Recently Husby and I had a game date. We decided to relearn how to play backgammon and it came back to us pretty quickly. I won two out of three games, mostly because Husby helped me. He’s a better strategist where I’m happy just to be able to count spaces correctly. Next time he’ll probably not be so generous with his advice.
When digging out the backgammon board he came across another game. Made by Mattel in 1962…Musingo! It was a childhood favorite of mine and I had forgotten that we stole it away from my parents’ collection of games, which games date back to the ’40s.
The game is very similar to bingo, except with the addition of an organ grinder and monkey. As you roll the die you move your little plastic monkey around the board. If he lands on a monkey, you get another shake of the die. If he lands on the coin symbol you get a coin from the bank. If he lands on the street organ symbol you get to put one of your coins in the monkey’s cup and play the music by cranking the lever on the side of the organ grinder. When the tune is done playing, colored musical notes appear and those are the notes you can cover on your Musingo card.
It was a total blast from the past and made me feel like I was four years old again. Luckily Husby won the game (which lasted all of ten minutes), and it was a good thing because he got whipped in backgammon. I had to throw the poor guy a bone, right?
Auntie B's Wax 
This looks like a great, fun game! I had never heard of it. Backgammon, though, I LOVE. I miss having someone to play it with.
Oh, I bet you could find a partner. We had to look at the instructions to set up the board, but then it all came back to us. Spend some time and a glass of wine with one of your friends and get back to it!
How weird, I was just thinking about getting our Backgammon game out this weekend! We haven’t played in years! I’ve never heard of Musingo. We’ll have to play sometime! Although I thought you didn’t like games? Or is that only at baby showers, birthday parties or Christmas Eve? 😜
I know, right?! Games aren’t usually my thing, but I figured something out. The motivation behind playing is what usually bugs me. Competition? I hate it. Playing something to avoid conversation? Lame. Plus, playing games with people I don’t know is weird for me. Husby and I had fun though, and we’re cracking open the chess set next!
I used to LOVE Musingo!!! It was one of my favorites as a kid. It’s a quick, simple game, and the Organ Grinder and all the pieces were very appealing and enchanting. Loved the Organ Grinder, the little gold coins, and the pretty colors. My nasty big brother (still a pure jerk over 50 years later) used to ruin anything he knew I liked. At one point he trashed ours. I would love to buy an old copy for Nostalgic reasons. How great that you still have yours!!!! I so enjoyed your photos of this charming game! Thanks for the memories!
I must say, yours looks like it’s in incredibly good shape! Does yours still play music?