The Journal of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society · The Journal of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society 34 Spring 2004 ... months mean more time and oppor-tunities to scan

THE TABLE TENNIS

The Journal of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society

34 Spring

2004

In this issue…In this issue…

No. 34 The Table Tennis Collector Page 1

· Latest from Ebay (p6)

· MAROC Cartoons : Part 2 (p8)

· Strung Rackets (p10) by Gerald Gurney

· Electronic Games : Part 1 (p12) by Alan Duke

· Jaques Trestle Tables (p2)

· The First World Champion-ships (contd.) (p3)

· World Championships in Phi-lately : Part 2 1953-4 (p4) by Hans-Peter Trautmann and Win-fried Engelbrecht

· Philatelic Pages (p14) by Anton Zwiebel

· Membership List 2004 (p16)

The legendary Victor Barna—many thanks to Keith Bowler for sending me this great photograph.

Editor: Graham Trimming 17 Gwendale, Pinkneys Green Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6SH England Tel: +44 (0)1628 636978 email: [email protected]

Next issue - publication July 2004 - copy date 1 June 2004

34 Spring 2004

TTHEHE T TABLEABLE TTENNISENNIS

CCOLLECTOROLLECTOR


From the Editor

W elcome to another year of The Table Tennis Collector—its

twelfth, and my third as Editor.

I am delighted to welcome two new members, Gordan Gotal and Alberto Perelli, both of whom I have met on Ebay. At present the total number of members is 48—the same number as we finished last year.

For many of you I expect your do-mestic seasons are drawing to a close. Time to put your feet up for the summer of perhaps try your hand at an alternative sport. For some members, no doubt, the summer months mean more time and oppor-tunities to scan all those antique fairs in the search for that elusive item missing from their collections.

However you choose to spend your summer, I hope you enjoy it and happy hunting!

Graham

Jaques Trestle Tables Below is an advertisement for ping-pong table tops and trestles from the Official Edition of the Revised Laws of Ping-Pong and the Rules of the Ping-Pong Association, published by J. Jaques & Son, Ltd and Hamley Bros., London in 1902.


Men’s Doubles Draw Sheet and Results

Winners: Jacobi & Pecsi, 15,11,-19,11

ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 3 SEMI-FINALS FINAL

Daniel PRENN & Hans-George LINDENSTAEDT—Germany Bye Prenn & Lindenstaedt

Prenn & Lindenstaedt w.o.

Mossford & Penny -14,7,17,17

Mechlowits & Kehrling 12,20,17

HODAC & MEISSNER—Czecho-Slovakia Bye Hodac & Meissner

Zdenek HEYDUSEK & Jaroslav KAUTSKY—Czecho-Slovakia Bye Heydusek & Kautsky

Mossford & Penny 20,14,-20,18 Cyril MOSSFORD & Hedley PENNY—Cardiff

C. A. KIRBY / T. P. HARRIS Mossford & Penny 10,-18,11,16

Eduard FREUDENHEIM—Austria & P. RANGER—London S. SUPPIAH & B. L. RAO—Indian Students

Freudenheim & Ranger 18,-14,19,-16,14 Freudenheim & Ranger

-20,11,17,-14,15

Mechlowits & Kehrling 15,10,18

W. ERNEST & R. M. KAHN—Indian Students Ivor MONTAGU—St. Bride’s & G. W. DECKER

Ernest & Kahn w.o.

Dr. Bohumil RIEGER & Milos BONDY—Czecho-Slovakia Zoltan MECHLOWITS & Bela von KEHRLING—Hungary

Mechlowits & Kehrling w.o. Mechlowits & Kehrling

-16,-18,10,20,18 Charles W. ALLWRIGHT & William J. POPE—London Percival BROMFIELD & Lionel FARRIS—St. Bride’s

Bromfield & Farris 18,17,19

M. PEERMAHOMED & B. C. SINGH—Indian Students William HEWITT—Bradford & D. L. HOOKINS—Pontefract

Peermahomed & Singh 17,16,16 Stone & Geen

12,18,15

Jacobi & Pecsi 14,19,13

Jacobi & Pecsi 14,12,-18,8

Solly STONE—Cardiff & Herbert G. GEEN—Penarth Antonin MALECEK & Jaroslav HAJEK—Czecho-Slovakia

Stone & Geen 11,20,16

F. S. B. LAWES—Birmingham & James THOMPSON—Bristol Dr. Roland JACOBI & Dr. Dani PECSI—Hungary

Jacobi & Pecsi 8,-17,15,9 Jacobi & Pecsi

16,16,-17,9 A. FYZEE & Dr. A. H. FYZEE—Indian Students August JOERGENSEN—Denmark & Henrik ANDER—Sweden

Joegensen & Ander -14,-14,12,11,7

Paul FLUSSMANN & Munio PILLINGER—Austria C. G. MASE & Bernard BERNSTEIN—London

Flussmann & Pillinger 19,21,-15,16 Flussmann & Pillinger

18,12,16

Flussmann & Pillinger 12,5,17

L. F. RESTALL & H. L. MORGAN—Birmingham V. R. SUTTON—Sutton & C. W. ALLPASS

Restall & Morgan w.o.

