The Magic 8-Ball, manufactured by Mattel, is a toy used for fortune-telling or seeking advice. The device was invented in 1946 by Albert Carter, the son of a fortune teller, who marketed and sold it alongside Abe Bookman from the Alabe Crafts Company, a company named after the first letters of Carter's and Bookman's first names. Although Carter is the inventor, Bookman is often credited with the invention of the device. It is a hollow, plastic ball resembling an oversized black-and-white 8-Ball. Inside, there is a cylindrical reservoir containing a white, plastic, icosahedral die that floats in alcohol with dissolved dark blue dye. The die is hollow and has openings on each side that allow it to fill with liquid, giving the plastic die minimal buoyancy. Each of the 20 sides of the die bears an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement.