Collecting Board Games

Video games and CD-ROMs might be all the rage today, but there is no substitute for a board game on a rainy day. Which are your favorites from yesteryear?

By Bruce Whitehill

I field a lot of calls from people looking for specific games. It's interesting how the same games are asked for time and again.

Did a game come to auction, and now everybody wants one? Or is everybody suddenly looking for the same game we all played in our childhood? Which categories or themes do collectors enjoy the most? Which manufacturer's games are the most desirable? Which games are the most desirable? Which are the most over-rated? This article will answer these questions.

Few collectors actually collect by game company, but the manufacturer does help determine a game's value.

A Milton Bradley game prior to 1920 that is a near replica of a McLoughlin Brothers game from the same period might be worth only two-thirds or even half that of its McLoughlin counterpart. (Milton Bradley bought McLoughlin in 1920.)

The quality of materials and the attention to detail distinguished certain firms. McLoughlin's artwork and early Parker Brothers' renderings were usually better than Bradley's, while the quality of Bradley cardboard was usually better than that of Pressman or Whitman.

Similarly, the licensing by Lowell and Gardner was often better than the licenses obtained by Parker Brothers. As such, collectors have come to associate certain companies with high quality products or good licenses.

World War II makes a natural dividing point. In addition, bear in mind many companies have undergone name changes over the years.

The leading prewar manufacturers (those before World War II), listed in order of desirability are McLoughlin Brothers (including John McLoughlin), Bliss, Parker Brothers (including George S. Parker), Clark & Sowdon, Alderman Fairchild (All-Fair), Singer (including J.C. Singer), Wilder, Stoll & Einson (including Einson-Freeman and Stoll & Edwards), Selchow & Righter (including E.G. Selchow and Chaffee & Selchow) and Milton Bradley.

The leading postwar firms (those after World War II) - also listed in desirability - are Lowell, Transogram, Standard Toykraft, Gardner, Ideal, 3M, Parker Brothers, Selchow & Righter, Bettye-B and Milton Bradley. Runners up include Remco, Bar-Zim, Hasbro, Game Gems, Mattel and Harett-Gilmar.

It's interesting to note that Milton Bradley, one of the oldest companies (1860) and the company that has produced the most classic and best-selling games, is at the bottom of many collector's top 10 lists. A company does not have to be large or in existence for a long time to have produced excellent games. Small companies with beautiful games included Bowers & Hard; Fisher & Denison; Friedel; Hamilton-Myers; Horsman; Ives; Lemor Novelty; Smith, Kline & French; Stirn & Lyon; A. Williams & Co. and Willis G. Young.

The American Games Collectors Association is an integral part of the hobby - as well as any story that looks at some of the most sought-after games of all time (as well as other related lists).

The AGCA was founded in 1985 to preserve and study American games of all eras. Members' interests include board and card games, jigsaw puzzles, dexterity puzzles, strategy games, marbles, tops and others.

In the early 1990s, the AGCA asked its members to choose the best games from a pre-determinend list in two categories - artistic games and playable games. The top vote-getters in each of four time periods were listed as the association's "Games of Fame."

The artistic games are all visually stunning and highly collectible. My choice as the best prewar games include National Game of the American Eagle, 1844, Ives; Rival Policeman, 1896, McLoughlin Brothers; Chiromagica (The Hand of Fate), 1901, McLoughlin; Man in the Moon, 1901, McLoughlin; To the North Pole by Airship, 1904, McLoughlin; Game of Voyage Around the World, 1919, McLoughlin; Spe-Dem Auto Race, 1922, All-Fair; and The Wonderful Game of Oz, 1922, Parker Brothers. Remember that voting was from a predetermined list - many other games rival or surpass these for beauty.

Games the AGCA chose as the most playable include Authors, since 1861, many companies; Parcheesi, since 1867, E.G. Selchow (Hasbro today); Chivalry, from 1888-late 1900s, Parker Brothers; Pit, since 1904, Parker Brothers; Touring, since 1906, replaced by Mille Bornes, Parker Brothers; Sorry, since 1930s, Parker Brothers; and Cabby, 1938, Selchow & Righter.

The AGCA's 13th-annual convention will be held Sept. 24 to Sept. 26 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will include an auction, sales, workshops and other events. You must be a member to attend the convention. Fore more information, contact the AGCA, P.O. Box 44, Dresher, PA 19025 or visit their web site at www.agca.com

Many collectors collect by a specific theme or category. I have included the 10 most popular in an accompanying story, but I did not include television because there are hundreds of television games that could comprise different top 10 lists.

When it comes to TV games, rarity is a major factor, but often the popularity is based predominantly on the popularity or nostalgic value of the series. Here are more than 60 of them from six different TV Categories.

• Western - Branded, Cheyenne, Gene Autry's Bandit Trail, Laramie, The Outlaws, Overland Trail, Rawhide, The Rebel, Stagecoach West Game, The Wild Wild West.