Curt GERSTMANN—Germany & F. ZINN Bye Gerstmann & Zinn

Bennett & Ross 13,9,9 H. A. BENNETT & George J. ROSS—Herga

Bye Bennett & Ross

Mixed Doubles Draw Sheet and Results

ROUND 1 ROUND 2 SEMI-FINALS FINAL

George J. ROSS & Miss Joan INGRAM—Herga Bye Ross & Ingram

Jacobi & Gleeson 18,7


Paul FLUSSMANN & Miss Anastasia FLUSSMANN—Austria Dr. Roland JACOBI– Hungary & Miss G. GLEESON—St. Bride’s


R.H. BERRY & Miss Kathleen M. BERRY—St. Bride’s H.A. BENNETT & Miss Winifred LAND—Herga

Bennett & Land -16,14,14 Bennett & Land

13,14 William J. POPE & Miss A. STEVENS H.L. MORGAN & Miss K. BEAUFOY—Birmingham

Morgan & Beaufoy 11,12

Eduard FREUDENHEIM & Mrs. Gertrude WILDAM—Austria Solly STONE—Cardiff & Miss Dolly GUBBINS—Bridgend

Freudenheim & Wildam 16,13 Freudenheim & Wildam

18,8

Mechlowits & Mednyanszky 15,19

E.G. NYE & Mrs. G. McCOSH—St. Bride’s Dr. Dani PECSI—Hungary & Mrs. SPIRING—Herga

Pecsi & Spiring -16,11,18

Zdenek HEYDUSEK & Mrs. RIEGROVA—Czecho-Slovakia Percival BROMFIELD & Mrs. BROMFIELD—St. Bride’s

Bromfield & Bromfield w.o. Mechlowits & Mednyanszky

15,14 Zoltan MECHLOWITS & Maria von MEDNYANSZKY—Hungary Bye

Mechlowits & Mednyanszky w.o.

Winners: Mechlowits & Mednyanszky 14,8

The First World Championships Following on from the feature about the first World Championships, London, 1926 in the previous issue which, I am delighted to report was very well received, I have pleasure in producing the results of the other two main individual championship events—the Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.


World Championships in Philately By Hans-Peter Trautmann and Winfried Engelbrecht Part 2

Part 2 of Hans-Peter Trautmann’s and Winfried Engelbrecht’s World Table Tennis Championships in philately. Part 1 in the issue 33 began the story in 1950, the year in which special postmarks were used for the first time.

1953 Bucharest, Romania Event Winner(s) Country City

Men’s Singles: Ferenc Sido Hungary

Women’s Singles: Angelica Rozeanu Romania

Men’s Team: Bergmann, Kennedy, Leach, Simons England

Women’s Team: Rozeanu, Szasz, Zeller Romania

Special postmark: Romania Bucharest

Red meter: Romania Bucharest


1954 London, England Event Winner(s) Country City

Men’s Singles: Ichiro Ogimura Japan

Women’s Singles: Angelica Rozeanu Romania

Men’s Team: Kawai, Ogimura, Tamasu, Tomita Japan

Women’s Team: Eguchi, Goto, Tanaka, Watanabe Japan

Special postmark: England Wembley

Rudolf Muller Bahnhofstr. 58, D-57250 Netphen, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 2738 1461 Fax: +49 (0) 2738 1461 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT stamps, cancellations, letters, errors, red meter marks.

Paul Nichols 50 Newton Road, Duston, Northampton, Northants, NN5 6TL, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1604 457896 Email: [email protected] Interests: Postcards. Acquire: Postcards. Robert Op de Beeck Jan Frans Willemsstraat 66, B-2530 Boechout, Belgium. Tel: +32 (0) 3455 4159 Interests: TT museum. Jeong Kye Park PO Box 555, Busan 600-605, South Korea Email: [email protected] Interests: TT; soccer (old and new). Sale/Exchange: TT and soccer. Alberto Perelli Via dei Sansobe 11/9, 16128 Genova, Italy Tel: +39 (0) 20 543022 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT-sets and books

Robin Radford 16 St. Edmund Cr, Tawa, Wellington 6006, New Zealand. Tel: +64 (0) 4232 5672

