There is an allure to a Magic 8 Ball. You roll the thing in your hands, you ask it a question, and—presto!—you have an answer. The whole thing is wonderfully simple. The only problem—and it ...

Today, the Ball is owned by Mattel, who claims to sell a million Magic 8 Balls every year. In 2011, TIME Magazine named the Magic 8 Ball as one of the “All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys.” ABOUT ...

Abe put the slate inside a crystal ball but that did little for sales, though it did spark the interest of a major American corporation. Magic 8 Ball is born Enter Brunswick Billiards.