Some new (2nd hand) games

I arrived home from work this evening to find my wife had a little surprise for me. She'd stopped by a jumble sale (I think it was at a church somewhere) and picked me up some games. Deb knows to always look out for games and books for me when she's out and about. I'm even fine if she picks up games that are incomplete because I always have the option of using the components for other games.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted Speed Circuit. This is a game I've been after for quite some time. It appears occasionally on Australian eBay and I've bid on a few but they've always gone for more than I was willing to play. Here was a complete copy of the 1971 3M version in excellent condition.

There is also a later Avalon Hill version with slightly modified rules and lesser quality components but this was the original 3M version with the double-sided plastic mounted map board which folds around the internal cardboard box that holds the components. I also couldn't believe it when Deb told me what she'd paid for it - $3.00!

It had all the original components - the rules, plastic-coated score sheet and holder, cards, nifty circular speed trackers, 6 painted metal cars and even the original crayon. I was so excited. Speed Circuit is probably the classic formula 1 racing game. There is no luck involved - it all comes down to the skill of the players in designing a car and making choices throughout the race.

The two other games were Seejeh, an abstract game of capturing your opponent's pieces by first placing your pieces and then moving them strategically, and Trippples, another abstract game where you are attempting to move your piece to a spot on the board but your move options are determined not by the three arrows on the tile under your (transparent) game piece, but by those under your opponent's piece. Deb had paid $1.00 for Seejeh and $2.00 for Trippples. Unfortunately, they were both missing a couple of playing pieces. Ah well, I guess I can't complain... :-)