Fax: +64 (0) 4232 9172 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.tabletennis.org.nz Interests: Collecting TT cartoons, clip art, cards etc. electronically. Sale/Exchange: as above. Acquire: as above. Jose Ransome Conifers, Church Lane, Ormesby, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, TS7 9AU, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1642 322223 Email: [email protected] Interests: General. Mike Rhodes 57 Rochford Gardens, Slough, Berks, SL2 5XA, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1753 676122 Email: [email protected] Lutz Schoenfeld Karl-Kellner-Str. 27b, 30853 Langenhagen, Germany. Email: [email protected] Web site: www.tt-domain.de Sale/Exchange: Philatelic items; postcards; pins. Acquire: as above. Michael Thomson Craigievar, 1 Kinnoull Terrace, Perth, PH2 7DJ, Scotland. Tel: +44 (0) 1738 622052 Fax: +44 (0) 1738 445690 Email: [email protected] Interests: Origins and story of PP and TT and all items made by Jaques & Son and their association with Hamleys and Parker Brothers, USA.

Sale/Exchange: Numerous surplus PP or TT items inc. postcards, books (UK & USA), balls, boxed sets. Acquire: Jaques or Hamleys early catalogues and rule books or ephemera for any of their games but preferably for PP and TT; any Jaques games.

Hans-Peter Trautmann Siegfriedstr. 17, Reichelsheim, D-64385, Germany. Email: [email protected] Interests: Stamps and sheets; postmarks; postcards written from famous TT players Sale/Exchange: Stamps mint perforated and all kinds of postmarks - ask for list of duplicates. Acquire: Postmarks - ask for wants list. Graham Trimming 17 Gwendale, Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6SH, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1628 636978 Email: [email protected] Web site: http://freespace.virgin.net/graham.trimming/index.htm Interests: All TT related items pre-1939 especially 1900s. Acquire: Gossima 1891; other early unusual items; early WC items.

Russ Walker 4316 Irving Ave N, Mpls, MN 55412, USA. Tel: +01 612 522 7905 Email: [email protected] Interests: 1902 era TT sets; unusual paddles. Acquire: Milton Bradley "Royal Game".

Roy Williams Robroy, 24 The Mall, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL79 7LS, Wales. Tel: +44 (0) 1745 888780 Interests: Stamp collecting. Sale/Exchange: ETTA magazines 1950s & 60s etc; lapel badges. Acquire: TT books; stamps; badges; bats; other items etc.

Gao Yi-Bin 2-202 Lakeside Appartment (JN), Nanjing, 211100, PR China. Interests: Stamps; cancellations. Sale/Exchange: Stamps; cancellations. Yao Zhenxu Chinese Table Tennis Association, No. C3 Longtan Road (Floor 6), Beijing, PC 100061, China. Tel: 861067120920 Fax: 861067129838 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT stamps, FD covers, postcards, coins, phonecards, pins, postal material, tickets etc. Sale/Exchange: as above. Anton Zwiebel Kerkweg 30, 9439 PG Witteveen, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 593 552788 Email: [email protected] Interests: Stamps; cancellations; postcards. Sale/Exchange: Stamps; cancellations; postcards. Acquire: Postcards.

Membership List 2004 (continued from page 16)


Latest from Ebay www.ebay.com

One of the best sources of items to augment collections of any sort is the internet auction giant Ebay. He is a selection of some of the better items that have been traded on Ebay since the last issue of this journal.

Unusually for this publication we are concentrating more on 1950s equipment this time. These three items were all pur-chased on behalf of the ITTF Museum and all fetched high prices. The pair of ply-wood Slazenger bats (above) have the makers name on one side of the handle and the name Eric Tilly on the other. The Museum paid GBP 140 for their acquisition. Top right is a Dunlop Barna Super bat and this realised an even higher price at GBP 185. Pictured right is a “Cadet Junior” set of Swedish origin and the inside of the lid carries instructions in that language. The price for this was a more modest USD 94. Chuck Hoey, the Curator of the ITTF Museum, has made it his goal to acquire rackets from the 1950s especially those that, like the Barna one above, are endorsed by famous players.

Left is a real little gem. Also acquired by the ITTF Museum, it is an um-pire’s pencil in its own sterling silver case. It is probably worth much more than the USD 67 paid and might have attracted more bids if the seller had mentioned the magic words “ping-pong” or “table tennis” in the item title. As it was, it was only so described in the item description and so many collectors, the Editor included, missed it! The case features an embossed net, a ball and two bats. It has a loop that allows it to be worn around the neck on a cord.

This greetings card, which in-cludes a poem on the reverse, by Hills & Co., London, also found its way to the Museum for GBP 77.


This pair of fine Jaques battledores, from the period c. 1902, are in great condition, something which helped elevate their value to USD 93. Many in lesser condition sell for quite a lot less.

