Breathes there a Boomer who doesn’t remember the terror of rounding Marvin Gardens and Pacific Avenue, only having to face two hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place. At $2,000 for rent, Boardwalk put many a young boomer in Chapter 11. After all, we played lots of board games in those days.
Youngsters in the 50s and 60s didn’t have access to video games, and that was a good thing. We used our minds and our imaginations, playing board games such as Clue, Monopoly, Parcheesi, Scrabble and others, which helped keep our minds sharp while bringing kids and families together.
Monopoly was a great way to spend a rainy, summer afternoon. We played with as few as two, but four was more fun. There was lots of strategy in Boardwalk. Do you spend a few hundred bucks in cheap rentals, like Mediterranean and Baltic or save your cash for the yellow, green or blue properties.
There was also a lot of swapping going on. The railroads were good investments- lots of cash flow if you owned all four. That is until you hit Boardwalk.
Clue was another staple for kids of that era. Was it Colonel Mustard with the lead pipe in the ballroom? Or did Professor Plum use the rope in the kitchen for the dastardly deed?
Scrabble was also quite popular beginning in the mid 50’s. The game originated in 1938 and bounced around among parent companies until a NY company, Selchow and Richter, bought the rights, and in the second year sold over 4 million sets.
But Monopoly was clearly an American institution – a game for aspiring young capitalists. It originated in 1903 but came to the public forefront when Parker Brothers introduced the first board game in 1935.
Remember the tokens? The battleship, the Scottie dog, the hat, the shoe, the thimble, the iron, the racecar and the wheelbarrow? I understand the company is now polling the public, asking input on retiring some tokens and adding new ones.
All I can say is that if the Scottie dog goes, I’ll never Pass Go again!