The Hustle Daily Show The Strange Business History of the Ouija Board
18 snips
Oct 31, 2025 Dive into the fascinating journey of the Ouija board, a blend of spiritualism and savvy entrepreneurship. Discover how Charles Kennard turned a mystical talking board into a multimillion-dollar brand, from its intriguing naming séance to rapid early sales. Explore its rise as a cultural sensation, becoming a popular party game while facing competition and ownership struggles. Uncover the shift from fun to fear in pop culture, and the controversies surrounding its marketing, all while pondering whether it truly connects to the spirit world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Salem Visit Sparks Ouija Museum Discovery
- Juliet Bennett recounts visiting Salem and discovering a Salem Witch Board Museum filled with talking boards and planchettes.
- The museum owner explains visitors assume only brand-name boards like Ouija 'work' because of brand perception.
Spiritualism Fueled A DIY Board Market
- Spiritualism in 19th-century America created demand for simple DIY talking boards and planchettes.
- That cultural craze let entrepreneurs commercialize instruments for communicating with the dead.
Kennard And Bond Create Ouija Brand
- Charles Kennard, a fertilizer entrepreneur, teamed with woodworker E.C. Reich to build early talking boards and start a business.
- Kennard later partnered with patent attorney Elijah Bond, whose medium sister helped name the board 'Ouija.'
