Table tennis has origins in Victorian England, sets made for over 100 years

Antiques & Collecting
  • Sporting goods manufacturer Spalding has been making table tennis sets for more than a hundred years. In this case, it’s much more expensive to buy antique than brand new. Photo Credit: Copake Auction Inc.(c) 2026 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
    Sporting goods manufacturer Spalding has been making table tennis sets for more than a hundred years. In this case, it’s much more expensive to buy antique than brand new. Photo Credit: Copake Auction Inc.(c) 2026 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.

    Tennis, anyone? How about table tennis? The tabletop version of the sport is believed to have begun in Victorian England as a parlor game played by the upper class. Early equipment was improvised; instead of a net, players are said to have lined up a row of books across a table and hit a golf ball, or possibly a champagne cork, over it. Cigar boxes or more books were used as paddles. The game caug…