Who Remembers playing Monopoly as a Kid?
I think I have Gertrude’s 1930’s version of the game. I remember playing it with my grandmother on rainy summer days. We set it up on a card table in the living room and would play for hours. I loved the game pieces, they were made out of metal and had wonderful shapes. The box I have has a top hat, car, a cannon, ship, scotty dog and a thimble.
I did some research on the game and it was first on the market in 1903 and was originally called the Landlord’s Game.The Landlord's Game was to illustrated the economic consequences of renting and the concepts of economic privilege and land value taxation.
I remember the lessons I learned playing Monopoly. One was how to count money. I was not the banker when I first started but after several summers, I was trusted to handle the cash! I also remember that if I was not careful and overspent, I would be out of the game. But it was fun to purchase lots, build houses and eventually hotels.I also learned that luck was part of winning.
As I got older, I remember playing with some of the kids in Gertrude’s neighborhood. We would set up the game in the garage with the doors open for a breeze. The game might go on over several days. Or at least it seemed that way to me.
I feel fortunate to still have this game along with a Hoyel, Book of Games. Sometimes I wish life came with a book of Hoyel!
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