Found out the first board game convention was way older than I thought

I was reading an old article about game history and learned the first real board game convention happened in 1964. It was called the 'International Wargaming Convention' and took place in Malvern, Pennsylvania. That's a full 60 years ago. I always figured these big meetups were a more recent thing from the 90s or so. It's wild to think people were gathering to play complex games like that so long before the internet. Makes me appreciate how deep the hobby's roots go. Has anyone been to a convention that's been running for a really long time?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas_grant8316d ago

Man, that's nothing. My uncle used to drag me to this tiny model train show in Ohio every year. It started in the late 50s, just a bunch of guys in a VFW hall with these huge, detailed layouts. The smell of ozone from the tracks and coffee was the whole vibe. Felt like stepping back in time.

kevin_wells4616d ago

The best part was the old guys arguing about which brand of fake grass looked the most real.