American manufacturer McLoughlin Bros. sets have come up quite often on Ebay over the past year or so. This one was not one of the better examples and only fetched USD 35, a low price for a set over 100 years old. The free-standing wooden net supports and red-edged net are typical of McLoughlin’s products and the somewhat long handled rackets suggest that this was one of their earliest, perhaps after dispensing with bat-tledores.

Below is the only item featured this time to have found its way into the Editor’s collection (for the sum of GBP 38)—and then probably only because it was so vaguely described that many other collectors probably missed it. “3 enamel table tennis badges” was the title for a lot that included the pin from the 1935 World Champion-ships in London, thought to be the first WC for which a pin was produced. The two other items included were from the now defunct London Table Tennis League.

Pictured in the bottom row below are three publications of differ-ent sorts. The first is a book published in 1902 by Street and Smith, New York entitled Ping-Pong and How To Play It by M.G. Ritchie and Arnold Parker. The ITTF Museum secured this copy for USD 53. This is a much rare book than the better-known Ping-Pong, The Game and How To Play It, also by Parker. A copy of the latter also featured on Ebay in February and sold for USD 30. The book pictured below is a smaller for-mat and less comprehensive than the other, containing far fewer diagrams. Interestingly, the version of the book in my collection is entitled Ping-Pong or Table Tennis and How To Play It.

A member of the Society managed to acquire the sheet music I Wants a Ping-Pong Man for USD 34. This dates from 1902 was featured in Alan Duke’s excellent article in TTC no. 29.

Yet another acquisition for the Museum was a programme from 1935 of an international match between USA and Hungary played at the University of Penn, Philadelphia.


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1950

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“—it may slow my game down a little—but quite frankly I feel the cold!”

“—then with a really fine backhand volley I drew level in the fourth set—!

“No honest sir—it’s toffee”!


“Very fast service here—waiter’s an ex-table tennis champion”

“—a little too open!”

“The little dears—what are their names—table tennis and badminton?”


I rate strung rackets very highly in my collection and am always de-

lighted to come across a previously unknown example. There is some-thing curiously fascinating about any miniature, and these rackets are, of course, precisely scaled-down ver-sions of lawn tennis rackets—comparable with them also for quality or material and workmanship. In my lawn tennis collection I have rackets by Jaques, Grays and Bussey, all of whom also pro-duced table tennis rackets—but it is rare to find any manufacturer’s name on the latter.

Table tennis strung rackets are not at all easy to find; it seems that they were produced for only a very short period—around 1900. There are two possible reasons for this: firstly, experi-ment shows that they give very little control of the lightweight ball (which may account for the intro-duction of cloth-covered balls), and, secondly, it has been sug-gested that they were banned in tournaments owing to the lack of sound, with neither a ping nor a pong to help the opponent’s reac-tions. Manufacturers had been very quick to cash in on a new idea, but soon abandoned it as an impractical novelty. Does anyone know who was the first to produce one?

Only a few advertisements seem to have appeared: Jaques offered ”Gut Rackets. Full size, best English make, 7/- (35 pence) per pair”, and Ayres’ rules for “The New and Popular Game of Table Tennis” has a cover illustration of a table, two strung rackets (and ab-surdly high net!).

As for values, the best illustration is from the auction of Terry Vance’s collection in 2001; an Ayres’(?) racket embossed PING PONG in gilt sold for £200 (plus 10% charges), and certainly a record. This compares with £210 (plus 10%) for a complete Jaques’ Gossima or Ping Pong set sold in the same auction. Table ten-

nis collectors need to beware of deal-ers who offer these rackets—probably at more than £200—under the impression that they are “travellers’ samples” of lawn tennis rackets. These are rare indeed. And beware of small round-headed rack-ets made in one piece and heavily-bound with green tape. These are

French and designed for a shuttle-cock game.

Nearly all the rackets in the photo-graph are about 16 inches long (and 5.5 inches across the head), and have a brass screw through the “throat”. The gut used had to be of the finest gauge and the stringing is commonly distressed—or highly dis-tressed. All the rackets are con-structed of steam-bent ash (which is very pliable) and finished in mahog-any.

Other features:

On top of cabinet—left to right:

A—high density stringing; B—squared grip; C—tapering grip; D—Ayres (1 of pair).

Inside cabinet—left to right:

E—German, squared grip; F—tapering, rounded grip; G—Bussey, high quality, bulbous grip, flattened and chamfered head (1 of pair); H—French Ping Pong, highly elegant (1 of pair); I—Grays, complete strings, double at sides; J—F.H. Ayres Table Tennis London (in gilt), complete strings, immaculate condition (1 of pair); K—Globe, maker?; L—very small head, complete strings; M—Fosters 17.5 inches, very small head, heavy tennis gut (for heavy ball), convex wedge (1 of pair); N—fine quality, with tapered grip; O—Foster’s (1 of pair); P—– Ayres Table Tennis London, inlaid grip, sadly cut down.

