspapers
represented by
Frederic J. Haskin

Without further analysis the value of a map of the same year and vintage as the Lois Wilson map is currently around $50. Antique stores in Westchester, New York could most likely charge a high premium for these maps to the suffering Alcoholic coming from Stepping Stones with tears of joy in their eyes and wallets full of cash. I can not find the exact map for sale at this time, but the best place to look online is:

http://www.rare-maps.com/search.cfm?pt=Entire+Inventory&s=territories

Bill Wilson used a "General Map OF THE UNITED STATES AND PORTIONS OF CANADA AND MEXICO" by Rand McNally & Company to chart the growth of Alcoholics Anonymous with other "Staff" and it is currently on display at Wit's End. This is a picture of the famous map that helped to grow the fellowship of AA:

http://www.steppingstones.org/map_after.jpg

"Rand McNally map that Bill Wilson and early AA staff used to track meetings as they were growing across the United States, before and after restoration. This map now hangs in Bill's writing studio at Stepping Stones."

Source: http://www.steppingstones.org/archives.html

It is not stated who the other "staff" members were, but it can be inferred that it could have been the Grapevine Editor, Helen Wynn who Bill Wilson was having an affair with who received 10% of his AA inheritance at his death and was able to afford a house in the high priced town of Pleasantville 15 minutes away on a mostly volunteer position. The historical and antique value of maps the same as the Wilson and Staff map is hard to judge. If the maps can be linked to one of the founding members of AA, Helen Wynn or her son Shepperd Strudwick III, the value increases exponentially. Maps of this type and vintage can be researched at:

http://www.printsoldandrare.com/usa/

The Science of Scams website has prepared a Youtube presentation of the Ouija Board, similar to what Bill Wilson used to channel with Boniface to write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" of Alcoholics Anonymous. they have also prepared 12 factoids of the Ouija Board:

1.) A Ouija board, also known as spirit board or talking board, is a flat board marked with letters, numbers, and other symbols, theoretically used to communicate with spirits.
2.) The first historical mention of something resembling a Ouija board is found in China around 1100 B.C
3.) The word 'Ouija' derives from both the French and German words for 'yes'. As such 'Ouija board' translates as 'yes yes board'.
4.) Early versions of the Ouija board used letters written on a flat surface over which a pendulum would be swung to spell out the message.
5.) A swinging pendulum is another example of the ideo-motor phenomena, the exact same way modern Ouija boards work.
6.) Further evidence of ideo-motor response with reference to Ouija boards can be found in tests that have been carried out while the participants are blindfolded. Here the messages come out as nonsense, arguably proof that the participants need to see where they are pushing the glass to.
7.) The Ouija board was first patented by Adolphus Theodore Wagner in London, January 23rd 1854.
8.) In his patent Wagner referred to the board as a 'psychograph', its purpose to read the minds of people with 'nervous energy'. It wasn't until much later that the Ouija board was claimed to contact the spirits of the dead.
9.) Instead of a glass being pushed around the Ouija board, an item called a planchette is classically used by participants.
10.) A planchette is a heart shaped wooden or plastic pointer, upon which participants place their fingers. This then moves across the Ouija board, spelling out messages.
11.) The planchette originally had space for a pencil to be inserted into the centre and was initially used for automatic writing, another mediumistic trick, before being paired with the Ouija board as a message pointer.
12.) The modern version of the Ouija board has most recently been produced and distributed by the board games company Parker Brothers.

Source: http://www.scienceofscams.com/factoids-ouija.php

Bill Wilson and his experiences with the Ouija Board in the "Spook Room" of his Stepping Stones compound in Bedford Hills, New York and his discussions with the monk Boniface, former whaling captains named Pettingill and Quigley, David Morrow, etc.... can be found at:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Books/2004/03/The-Spook-Room.aspx...

Even though the exact model and year of Bill Wilson's Ouija Board is not known, there has been a spike on Ebay of possible replacements:

RARE EARLY 1902? FULD OUIJA BOARD With PLANCHETTE
Item number: 130619020605
Item location: Kansas City, United States
Buy It Now or Best Offer $720.00

RARE EARLY 1902? FULD OUIJA BOARD
Item number: 270868017901
Item location: Raritan, New Jersey, United States
Buy It Now or Best Offer $600.00

Vintage 1925 Rare Wooden Ouija Witch Board & Planchette (<------ possible choice)
Item number: 380393602249
Item location: Bowling Green, Ohio, United States
Buy It Now or Best Offer $290.00

Antique KENNARD WOODEN OUIJA BOARD Patent Dated Feb. 10th 1891 (<----- possible choice)
Item number: 200690662600
Item location: Holden, Maine, United States
10 Bids currently at $227.75

Vintage Fuld Ouija Board with original planchette, BOTH boxes (planchette&board)
Item number: 320818682110
Item location: Greenville, IL, United States
Current Bid $160.00 Buy now $500.00

Antique Fuld Ouija board -- the 1902 original with its planchette (tall legs)
Item number: 320818127162
Item location: Greenville, IL, United States
2 Bids $153.50

Vintage Fuld Ouija circa 1919 with original boxed planchette
Item number: 320818156468
Item location: Greenville, IL, United States
0 Bids $150.00 - Buy It Now $350.00

The market for antique Ouija Boards of the vintage that Bill Wilson would have used to contact Boniface to write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" appears flooded, with many sellers and few buyers. The Ouija from Massachusetts and Ohio seem to be the best possibles at this time since Bill Wilson was near those two geographic locations, but more research is needed.

While is is still unknown exactly the make and year of the Ouija Board that Bill Wilson used to write the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions", it is a distinct possibility that it was a William Fuld Ouija Board. Prices for vintage (1900-1940) William Fuld Ouija Boards are still commanding high prices. With the planned 61st Stepping Stones family picnic on June 2, 2012 at the Spiritual compound of Bill Wilson in Kotanah, NY, these prices may even go higher with the members looking for a "Higher" Spiritual plane to bring them closer to the fellowship.

http://zohrala.com/ouija/indexpage2.htm

The current prices of these boards will give people a good baseline as to what someone is willing to pay for a "replacement" Bill Wilson Ouija Board, of course a Ouija Board that was owned or used by Bill Wilson will most likely command in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.