Vintage Monopoly

[Marillion]

We used to have a very old Monopoly set, probably from the sixties, tatty from constant use. The original box had been lost long ago, so everything except the board was kept in an unmarked box once used for something else.

The board was of the standard design, but across the middle was a picture of a little man (without the top hat) chasing another little man through the streets, and the one being chased had a wad of notes in his hand.

Also the pieces, instead of the iron, boot, top hat etc were just coloured cones.

I was never very good at Monopoly: I played too cautiously, so the others used to snap up all the properties before I could. Same with chess - all defence, no attack.

[memoman]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

By the early 70's it was much more like the more modern versions.up till they changed the design completely.

[Richard1978]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I remember my brother damaging our set by falling down the stairs with it.

My Dad would normally win, & would always keep his LED display calculator handy to work out transactions.

Once I got so worked up about landing on the "Go To Jail" square that I coloured in the policeman's face in red.

The playing pieces seemed to change over the years, in our set the racing car looks like an E-Type Jaguar.

[hal9001]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

Our set from about 1975 had the 'E' Type for the car.

[PC66]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

The playing pieces seemed to change over the years, in our set the racing car looks like an E-Type Jaguar.

The tokens underwent numerous changes over the years, and changed at different times in the different national versions as well. I have a British set from the mid 1970's and an American edition from the early 1960's, which definitely have different tokens, although without digging them out to check, I can't recall all the differences offhand.

There were a good many other differences between different countries' editions and different years as well, e.g. in my mid-1970's British edition the Chance and Community Chest cards are a kind of buff & pink, whereas in the early 1960's American edition the cards are orange & yellow, and quite a bit smaller, as well as having a few differences in the wording. The money is also different colours for each denomination. Although the basic boards were always similar (aside from the obvious difference of pounds vs. dollars and Atlantic City place names vs. London place names), even then there has been some slight variation, e.g. the U.S. board's Baltic Ave. and Mediterranean Ave. are more of a very dark purple in place of the brown for the equivalent Old Kent Rd. and Whitechapel Rd. on the U.K. board.

[Richard1978]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I remember reading that some American sets have something different on the Super Tax space. It might have only been the earlier editions.

[PC66]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I remember reading that some American sets have something different on the Super Tax space. It might have only been the earlier editions.

Yes - It's Luxury Tax on the original American board. Again, it's been a while since I've looked at either version, but I think there's something different about the Income Tax square as well - Maybe a different amount (aside from the currency that is, as for all the properties the amounts are the same figures, e.g. £400 for Mayfair vs. $400 for Boardwalk).

[wickerman]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I could never understand why you couldn't buy anything until you've been round the boards once. Why didn't they give the bank a bit more money, and the competitors 200 quid more from the outset? Even at the best of times, the game can last an eternity. This ludicrous rule just extends the game for no reason.

[steve_ben2004]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

We always used to shorten the game by splitting the property cards in half and giving each of the players some properties to start the game with. It took me many years to work out that my dad was a cheat when it came to this since he always did the dealing of the cards and he always managed to snare either Mayfair or Park Lane

[screamqueen]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I could never understand why you couldn't buy anything until you've been round the boards once. Why didn't they give the bank a bit more money, and the competitors 200 quid more from the outset? Even at the best of times, the game can last an eternity. This ludicrous rule just extends the game for no reason.

I owned "Junior Monopoly" which was an easier version of the game for kids, and designed to be quicker than the adult version - e.g. if you land on a square that isn't taken you MUST buy a property, and the game ends if any player runs out of money. And even in that one you still had to go around the board once before you could buy anything! Why???

[cmac]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

Vintage monopoly sets are very valuable now. I have a reasonable condition one from late 70's. I was also bought the deluxe version a number of years back, with the little drawers etc, very nice but not too practical. It was one game I very rarely actually finished properly

[darren]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I never knew there was so many versions.
Never knew of a junior version.

I cant imagine theres much difference in the versions over the yrs basically the same board etc.


Was one of the more complicated games i felt.

[Richard1978]

Re: Vintage Monopoly

I remember you could get a version where you could customise all the street & station names. Not sure if it's still available.