Note: the very fine box lid—TABLE TENNIS, TENNIS DE SA-LON, THE INTERNATIONAL SET—produced by DW (or WD) & Co. Ltd., England, shows a post-prandial game (indicated by the formal dress), and, in the corner, a delightful scene with play in the garden. All the players are using wooden bats.

The lawn tennis racket on the left is a Jaques CLUB, with steam-bent ash head and convex ma-hogany wedge fixed with a brass screw. It is 27 inches long, has

double-centre mains and strength-ened shoulders, and the grip has been re-shaped by the owner. It weighs 13.5 ounces and has a leather butt-end.

The table tennis racket on the right is inscribed in gilt F.H. AYRES TABLE TENNIS LONDON and has a steam-bent ash head and mahogany con-vex wedge fixed with a brass screw. It is 16.5 inches long, weighs 4 ounces and has a leather butt-end. Both rackets are c. 1900.

Strung Rackets By Gerald Gurney Renowned expert and founder of our Society, Gerald Gurney, gives yet more in-

sight into his fantastic collection as he describes strung rackets—items which add interest to any collection of early equipment for their novelty and outstanding beauty. Has your collection got its example(s) yet?


A couple of beautiful strung rackets from the Editor’s collection. The bottom example is especially attractive and, despite the fact that it is stamped with the name “The Whiff”, which suggests Slazenger connections, is one of a pair in a “Cavendish” boxed set by F.H. Ayres. The fact that strung rackets were used with cloth-covered balls is demonstrated also by the fact that both Cavendish sets in the Editor’s collection feature strung rackets and covered balls.


T ennis-type games have been closely associated from the very early days with the his-tory of games designed to be displayed on a screen, and known variously as computer,

TV or video games. Even when the game was known as a tennis game, it could just as aptly have been called table tennis (and in fact was frequently named ping pong, or famously, ‘Pong’). Because of the simplicity of the concept of this type of game (i.e. a ‘racket’ moving up and down each side of the screen, and a ‘ball’ pinging backwards and forwards from side to side) compared with the current crop of very sophisticated examples, it was probably natu-ral that table tennis featured in these earliest attempts at creating electronic versions of popular games for the screen. As with all other aspects of the game, there are collectors of early types of ‘video games’, and many of our collectors of table tennis memorabilia include at least one example in their collections.

Coin-operated arcade games of all varieties have been about since the 1920s, with the first penny arcades opening in the 1930s. These games were sometimes electrically operated, but in general were of the purely mechanical type (e.g. The Ex-hibit Supply Co.’s Ping Pong 1938). Arcade games were a symbol of the post-war mechani-sation boom of the 50s, and spread from adult-oriented loca-tions (bars, tobacco shops, etc) to shopping arcades (and thus social acceptance!) in the 60s. Arcades continued to flourish in the 1970s and 80s with the introduction of electronic games featuring digital scoring, space-age sounds and high-tech video screens. Sit-down cocktail table versions of some of the games were also introduced.

Electronic games were born with the first demonstration of computer games in the 1950s (e.g. Space War, Tic-Tac-Toe). It is important to appreciate that these games required a main-frame computer to run them, not the home PC which is now so familiar to us, and they could not be displayed on a TV set. In 1958, Willy Higginbotham created Tennis for Two, using a 5" oscilloscope display linked to his lab’s analogue computer, which graphed and displayed the trajectory of a moving spot (the ‘ball’). Users could interact with the basic display, which illustrated the side-view of a tennis court, the ball bouncing off a long horizontal line at the bottom, with a small vertical line in the centre representing the net. Each player’s ‘racket’ was a small box with a knob (for controlling angle of return) and a button (for choosing the moment of striking ball when on correct side of ‘net’). This game was designed in order to make visitor displays more interesting and dynamic, and although it was simple, fun to play, and infectious, it was never considered as a commercial proposition.

It is reported that Ralph Baer first had the idea in 1951 of building an interactive game into a TV set. He returned to the concept of playing games on a standard TV set in 1966, when low-cost electronic components became available, and started building the first video game prototypes (initially known as TV Games), intended to feed signals to the aerial terminal of a TV set. In 1967 Bill Rush joined Baer’s team and came up with the idea of the ‘Ping-Pong’ game (by adding a machine-controlled spot to depict the ‘ball’), which would go on to domi-nate the video game industry for more than a decade. A game unit was developed by early November, culminating in the Brown Box final version, playing 12 games. Ralph Baer filed for a patent for the concept in 1968.

