Hobbies And Interests
Lawn Darts
Some lawn games have become vintage collectors' items because, rather than gradually losing popularity, their production abruptly ceased. Lawn darts is a cross between horseshoes and darts; players stand a predetermined distance from a large circle on the ground with oversize metal darts. They then lob the giant darts underhanded toward the circle, and the scoring works much as it does in a standard game of darts. In 1988, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission decided that children shouldn't be tossing around sharp spikes for recreation, particularly after reported injuries of some players. The game was banned. This lawn game has made a comeback in recent years, however. Outdoor toy companies now produce safer equipment for the game, such as soft foam darts with rounded, hard rubber tips. Original lawn darts are no longer available, and strictly an item for collectors of vintage games.
Horseshoes
The game of horseshoes is the very definition of "vintage"--it's believed to have originated thousands of years ago. The ancient Greeks originally created a sport that entailed throwing a discus at a stake driven into the ground that served as a target. When the poor of Greece couldn't afford to buy a discus for themselves, they tossed horseshoes. The game eventually gained popularity in the United States during the Civil War, when soldiers played the game with old mule shoes. This leisurely game is still played today, though not as many people own horses. Horseshoe equipment kits are available in all styles, from cast-iron shoes to plastic children's versions of the game. Players compete in national championship games with official horseshoe courts or simply in the backyard with some horseshoes and a stick in the ground.
Croquet
At more than 250 years old, croquet is another classic lawn game. It began as an informal sport for women--and an opportunity for men and women to venture off into the woods together, supposedly searching for lost balls. What was once informal, though, soon became strictly governed by rules when, in the 1860s, Walter Jones Whitmore laid out a set of standardized rules for game play. The game grew in popularity across Europe and eventually made its mark in the United States. Croquet has a cult following, complete with organized croquet clubs and tournaments. Like polo or fox hunting, it has developed a reputation as a game for the upper class.
Badminton
Badminton is another game with a vintage quality. It originated in the 18th century in India, where British soldiers pick it up in the 1860s. The game's popularity quickly spread; the first All-England tournament has held in 1904, and by the end of World War II, more than 9,000 badminton clubs existed in the British Isles. The game is similar to tennis, though games are played on backyard lawns, as well as courts. The net is higher, like a volleyball net, and players lob a lightweight shuttlecock across the net to other players using rackets. Like most lawn games, its difficulty is largely dependent on how seriously the players take it. Badminton remains a highly competitive team sport to this day, but is also ideal for quick pickup games. Older wooden rackets are collectors' items, because most rackets today are lightweight blends of plastic and metal.