Monopoly: 1935 Commemorative Edition

The earliest version of the world's most popular game was invented by Charles Darrow in 1933. He sold homemade versions of the board game drawn on oil cloth. By 1935, Parker Brothers realized the potential of the game based upon the thrills of getting rich quick. Certainly, the people during the Depression needed such an escape and as such, Monopoly became a huge bestseller.

Today, Monopoly is licensed in over 45 countries and produced in 26 languages. There are even regional, national, and international Monopoly tournaments where the most competitive get to bring out their game face. The last world championship was held in 2004 and won by Antonio Zafra Fernandez from Madrid. Participate in World Wide Wednesday, August 27, 2008, when you can help make history by joining the "largest simultaneous games of Monopoly."

In 1985, Monopoly turned 50. To celebrate, Parker Brothers released two editions, the 50th Anniversary Deluxe edition and the 1935 Commemorative edition.

The Deluxe edition came in a regular box but also included a plastic tray that could be used to organize the bank's money. A new train token was introduced, giving this set eleven tokens.

The 1935 Commemorative edition came in a collector's tin box. It is the first commemorative edition of Monopoly, and its design is a replica of the original 1935 board. Several of the original tokens are also reissued in this edition with an antique gold finish.

I received the Commemorative edition as a gift in 1985. At the time, the nearly $40 price tag seemed so enormous for just a board game, but when I opened the box, the elegance of the set just blew me away. Unfortunately, my original set is no longer complete today. I have bought newer anniversary editions that came in tins but nothing has come close to the 1935 Commemorative edition.

Features I love of the 1935 Commemorative edition:

• Beautifully designed, colorful tin box with a hinged lid
• Oversized game rules booklet has a specially written story of Monopoly
• Gold-tone, antique finish, metal tokens
• Wooden green houses and red Grand Hotels with gold lettering
• Sturdy 4-fold board that is thick and does not warp
• Classic board, 1935 look
• Secure storage tray for all the pieces of the game

I gotta say, the 70th anniversary tin set just doesn't feel right. Plastic houses, chunky metal pieces, trays that require you to remove the money from the slots before putting the game away, these just don't cut it for me. The older game editions are just more elegant.