Electronic Games Throughout history the sport of table tennis has spawned many spin-offs. Many of the closer examples have been described in Gerald Gurney’s series on Table Ten-nis Variants. Alan Duke takes the subject one step further and presents here a well-researched feature on electronic versions of the game.

By Alan Duke

Part 1

1—The Early Days


The first commercial release of this video game system was by Magnavox in 1972 as Odyssey, the basic game being Table Tennis, with different plastic overlays placed on the screen to represent the background graphics (field, court, etc) for the other games. Games pack cartridges were sold as optional extras. Odyssey was based on an ana-logue operating system, and as such was unstable and prone to external distur-bances, but public response was phenomenal, and the Home TV Game industry was

born.

Nolan Bushnell attended one of the demonstrations of the above system in May 1972. He went on to set up Atari, hired Alan Alcorn, and started on the design of a simple (hence potentially successful) video arcade game. The re-sult was a coin-operated Ping-Pong game, Pong, with the single instruction “Avoid missing ball for high score”. As they were not limited to the cost restraints of a home sys-tem, improvements were made to some of the very basic features of Odyssey. For example, a digital operating sys-tem was introduced, with electronic scoring added (previously, various types of physical counters had been used!), wall bounce was incorporated, and the ‘Pong’ sound added. In addition, racket movement was improved, and rackets were divided into 8 segments so that the ball was returned with different spins and in different directions,. The first production games appeared in November 1972, and Pong became a big hit in bars and arcades, starting the arcade video game industry with a bang!

Following a law-suit for infringing Baer’s patent, Atari were granted a licence to manufacture Pong coin-op machines. In 1973 Pong was pat-ented by Atari and a number of variants were launched, plus licensed versions from other companies e.g. Paddle Battle, Wimbledon.

Other examples over the years in-clude Williams’ Paddle-Ball (1973), Chicago Coin’s TV Ping Pong (1973), Nutting Associates’ Table Tennis (1973), and Midway’s Table

Tennis (mid 1970s; a wall-mounted screen with remote controllers).

For the next development of Pong, in 1973 Atari started to think about a home version, and the team of Alan Alcorn, Harold Lee and Bob Brown commenced design in the following year. This was a huge success at Christmas 1975 when marketed by Sears Tele-Games. Atari released their own version in 1976 based on a single dedicated chip, providing games with on-screen scoring and attractive sound. By today’s stan-dards this technology appears very simple, but at the time was the most sophisticated chip in any consumer product! Once again, various derivatives followed e.g. Pong Doubles, Super Pong, etc, with detachable controllers. Pong retained its popularity until more advanced systems began to appear in 1975, after which the market was left to games such as Space Invaders, PacMan, etc. The electronic games market contin-ued to flourish as a major development in the consumer electronics industry, bringing into the home those games which, because of high costs, had previously been re-stricted to coin-op machines in public areas. Many other companies marketed table tennis games e.g. Executive Games TV Tennis, Philips Tele-Spiel, Videomaster Su-perscore (even some in kit form for home assembly!).

2—The 1970s

Part 2 will follow in the next issue of The Table Tennis Collector


Philatelic Pages Please send your contributions for

the philatelic pages to:

Anton Zwiebel Kerkweg 30

9439 PG WITTEVEEN The Netherlands

[email protected] Anton Zwiebel continues his regular contribution about table tennis stamps, post-marks and other items of philatelic interest.

Cancellations

16.6.2003 Handstamp of TT-player in wheelchair for the 6th Chinese National Games of the Disabled 26.7.2003 ?? 23.9.2003 Two handstamps for the Chinese National Championships in Zhenjiang 23.9-2.10.2003

9.10.2003 ITTF 2003 Men’s World Cup in JiangYin 9-12.10.2003, black or blue 9-12.10.2003 Machine cancellation for the same ITTF Men’s World Cup 25-29.12.2003 Shuang Yin International Veterans’ Championships, Changsha

30.12.2003 International Under-17 Juvenile Championships, Jiao Zuo 708.2.2004 Europe Top 12, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

In the above four cancellations the year number 15 represents the 15th year as Emperor of Japan for His Highness Em-peror Akihito 15.7.28 15th All Nippon High School Athletic Games, Omura 15.10.18 Nenjinru Tokushima 2003, Kitajima 15.10.26 58th Nal Athletic Meet, Kosia 15.11.8 3rd All Nippon Sports Games for the Disabled, Hamakita


3.2.2003 FDC cancellation Cairo on the Egyptian stamp for the World Championships, Paris Bercy, France 24.6.2003 Cancellation in black on mail from the venue of the Veterans’ World Championships, Courmayeur, Italy 25.7.2003 Cancellation in blue for a match in the Dian Xing Cup series, Tanzhou, China 20-25.5.2003 the Postmaster of the city of Handen, China also issued a propaganda cancellation for the World Champion ships in Paris Bercy

