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12/21
20 FRIDAY - DECEMBER 1974
354TH DAY - 11 DAYS TO COME

Remembered that I saw MATOCA at a bazaar last week and looked at the rules. Each of the 2 players has 12 square pcs. [pieces] An area is set as the playing field, such as the top of a bridge table. Players in turn place one of their pcs. [pieces] At least one previously placed pc. [piece] must be touched - diagonally being o.k. If all the pcs. [pieces] are placed without a win, players in their turn move a pc. [piece] from its position to a new position. In doing this they cannot separate the layout into parts. Five in a row wins.

Call from Felicia. She wanted the address of the "Games Gallery" for Bob Johnson, who was going to call her to get it. Gave it to her.
Asked about her meeting with Bob Johnson yesterday. She was all enthused about Hallmark's plans. they have bought out Ravensburg (spelling?) in Germany and half of their line will come from there. All of the games that they have under contract will be test marketed in varying places - including New York (which Felicia thought was great). FOCUS is now under test and the answer will be in by the end of January. So far the results are mixed. She is willing to wait a few weeks over the end of the contract. She asked for $1,000 holding advance, but he said they never give more than $500. My other games and Claude's DUEL will be tested in due course. I asked about RED LETTER and Felicia said they can't cost it out, even tho they have the best connections for die-cutting (because of the jig-saws)
Felicia mentioned that Tom Atwater and Alex Randolph will be helped by Hallmark's deal. I told her that I did a game for Atwater a long time ago HIT THE JACKPOT which is still being considered by Ravensburg. She said "As long as you told me" and went on with other things.
She said that when Bob looked TOTALLY and INTERSECTION, he said that the packaging was all wrong. When they do their games, how they are played will be on the box. Felicia agreed.
He rcd. [received] my letter, but was too busy to answer. He did request that copies of FITTING & PROPER and THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS be sent to me. He'll check on it when he gets back. He told her that they had taken back loads of the games, but are selling them again. (Remainders?)
He would like to come to see my collection next time he comes to N.Y., but feels ashamed. She told him that she is sure I'd be glad to have him come.

I discussed the call with BB and felt pretty burned up. Called Felicia and told her that Bob Johnson's "x'mas present" was more "A kick in the teeth. And that maybe she is happy about things, but what she said to me was that I am back to the start with Hallmark, Aladdin won't sell, and she keeps saying that 3M is going down. (Incidentally she said at some time today - don't remember when - that they had each asked whether the other had heard any rumor of 3M going out of games.)

She saw some things a little more from my point of view and said that my games have first crack at the Hallmark testing. Also that

(cont. on 12/21)