Bazaar Wares Cards

In the 1960's and 70's, the 3M company sold a series of boardgames targeted toward adults. These "bookshelf games", so called because their boxes were designed to be placed on a shelf like an oversized book, are now popular with boardgame collectors. One very desirable game is called Bazaar.

It's fairly common to see copies of Bazaar for sale on eBay. If you are thinking of bidding on one, be sure to find out exactly how many of each card and token are present. A complete game will have these parts:

• Bookshelf-style box with molded plastic tray and rules printed inside
• Wipe-off, reusable scorecard with crayon or grease pencil (I need one of these!)
• Special die
• Tokens: 21 each in red, yellow, white, blue, and green
• 10 large rate cards (numbered)
• 45 wares cards

I have a copy of Bazaar that I'm using for parts. If you are missing any of the wares cards, rate cards, or tokens, or if you would like the molded plastic insert, let me know. I might still have the cards you need to complete your game. (And if any of you have an extra scorecard, I'll give you cash money for it!)

The game should contain 45 wares cards; these are the small cards with five colored dots, and sometimes a small white star. It is difficult to put these cards in "order", so if you have less than 45 cards in your copy, how can you tell which ones you're missing? Here's the breakdown:

There are five different colors:

• Blue (b)
• Green (g)
• Red (r)
• White (w)
• Yellow (y)

There are five different card patterns:

• Five of color "A" (all have stars)
• Four of color "A" and one of color "B" (all have stars)
• Three of color "A" and two of color "B"
• One of color "A", two of color "B", and two of color "C"
• All five different colors

Step one: Remove all of the cards with five of color "A". There should be five of these cards, one of each color:

  bbbbb   ggggg   rrrrr   wwwww   yyyyy

Step two: Remove all of the cards with four of color "A" and one of color "B". There should be a total of nine of this pattern:

  bbbbw   ggggb   rrrrg   wwwwg   yyyyb
  bbbbr   ggggy   rrrrw   wwwwy

Step three: Remove all of the cards that have three of color "A" and two of color "B". There should be a total of ten of this pattern:

  bbbgg   gggrr   rrrbb   wwwbb   yyygg
  bbbyy   gggww   rrryy   wwwrr   yyyww

Step four: Remove all of the cards that have one of color "A", and two each of "B" and "C". There should be 16 of these:

  bggyy   gbbyy   rbbww   wbbgg   ywwbb
  brrgg   grrbb   rggbb   wbbyy   ywwgg
  brrww   gyyrr   ryyww   wrryy   ywwrr
                          wyygg

Step five: You should have five cards left, all with five different colors:

  yrgbw   grywb
  yrgbw   grywb
  yrgbw

There you go. Now you can determine which card(s) you're missing.