Written by One of the games I remember most from my childhood was the game of Monopoly. It was a real estate game, which doesn’t sound cool at all when described that way, but it was actually tons of fun. You could buy and sell property with colorful stacks of funny money and become “rich” in a completely fantasy sort of way. At the start of the game, though, came perhaps the most important decision and strategy of all. You first had to select or fight over which of the eight little tokens would become your persona for next few hours. The pieces have changed over the years and some of the original choices have been retired. The original concept was provided by the inventor’s niece who suggested using charms from a girl’s bracelet as playing pieces. This would become the entire brilliance of the game and what’s made it so iconic to this day. That said, if you were one to choose the iron, thimble or wheelbarrow, for instance, you’d be out of luck in the modern version. But for this little quiz, it’s time to be like a kid again, so please share whatever token you enjoyed most in the comments below!
For me, I was definitely partial to the top hat, but my love of animals meant that I was mostly a sucker for the Scottie dog. Both of these pieces managed to survive the various updates to the game, so I was thankful for that, at least. I think a Scottie dog in a top hat would have been the best token of all. You can now get a rubber duck, dinosaur, cat and penguin as options, which didn’t exist at all when I was young. The cat actually beat out a little robot contender that I thought should have won. I would have totally chosen that one. These little tokens were such wonderful memories. Kudos to the uncredited inventor’s niece for suggesting them. The game was fun, but super long, so all you had to keep you company, if you weren’t in the process of winning stacks of money was that little silver token (now gold in some cases… they changed that bit too). Even if I wasn’t winning, having that little charm was still like getting a little gift of something. A shiny little object that felt valuable in some way.
These days, I have a Monopoly set sitting in a little wooden box that I haven’t played in years. In many ways, I think my attention span has grown even shorter than when I was a kid. The idea of breaking out the game and going through round after round is a bit daunting to me. But it was super fun and I really enjoyed it. Perhaps that’s why at the age of 18, I got my real estate license. This was yet another blip in my life’s adventure while I was attending art school and working as an assistant to a top local realtor. I was mostly helping with marketing and designing ads, but had to also help with the daily grind as well. When I was told I couldn’t show a home without a license I demanded that I must get one. A couple weeks later, after taking some classes, I took a big fat test and managed to procure one. I let it lapse a few years later and no longer have it. Without shiny tokens to amuse me, I quickly grew tired of it and moved on to other things. The tokens, after all, where everything. So, my dear friends, what monopoly token are you?
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Before I married, my last name was Scott, so it was a good thing that the Scottie was my favorite. Of course, everyone else in the family felt the same way. There was definitely a rush to call dibs on that token. A real estate license at 18! You never cease to amaze me, Charlie!
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕hehe… I was just a kid who never liked to be told “don’t”! Hence my manifesto! And yeah, I bet there was a fight for this token in your family! lol That’s awesome!
I loved and had to be the Scottie dog! You did an amazing job of showing his silvery coat with little ridges – brings back a lot of good memories.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 yay! So cool this one was your fave as well!
I chose the thimble. Every time. LOL
Excellent!! hehe 😃💕 But too bad they discontinued that one in the recent sets… I thought it was soooo cool!
I remember them well. Dad always won! I wondered why for years. It was only when I actually played with my mates once that the row about how to play caused me to read the rules and I realised that we had been playing a ‘special version’. The actual rules of the game were different. I angrily confronted my father who said it was done to help us play the game. Funny how, if it was supposed to help us play the game, HE always won! Grrrr BTW our version had a blue train that looked a bit like Mallard, the fastest steam train in the world, so that was my choice!
Oh wow! I would have chosen that one too! Sounds so cool! 😃💕 And… hehe… I’m wondering how many people read ALL of the rules of Monopoly. Seems we all had a little different version of how it should be played. And yes, whoever invents the rules, wins! lol
OMGOSH! THE SCOTTIE, ALWAYS THE SCOTTIE! Well, if someone else beat me to it, after an appropriate pout, i seem to remember a little shoe? A bit like an elf? Maybe it found it’s way into our set? We may have been improvisers on pieces🤔 The one thing I could always count on-my baby brother would win. You could cheat, distract him, bring in a ringer-he’s the luckiest guy ever!
Wonderful rendering of the Scottie dog. Always had to have the Scottie as my token and if not the Scottie then the thimble. There were times when company played the game and good manners meant they were allowed to choose first.
Thanks, Mary! 😃💕 hehe… yes, it’s good to be well-mannered… but yeah… I always wanted to grab for my trusted piece!!
Well this brings back memories. My siblings and I used to fight over the tokens. The dog and I think the shoe were most popular, my brother always wanted to be the ship. Interestingly my partner is often referred to as Monopoly Man or the Man from Go for his silver white hair and mustache, very distinguished in his tux. I will have to paint him one day.
Oh wow!! You totally need to paint him then, Pam! That sounds awesome!! 😃💕 And yeah, I think fighting over tokens is one of the most memorable parts of Monopoly! hehe
I have only ever played half a game of Monopoly – it was the Simpsons version, one Christmas morning. We didn’t really read the rules, got a bit confused, then distracted by something else… and never played it again! I can’t remember what the tokens were in that version, probably doughnuts and so forth. A seal would be the obvious suggestion for any version!
haha! A seal would have been amazing!!! 😃💕 I wish Monopoly had thought of that instead of adding a cat… though that seems like an obvious addition. The Simpsons version sounds fun! But yeah… it’s a LONG game that requires an attention span rarely held by artists. hehe
If I got first pick, it was the dog. Every one of those little houses I was going to buy needed a dog! I was also not too proud to cheat, especially if it made the game go faster. Since I was the oldest in my family, I was often the banker. When you’re the banker with a propensity for cheating, well, you get the idea!! 😁😂😂
haha! I love that rationale! Those house DID need a dog! 😃💕 And you naughty little banker, you! LOL
I always wanted the thimble…and once again a great story…
Thanks so much, Pamela! 😃💕 And they had to nerve to discontinue that thimble. I always thought it was cool!
I remember playing Monopoly, but not fighting over the tokens. I think it was because I got bored with the game and wandered off to read instead. Funny what we remember………….
Yeah, it could be such a loooooong game! LOL Reading was way more fun! 😃💕
I love the memories you awaken with your painting and your comments.
thank you!!
Aww thank you for you wonderful comments! I really appreciate it! 😃💕
I had no idea the tokens were from a charm bracelet but that explains why they have no obvious link to each other. I have to painstakingly explain all my odd charm choices, usually at auctioneer’s speed while my audience falls asleep. My sons loved the game but I found it boring, preferring to play Clue. And only you, Charlie, would play Monopoly and be inspired to get your real estate license.
I don’t know what token I got stuck as a kid, with but were I asked to design new ones, I’d create a lighthouse, a ferris wheel, a carousel, a fire truck, a guitar, a tree house, a windmill, and a rocket ship – now you know my dream life.
ooooooh! It would be so cool to design your own Monopoly tokens! That’s awesome! A guitar was actually in the running, but got voted out by the cat. And I agree! Clue was awesome! I think I actually played that one a bit more! But the tokens were always revealed at the end. 😉
You’re absolutely right – Clue also has tokens! A rope, a wrench, a candlestick, a knife, a lead pipe – I forget what else.