The average game – with players all taking their go at once during four timed turns – lasts around 10 minutes. Monopoly Speed is popular because it throws that time out of the window. Often that’s because people aren’t following the correct rules, but even then games can take up a solid hour or two. Before Darrow wrote down the rules, most people just played the game how they were taught by others.One of the biggest complaints about Monopoly is that games take too long to complete. Did you know?Ĭharles Darrow’s greatest contribution to the Monopoly board game was codifying the rules. It is believed to be the oldest-known Monopoly set. While these early hand-made Darrow Monopoly boards rarely turn up, one set was sold in 2011 for about $120,000. To help his family survive the Great Depression, Darrow began selling these sets and is said to have produced about one or two a day. His wife and son colored in the property spaces and made the title deed cards and Chance and Community Chest cards. These early sets were made on round pieces of oil-cloth and Darrow drew the designs for the properties himself. Around 1933, Darrow began making hand-drawn Monopoly sets to give to friends and family. The Last Edition Monopoly has many special features from a traditional Monopoly game, including: the signatures of each Parker Brothers’ plant employee printed on the front of the board, a gold Uncle Pennybags token, the hotels and houses are blue and gray, and the signature of former Parker Brothers’ President John Moore.Įstimated Number in Existence or Produced: Unknown for sure, but very few in existenceĮstimated Value: $120,000 (price paid at auction in 2011)Īlthough he wasn’t actually the games inventor (even though he claimed he was and even convinced Parker Brothers), Charles Darrow is credited with popularizing Monopoly and being the designer of the game as we know it today.

The Last Edition Monopoly game was never released to the public, making it incredibly rare. Each one of the boxes has “ Last edition Published in Salem, Massachusetts” printed on it. To commemorate Parker Brothers shutting down, the company’s management produced 650 limited edition Monopoly games for each of its employees. Parker Brothers had been making and selling Monopoly since 1935, but Hasbro took over the company in 1991. In 1991, the original Parker Brothers manufacturing plant in Salem, Massachusetts was shut down after more than 100 years in operation. To accommodate all of Charles Fazzino’s 3D artwork, the 3D MONOPOLY®: The Fazzino New York Edition board is much larger than a traditional Monopoly board and it is set 2” deep dark hardwood cabinet with tempered glass top.Įstimated Number in Existence or Produced: 650 producedĮstimated Value: $267 (eBay sale from 2012) Some of the special features of this edition of Monopoly include: six custom Fazzino-designed New York City-themed pewter Monopoly tokens custom Fazzino-designed Money and Title Deed, Chance, and Community Chest Cards custom Fazzino-designed Wood houses and Hotels and a wooden Banker’s Tray. Each of the 2,000 games were hand-signed and numbered by Fazzino. Fazzino only produced 2,000 3D MONOPOLY®: The Fazzino New York Edition as they were intended to be a special collector’s edition of the beloved game. In 2013, pop artist Charles Fazzino released a 3D version of the game themed around New York City. Eventually, Parker Brothers did buy The Landlord’s Game in 1939, but it was quickly discontinued due to poor sales since Monopoly had exploded in popularity a few years earlier.ĭue to its limited production, first editions of The Landlord’s Game are incredibly rare.Įstimated Number in Existence or Produced: 2,000 produced Despite this, The Landlord’s Game grew in popularity through word of mouth. Magie tried to sell the game to Parker Brothers, but it was rejected for being too complicated. Around 1906, Magie and fellow Georgists formed Economic Game Company to produce and sell The Landlord’s Game. Between 1902 to 1903, Magie designed The Landlord’s Game and filed a patent in 1904. Magie’s game, which was based on the economic principles of Georgism, directly inspired Charles Darrow’s version of Monopoly.

Monopoly wouldn’t exist without Elizabeth Magie’s The Landlord’s Game. Estimated Number in Existence or Produced: Unknown – very few exist todayĮstimated Value: $50,000 (typical price at auction)

Monopoly versions