Vintage Toys

Advance to Boardwalk board game fails to expand Monopoly franchise (Photo)

Posted on March 10, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

Whenever I find interesting versions of Monopoly — or games that appear connected to the Monopoly brand I pick them up, mainly because its my daughter’s favorite game. (One year she even had a Monopoly-themed birthday party.) I’ll admit, though, I was a little surprise by the Advance to Boardwalk game, because it is related to the Monopoly franchise in name only.

For starters, the board is completely different in style (long and narrow) since it is designed to represent an oceanfront boardwalk, there are three dice instead of two — and the basic goal is to build not acquire. The game, which BoardGameGeek compares to Manhattan, a player wins by building high-rise hotels and amassing the largest fortune. View Rules [pdf].

For those interested in collecting vintage games — this one is not a high value one. In mint condition you will probably only get $25. The real value for Monopoly games is in some of the alternate versions. Like Risk, the game’s value increases based on the version.

Themed-Monopoly games consistently in Top 10 on eBay (current list). Some of these sell for $200 or more.

Pokemon
Crooks & Castles
Batman
Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett
Dr. Who
Star Trek
USMC
Boy Scouts
Simpson’s Halloween edition
Justice League America

If you are curious about all the themed versions, take a look at the USAopoly list. To learn about other sanctioned Monopoly options and spinoffs read this article I wrote for LoveToKnow.

Since Monopoly is the highest-selling game, there have been more than a few offerings that either make fun of the game, ridicule its concept or try to create a niche market. A few collectible board games in this genre include:

Gay Monopoly released in 1983 by Parker Sisters. MIB sell for around $120 — do not confuse it with Gayopoly which is worth considerably less.
Anti-Monopoly created in the early 1970s by San Francisco State University Professor Ralph Anspach. It was the subject of a lawsuit filed by Parker Brothers over the name Monopoly. Anspach claimed the name was in the public domain — they settled out of court and the game is still in print. Original versions MIB condition are worth $20-$25.
Public Assistance: Why Bother Working for a Living. MIB versions sell for around $100. The game has an interesting history including an effort by the American Public Welfare Association to have the game banned.
Class Struggle. Another game invented by a professor. Game, designed around the concepts of Karl Marx, is highly collectible and sells for around $100-$125.

Categories: board games, Vintage Toys | Tags: monopoly, parker brothers

Tonka books more valuable than their toys?

Posted on March 2, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

As an amateur collector of Tonka trucks, one thing I quickly realized is the limited amount of price guides or books on Tonka history. When I did find them they would be priced in the $100s with most, if not all, being out of print. I then researched a little further and found that new copies of some of the Tonka Children’s books could command high prices as well — some in the $1000s.

Here are a few of the books:

Tonka by Dennis David, published in 2004

This is the only book I have actually physically held — it was at a local library — it gives a real good overview of Tonka’s history. It is more about the company and its plight than about the toys, per se. The book sells for $70-$140. Another hard to find and pricey book by the same author is How to Restore Classic Toy Cars, Trucks, Tractors, and Airplanes. The book is “a treasure chest of advice and ideas on restoring the most popular transportation toys of all eras and conditions,” according to a review on Amazon.

Collectors Guide to Tonka Trucks, 1947-1963 by Don and Barb DeSalle published in 1996

One of the first things listed inside this book are the various logos used by Tonka. This page is extremely helpful for determining which year your toy was manufactured since many of the toys varied only slightly year-over-year. The book is filled with colored photos of various mint condition toys throughout the years. Used copies of the book sell for about $100 while new ones can fetch up to $200. DeSalle has also written at least one additional price guide for other toy truck brands.

Tonka kid books

Now for the one that totally mystifies me — and if you know the answer please leave a comment. Some of the paperback kid books from the 90s are listed for $500-$3000. What is even more unusual, at least to me, is the library binding versions of these same books are only worth $10-$20. I won’t try to list them all, but go to a site that sells rare books (like AbeBooks) and do a search for Tonka and sort by price high to low and you will see what I mean.

Categories: Tonka, Vintage Toys | Tags: price guides, tonka books

Risk board games increase in value with alternate versions

Posted on February 28, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

Once Hasbro introduced variations of Risk, a secondary market emerged among collectors.

Introduced in 1959 by Parker Brothers, the board game Risk remains one of the most popular strategy games. Because of the game’s popularity and the relatively new approach to creating versions of the game — the first non-standard version was Castle Risk released in 1986 — some of the non-standard versions command high prices if they are still in their shrink wrap.

Here are a few of the ones I have come across while thrifting — only a few — like the 1975 version above — were in nearly new condition.

Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition

This one maintains steady interest and value in the collector market. The company successfully combined two target audiences when it created this version — LOTR fans and Risk fan. Mint versions of the game currently list for around $100.

Castle Risk

Although not a financial success for the company, it is the granddaddy of Risk alternate versions. Game players protect their castle on a map that features only Europe.

Colonial Version

This is another classic version and the miniature playing pieces are well designed. It seems to be a popular playing choice among Risk gamers.

Risk AD 2210

In my opinion, this is one of the neatest designs they have released. The futuristic game included land underwater and on the moon. The game won the Origins Award for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game when it was released in 2001.