Runners-up include Bat Masterson, Gunsmoke, Johnny Ringo, The Rifleman, Restless Gun, Wyatt Earp and Hopalong Cassidy.

Games expert Jeff Lowe reports that "Rawhide (1959, Lowell) and The Wild Wild West (1966, Transogram) are probably the two biggest Western titles that come to my mind, since I've personally seen both sell for over $400. The Rebel (1961, Ideal) moves in the $100-$125 range."

• Game shows - By The Numbers, Candid Camera, Double Exposure, Groucho's You Bet Your Life, I've Got a Secret, Masquerade Party, PDQ, Seven Keys, What's My Line and Your Surprise Package.

Games authority Lyle Rhodebeck says Double Exposure is hard to find and worth around $100. Your Surprise Package is also valued in that range, he said.

In addition, Rhodebeck states there is huge interest for Concentration, Jeopardy and The Price is Right. He adds values are declining for Candid Camera and Masquerade Party. Masquerade Party features athletes like boxer Jack Dempsey and former baseball stars Pee Wee Reese and Leo Durocher, but today's collectors may not be as interested in these shows and characters.

• Mystery/detective/adventure - Hawaii Five-O, Honey West, I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Mod Squad, Mr. Ree (1937, Selchow & Righter, especially the rare set with plaster heads and weighted cylinders), The Adventures of Robin Hood, Route 66, Sea Hunt, Surfside 6.

  Runners-up include 77 Sunset Strip (Lowell) and any of the original Zorro games.
  
  

• Sitcom (and a few others) - Gang Way For Fun, Gilligan's Island, Laurel and Hardy, McHale's Navy, My Favorite Martian, Sgt. Bilko, Shindig, That Girl, The Three Stooges, Fun House Game and Today With Dave Garroway.

  Gilligan's Island recently brought $800 and Rowe rates That Girl at over $200.
  
  

• Space and science fiction - The Addams Family, Captain Video, Journey to the Unknown, Land of the Giants, Lost in Space board game, Lost in Space 3-D action fun game, Outer Limits, Steve Scott Space Scout, Time Tunnel and Twilight Zone.

  Runner-up - Star Trek Game, Journey to the Unknown was based on a British TV series that only lasted four months in the United States.
  
  

• Cartoons and comics - Atom Ant Saves The Day, Bullwinkle Hide 'N Seek, Calling Superman, Jonny Quest, Magilla Gorilla, Peter Potamus, Richochet Rabbit, Tennessee Tuxedo, Top Cat and Wally Gator.

All Hanna-Barbera cartoon games are good sellers, and Rhodebeck considers Peter Potamus, Tennessee Tuxedo, Top Cat and Wally Gator especially in demand. "I have seen Wally and Top Cat bring big prices, and I haven't even seen the others, " he said.

Some great games, like McLoughlin Brothers' Rival Policeman and Man in the Moon, Parker Brothers' 1897 Post Office Game or Clarence Darrow's original oilcloth Monopoly are not often requested because they're usually sold immediately when they come to market.

Plus, they command prices higher than most collectors are willing to spend on one item. But some of the most-requested games can be purchased for as little as $50.

Readers may be fortunate enough to discover a game that's valuable enough to retire on. But it's more likely collectors will say, "Oops, I sold that one for almost nothing," or even worse, "My mother gave mine away."

Should a collector buy TV games? Games from the 1960s? Older games? Unless you view game collecting as an investment or a transaction, collect what appeals to you - as long as you can afford it - and don't be overly concerned about a game's price and collectibility.

While many of the games on these lists can bring big bucks, there are hundreds of fascinating games that can become a vital part of any collection.

Also bear in mind that as antique columnist Harry Rinker states - collecting is generational. The baby boomers are in charge now, and they're not interested in many of the games that were top sellers a decade ago. If you're investing, you need to buy for the future.

The accompanying stories center on games that are bought and sold often because they're in demand and other games that are bringing unbelievably high prices because they're both in demand and rare. But interest in a game can wane at any time - the next generation of collectors isn't far behind.

Lists are tough for a writer! You can't please everybody. Some readers will say, "He's nuts! How could he put that game on his list?" Others will be offended. "He didn't even include the game...." So view these lists with a bit of healthy skepticism and forgive me for the inevitable omissions.

Bruce Whitehill, "The Big Game Hunter," is the world's foremost researcher and authority on early American games. He can be reached at 620 Park Ave., Game Box 202, Rochester, NY 14607-2994 or via e-mail at clue@netacc.net.

Thanks to Bruce Whitehill for supplying photos for this story. Special thanks to Lyle Rhodebeck and Jeff Lowe for their help in compiling the lists for this feature, Rhodebeck can be contacted via e-mail at games@bright.net. Lowe can be reached at gamesguy1@aol.com.

What about games based on movies? Is it as hot a field as TV? Whitehill's "The Name of the Game" column will return next month to look at games based on films. Until then, how many movie games can you come up with? The Big Game Hunter encourages readers to send him their lists of favorite TV and move games.

The preceding material was written by Bruce Whitehill. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.