Monopoly Game Collection - Commemorative Edition

Being the Uncoolest Dude in Hollywood, means I have the Uncoolest taste in what to collect. My infamous Monopoly game collection is no different. This commemorative edition was given to me back in the mid 80's during my college days. It was my first real Monopoly collector item. I had gotten some other special editions prior to this, but I always played with those versions and they got messed up. This was the first one I tried to keep nice.

First off, this comes in a small square tin. No old versions ever came in a tin like this, but it gives in a retro look. Inside are a lot of extras. First off, is a one sheet that sits on top of everything with Mr. Monopoly aka Rich Uncle Pennybags explaining ins-and-outs of this edition. The paper underneath is a loose sales piece that was originally on the outside of the tin when it was encased in plastic wrap. It provided a place for the usual stuff that they didn't want on the actual tin (for example, the UPC bar coding).

Inside, there is an extra large booklet with a (sanitized) history of the game from the early days to its overseas versions to the present. In the back of the book is a standard list of rules. On the back page is an interesting FAQ page dispelling common myths and explaining that certain 'house rules' like getting money for landing on Free Parking aren't official.

Below is the actual game board folded-up into an uncommon four-way configuration. In a nod to some older versions of the game, there is a logo sticker on the board that is an exact replica in size and shape of the early game box covers. The board itself is standard.


Insides, there is a nifty plastic insert that serves as a holder for all of the game pieces. Most importantly, there are slots for all of the denominations of money so it doubles as the bank. The dice are not white but an ivory bone color. Money and property cards are standard.

The big difference inside are the houses/hotels and the token. Above are the ten tokens. Some are very recognizable (the shoe, the car, the battleship, the thimble, the top hat, the cannon and the iron). Some are different version of the standard (a hobbyhorse instead of the man on the horse) and a couple I never saw before (a purse and a lantern). But even the standard stuff are different. They are all a golden/bronze tone as opposed to the pewter/silver in a standard set. The car and the cannon are nothing like the standard sets. Then lantern is markedly larger than any other token I've seen in any set.

The houses/hotels are made of wood like the old sets but also have designs stenciled on the hotels.

Monopoly Game Collection - Onyx Edition

Being the Uncoolest Dude in Hollywood, I of course have the Uncoolest of collections. The fact that I collect things is fairly Uncool in these green days of recycling and repurposing. I love these Monopoly games! I got this set for Christmas a couple of years ago and like most of the sets I collect, I never play with it. I've got some ratty 'gamer' sets that I actually play with.

This Onyx Edition game is supposed to be a classier, more sophisticated version of the game. While the rules are always the same, there are some differences with this set...

The board is one piece of solid wood on raised feet. The wood is painted black to go with the onyx theme. You'll also notice that the spaces are much smaller and the center of the board is a recessed pit to keep the dice on the board at all times.

Below is a look at the inside of the box. The entire set is roughly double in size. Typically, Monopoly comes in that oblong box. This set is a little shorter but double-wide and square.

This set comes with the usual: money, property cards, dice, houses/hotels and tokens. The additional pieces are a nifty little holder for the money and a carousel for the unsold propertys. The houses/hotels are a plastic, made to look like jewels and come with felt jewel bags.

Below is a close-up of the carousel with a custom picture of Mr. Monopoly aka Rich Uncle Pennybags.

The money and the property cards about 1/3 smaller than their standard counter parts. Above is the package of property cards and no, my hand isn't that huge. Below you can see how much smaller the money is. The top $1 is from a standard set and you can clearly see the size difference.

As opposed to everything else, the dice are actually a bit bigger than a standard pair. No, my hand is not that small!

Even the game instructions get a kick. Printed on glossy paper with a silver edge and a classier font and look. Nothing unique about the copy, but the look is classy.

Monopoly Game Collection - Antique Board Games

Being a cheapie, if I'm going to collect something it has to be something I like to play with and it has to be inexpensive. Hence, my joy in collecting Monopoly game sets. I've come across quite a few older games over the years. Through my mom's old antique store, she'd come across old game sets and throw them my way. It seems like every family from way back in the day had a Monopoly set so they are fairly common. Interestingly enough, a new set costs between $10-$15 bucks for a basic set and it is about what you can get for an 'antique' set.

I really like these old sets and marvel at how simple they were. The houses and hotels are still green and red but are made of wood. The Community Chest and Chance cards are the same color but looked typed and don't have pictures. In fact, these older sets don't include the iconic "Rich Uncle Moneybags" character with the top hat and moustache. The money looks pretty much the same from the beginning.


The other big difference between the older versions and the newer ones is the box. Nowadays, there is a large elongated box the includes the board, money and all the pieces. Back in the day, all of the money, tokens, and cards came in a smaller box and the board was separate. The game board itself looks virtually identical to the modern counterpart.