FAQ

What is the AGPI?

The AGPI is the only international organization for collectors and researchers who share a common interest in the history and preservation of games and puzzles of all sorts.

Games and puzzles, from the earliest times to the current day, offer an exceptional view into national and world cultures and their evolution over time. The AGPI, through its many activities, is largely responsible for the recent rise in the popularity of collecting old games and puzzles. Many AGPI members write articles and books about games and puzzles, participate in exhibits and shows, and continually share their knowledge and enthusiasm for games and puzzles of all kinds. Whatever your interest in games and puzzle collecting, joining the AGPI will enhance your knowledge and enjoyment.

AGPI members range from novice collectors to some of the world’s foremost experts on games and puzzles and their history. Members may not be individual collectors at all, but many represent museums, game manufacturers, publishers, and research institutions. AGPI members collect from just a few games to several thousands of games or puzzles, and their collections cover a wide variety of themes. Collectors in other fields belong to the AGPI to acquire games that are cross-collectible in their area of interest. Whether your interest is primarily in games or whether it centers on related pastimes such as puzzles, tops, blocks, toys, or marbles, the AGPI offers you many opportunities to network and broaden your knowledge and your collections.

How often do we meet?

Our annual convention offers a weekend of fun with a healthy dose of learning! Seminars, workshops and member and invited presentations improve your expertise as you enjoy the weekend’s activities. A game and puzzle auction, sales and trading, and evenings of networking with fellow members are all part of these yearly gatherings at sites around the USA (plus a couple outside the States!) . AGPI presents awards at our convention: the Bradley-Parker Award for excellence in games, the Sam Loyd Award for excellence in mechanical puzzles, and the Spilsbury Award for excellence in jigsaw puzzles. The AGPI also hosts regional meetings during the year that focus on specific areas of collecting in a smaller group setting.

What periodicals do we publish?

Four times a year we publish the AGPI Quarterly. The Quarterly includes a broad range of articles on games, jigsaw puzzles, mechanical puzzles, and the companies and makers of them… plus book reviews, new product reviews, announcements of events, member advertisements, and many other topics.  The Quarterly is professionally published in full color.

What are the benefits of AGPI membership?

• Share your interest with collectors, researchers, preservationists, museums, players, inventors, authors and manufacturers who are among your fellow AGPI members!
• The regularly published newsletters cover member activities, contain feature articles and offer in-depth research information as well as international news.
• The Annual Convention includes guest speakers, workshops and seminars, panel discussions, “Show & Tell,” an auction, and game buying and selling.
• Regional meetings held in various parts of the country during the year encourage wider membership participation and often explore specific areas of interest.
• The AGPI’s Archives provides access to game company catalogs and to copies of instructions for thousands of games. The Archives also house research information, and books and articles written about games and puzzles.

What is the history of the AGPI?

Out of the shared interests of a small roster of dedicated game and puzzle collectors, our organization was founded in 1985 by Bruce Whitehill and originally was called the American Game Collectors Association (AGCA). The AGCA was originally dedicated to the collection and preservation of American games and to the study of American game history. Thirty-one charter members gave the AGCA the strength and impetus to hold its first convention just eight months after the organization’s inception.  Game and puzzle collectors and researchers have been members since we were founded.

In 1999, we changed our name to the Association of Game and Puzzle Collectors (AGPC) to  reflect  our members’ interests in both games and puzzles.

In 2016, we changed our name to the Association for Games and Puzzles International (AGPI) to  reflect  our members’ interests in both games and puzzles, and also its international nature.

Since its modest beginnings, the AGPI has grown steadily, building upon each success, and now engages hundreds of members in the pursuits of gathering and interpreting games and puzzles and their history.

How can I join the AGPI?

Annual membership in the Association for Games and Puzzles International costs $40 in the U.S., $50 in Canada, and $70 overseas (by airmail). Membership includes receipt of the Game & Puzzle International Quarterly and the Membership Handbook and Directory… plus the opportunity to attend conventions and access an incredible network of collectors and knowledgeable researchers.