5. Diamond Edition
You’re one of those people who owned moon shoes as a kid, aren’t you? This board is for the fair-weather player, who needs a flashy board to make up for lackluster plays. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I have this board, and I like that it spins easily and that the blanks have diamonds on them. But something about the gaudy colors and the —shudder— green triple letter squares make me uncomfortable.
4. Classic
Though the tiles easily slide off and the wooden tiles are hardly stain-proof, I’ll always have a soft spot for this board. This was the first board I owned, and I played on it until it ripped in half and half of the E’s went missing. I used to go into bubble tea cafes and steal tiles from their boards to replenish my missing letters. I know, bad karma. But have you ever gone a week without a Q?
3. Travel Scrabble
I think this board is important to own in order to weed out the people in your life who aren’t compatible with you and your addictions. You can whip out a travel-size board at any time, any place, and if that person is willing to play, they’re allowed to stay in your life. I’ve played some of the best games of my life on this board and have considered super-gluing the tiles in place to immortalize my best game (600+ points). However, I didn’t have the heart to ruin my board.
2. Onyx Edition
I don’t think Scrabble boards come any more beautiful than this. The faux-leather bound score book? The crisp silver on black tiles? The sleek black #2 pencil? This is the board equivalent of Don Draper. I have this board in my apartment, and I’ve realized I don’t take it out very much. I suppose I am metaphorically putting Baby in the corner, but this is the closest thing I have to an heirloom, after all.
1. Custom
There are lots of levels of fandom, but I think you reach the point of no return once you have a board custom made to have your name embossed on the sides and pro-tiles in your birthstone color. At Scrabble club, a number of members have custom boards, and when you ask them about it, they simply say, “A guy upstate made it for me.” Who is this man? What does he charge? And does he offer apprenticeships?
