Expert: Richard Q Davis - 10/1/2011

Question
Where can I find information on the value of the game Fortune ("The Game of Trading and Speculation") that was an early Monopoly game?  Do you know where the game or parts can be purchased?

Answer
Hi JenniferP,
Tough question!  

If you have the original version, it could be quite valuable.
Here is an interesting article that talks about it...
http://www.adena.com/adena/mo/mo14.htm

I believe the version you have (please correct me if I am wrong) was published in 1935 by Parker Brothers.  

Parts will be hard to find, but for value and parts, I would hang around collectors of old monopoly sets...

Early editions of the Monopoly Game are considered vintage, and are highly prized by collectors.

For locating prices, I would check estate sales and eBay.  They are the main sources for finding vintage Monopoly games. Collectors monitor eBay activity daily, and quickly snatch up any Monopoly games or Monopoly items of value that appear there.  If you list it on eBay, include the name "monopoly" in the title so you can get a bigger crowd looking for it.

eBay has both helped and hurt Monopoly Game collecting. It has brought much more product to the market, which has lowered prices. However, it has provided an outlet for selling or re-selling games. Karen Power came across a pristine Darrow White Box Edition, bought it for $9 and resold it on eBay for $8,400.

A Parker Brothers Monopoly Game circa 1935 that was recently listed on eBay sold on May 25th, 2008 after 30 bidders bid the price up to $380. This game had a box missing one side, but was otherwise in good condition.

A monopoly game - the official last Parker Bros. edition, '91 was recently listed on eBay at $2100.

Also, you can visit www.boardgamegeek.com  They have a market there for users to sell games.  I would see about putting it there or on eBay and see what bids come in for it.  You can also use the site to post for needed parts.

There is some interesting reading on older Monopoly versions here, although no mention of the Fortune game.
http://monopoly.cdbpdx.com/BoxTops/

Monopoly was patented in 1935 by Charles Darrow and released by Parker Brothers. The game was actually one of a number of variants in existence at the time, all of which date back to an earlier, 1904 game by Elizabeth J. Magie, called The Landlord's Game. Magie was a proponent of the Single Tax put forth by famous author Henry George. The game was designed to show how the Single Tax would work - players could choose to play under regular rules or alternate "Single Tax" rules.

The game didn't really go anywhere and Magie lost interest in it. Variations of the game evolved, however, and homemade versions traveled up and down the Atlantic coast and even as far west as Michigan and Texas, being developed all along the way. Eventually the game was noticed by Charles Darrow who introduced it to the world in its current form.

As far as values, looking for vintage Monopoly sets on eBay would give you a maximum value and people will pay more for a name game than not.  Similar games published around the same time would also give you an idea of value:

www.ebay.com

A similar game published in 1936 went for $55 recently.
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/1936-Finance--Fortune-Board-Game-Pre-Monopo

Perhaps you can find an auction house in your city and bring it in to them to evaluate.  They sometimes have an idea of what they can get for it.

Hope this helps...

Good luck to you!

Rich