Special handstamp from the Vienna-Schwechat Municipality to honour the World Champion title won by Werner Schlager. The cancellation was in use from 26 September to 31 October 2003 Special FDC handstamp to cancel the Austrian stamp issued also in honour of Werner Schlager. Used 25.9.2003 Special handstamp on mail from the venue of the 7th Croatian Open Championships, Zagreb, 22-26.1.2003 Meter slogan 2.11.2003 from the Philatelists Society of Netphen, Germany on the occasion of the 29th Day of Stamps celebrating 100 years of table tennis

Two more cancellations from P.R. China, for which I seek information. Your assistance please—AZ.

Stamps 17.9.2003 P.R. China issued a sheet with 16 identical stamps to commemorate the 6th National Games of the Disabled. The 16 different tabs show the 15 sports to be played and the Games logo. These Games were held in various cities in the Province of Jiangsu.

Central African Republic. A 2003 issue for scouting. Stamps and sheetlets in silver resp. gold. Also im-perforated. Stamp shown at 50%.

Rep. of Guinea issue for the 2004 Summer Olym-pics in Athens, Greece, Issued in 2003, also imper-forated. Shown here at 50%.

For their information and support my thanks go to Gao Yi-Bin, Tang Gan Xian, Hans-Peter Trautmann, Winfried Engelbrecht and Bob op de Beeck—AZ.

Published by Graham Trimming on behalf of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society, March 2004 17 Gwendale, Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6SH, England Tel: +44 (0)1628 636978; email: [email protected] Web site: http://freespace.virgin.net/graham.trimming/TTCS/TTCSHome.htm © Graham Trimming—no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.


Gunther Angenendt Langacker 10a, 44869 Bochum, Germany. Tel: +49 2327 77117 Fax: +49 2327 77117 Email: [email protected] Interests: Pre-war world programmes; all TT items. Sale/Exchange: 300 pins; some books; programmes. Acquire: Pre-war WC programmes; bats and boxes sets esp. German origin.

Pat Archdale 26 West View Road, Keynsham, Bristol, Avon, BS31 2UA, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1179 830706

Keith Bowler 14 Ewell Street, Balmain, NSW 2041, Australia. Tel: +61 (02) 9810 4128

Ron Crayden 7 Grennell Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 3DW, England. Tel: +44 (0) 208 644 5004 Interests: Photography; music; book collection. Sale/Exchange: Books, particularly his own published book "The Story of Table Tennis First Hundred Years" £5 + postage.

Luciano de Castris Via G.B. Vico 9, 83100 Avellino, Italy. Email: [email protected] Interests: TT philatelic items esp. covers or card (mailed) with TT stamps or postmarks. Sale/Exchange: as above. Acquire: as above.

Andre Demeure Place de Mai, 10, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. Tel: +32 (0) 2770 5529 Email: [email protected] Interests: Cancellations; red meter, postal stationeries, stamps (perforated, imperforated); colour proof; artist sheet; postcards; phonecards. Sale/Exchange: as above. Acquire: as above.

Jean Devys La Petit Vigne, 20 Rue Edgar Quinet, F-59100 Roubaix, France. Tel: +33 3208 28444 Fax: +33 3206 60849 Interests: Table tennis; cycling.

Axel Dickhaus Atzlenbacher Str. 88, D-51381 Leverkusen, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 2171 32108 Fax: +49 (0) 2171 731478 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT balls; phonecards; philatelic items; covers; cards. Sale/Exchange: as above. Acquire: as above.

Alan Duke 2 Shapwick Close, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN3 3RQ, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1793 531234 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT music; photo record of collectibles, etc.

Sergio Durrazzano Via Girardini 8, 33100 Udine, Italy. Tel: +39 0432 21105 Fax: +39 0432 21105 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.durazzanotraduzioni.it Interests: TT stamps; books.

Winfried Engelbrecht Virgiliastr. 21, Essen, D-45131, Germany. Tel: +49 2017 86795 Email: [email protected] Interests: Philately: stamps, FDCs, sheets, postmarks; postcards; phonecards; books; tickets; pins; stickers. Sale/Exchange: Stamp; postcards - please sent want list. Acquire: Early TT postcards.

Romualdas Franckaitis Knygnesiu 8, LT-5150 Joniskis, Lithuania. Tel: +370 426 51200 Fax: +370 426 51200 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.delfi.lt Interests: TT bals; badges/pins; WC & EC programmes; first books; unusual bats. Sale/Exchange: Balls; pins; programmes; books. Acquire: Early sets esp. Ping-Pong or Spalding 1902, early books.

