The first time I actually saw a gameboard was the first time I was hooked. Model #500,from about 1970 and made by Tudor, with the bigger 1-piece yellow and white figures (base, platform, and figure all molded into 1 piece).
The selling point for me was the little field itself, all painted up with yard lines, hashmarks, and numbers. I was blown away that somebody could produce that much on that small of scale. (Now look at all the custom figures and field covers! My how far we've come)