Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This is a classic tabletop bagatelle game, a precursor to the modern pinball machine, featuring vibrant lithographed graphics. It offered five different games in one—Baseball, Bagatelle, Put-N-Take, Twenty-One, and Penny-Back—all played by launching small steel balls with a spring-loaded plunger.
Story
During the Great Depression, these games were a household lifeline for affordable fun. The 'Poosh-M-Up' name was a clever marketing play on the physical action of the plunger, turning a simple gravity game into a national craze.
Maker / Origin
The Northwestern Mail Box Co. was an unlikely hero of the toy world; they pivoted from manufacturing metal mailboxes to becoming a leading producer of bagatelle games. Their 'Poosh-M-Up' line became so iconic that it helped define the tabletop gaming market for decades before electronic arcade machines took over.
Condition & Value
The wooden frame shows significant honest wear and scuffing consistent with age. The internal lithography appears remarkably bright, though there is some minor lifting or warping visible on the playfield surface. The presence of the original glass is a major plus for preservation.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.