Dick Frost Gerona, Church Road, Grandborough, nr. Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 8DH, Tel: 01788 810867

Siegfried Furchert Goldbachstrasse 17E, 37269 Eschwege, Germany. Tel: +49 (0) 565 111 3138 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT postmarks etc.

David George No. 1 Kingshill Cottages, Coatbridge Road, Gartcosh, G69 8DS, Scotland. Tel: +44 (0) 1236 872350 Interests: TT badges/pins; medallions; keyrings. Sale/Exchange: Box sets; bats; nets; balls; programmes; postal; magazines; badges/pins; various unique items. SAE to apply for list. Acquire: See special interests.

David Good 710 N. Waverley, Dearborn, MI, 48128, USA. Tel: +1 313 278 5271 Email: [email protected] Interests: Sets; equipment; ephemera; misc c. 1902.

Scott Gordon 93 45th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95819, USA. Tel: +1 916 457 8482 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.hardbat.com Interests: Old films of TT; hardbat paddles; old books. Acquire: Films.

Gordan Gotal Meduliceva 23, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: +3851 4848 687 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT pins & badges (WC, EC, federations). Sale/Exchange: TT pins (WC, EC, federations, clubs, tournaments); participations medals; postcards. Acquire: Official badges from different WC and EC (guest, organizer, player, press, etc).

Gerald Gurney Guildhall Orchard, Mary Lane North, Great Bromley, Colchester, Essex, CO7 7TU, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1206 230330 Fax: +44 (0) 1206 230330 Interests: All racket games, especially table tennis, tennis and badminton; all equipment, ephemera. Historian and author. Worldwide exhibitions. Also all swimming items. Sale/Exchange: Boxed sets; postcards; books; rackets.

Rex Haggett 27 Meadow Close, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 9PJ, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1789 269352 Fax: +44 (0) 1789 269352 Email: [email protected] Web site: ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/RexHaggett Interests: Philately.

Chuck Hoey ITTF, Chemin de la Riche 11, CH-1020 Renens, Switzerland. Tel: +41 21 340 7096 Fax: +41 21 340 7099 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.tabletennismuseum.com Interests: WC programmes 1928-34; classic bats 1930s-60s; WC medals. Sale/Exchange: Many items in all categories available for exchanges. Acquire: WC programmes 1928034; classic bats w/picture or name of top players 1930s-60s; also bats of unusual shape and thick sponge bats from the 1950s; Jaques Society set with ball retriever.

Ray Hogg 100 School Road, Drayton, Norwich, Norfolk, NR8 6EN, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1603 867160

Jan Kleeven Margrietstraat 63, 6373 NN Landgraaf, The Netherlands. Email: [email protected] Interests: TT-pins from national associations; -stamps; -old advertisements. Sale/Exchange: TT stamps; pins from different TT clubs all over the World; postcards; phonecards. Acquire: TT pins from national associations.

Randy Koo Torenwacht 37, 2353 DB Leiderdorp, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0) 7154 17413 Email: [email protected] Interests: Stamps; special cancellations; red meters; FDC.

Hans Kreischer Hollandiahof 126, 3119 ZD Schiedam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 1024 69140 Email: [email protected] Web site: www.ttmuseum.nl Acquire: Books (1901-1910).

Kevin Lau 7544 N. Claremont Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60645, USA. Tel: +1 773 719 0860 Fax: +1 773 338 1831 Email: [email protected] Interests: TT philatelic items; pins; coins; souvenir items; memorabilia; decorative items.

Jorgen Lindh Brages Grand 78, Varberg, SE-43231, Sweden. Email: [email protected]

Peter Longhurst 18 Woodlands Crescent, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 1PH, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1280 813356 Interests: Tennis & table tennis items; Tilden's plays. Sale/Exchange: as above. Acquire: Plays by Bill Tilden.

Simeoni Luigi Via Ponte, S. Pancrazio 2/A, 37133 Verona, Italy. Tel: +39 045 532033 Email: [email protected] Interests: Balls.

Eldon Mohler 3910 Pecoo-McLoed, A100, Las Vegas, NV 89121, USA. Email: [email protected]

Ken Muhr 2 Highgate Hill, Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Kent, TN18 4LB, England. Tel: +44 (0) 1580 752676 Fax: +11 (0) 1622 723821 Email: [email protected] Interests: History.

Membership List 2004 This list of members is correct as at 11th March and includes notes of members’ particular interests as well as any items they may wish to acquire or have available for sale/exchange.

Continued on page 5

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The Journal of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society · The Journal of the Table Tennis Collectors’ Society 34 Spring 2004 ... months mean more time and oppor-tunities to scan