Monopoly – Still Holding the “Monopoly” On Fun!

Let me introduce you to the inspiring tale of how the Monopoly board game was born. It was the American Depression, and no one had a dime! The only escape from the turmoil was the memories of yesteryear – Speakeasies, Great Gatsby-esque parties, and vacations. Oh how people yearned for an escape! But there was little of that to be had. With people needing to take multiple jobs to just feed their families, a vacation was a full night’s sleep!

But a young dreamer named Charles Darrow knew. He knew there was something else, something simple he could do to make life a little sweeter. What filled Mr. Darrow with hope were his memories of Atlantic City, the beautiful New Jersey seaside resort. But with the harsh times that had fallen, he knew that going to Atlantic City was like traveling to Venus: impossible. But how could he bring Atlantic City to him? That was the question!

Charles mapped out the streets of Atlantic City onto a board, and soon his friends and family began buying, selling, renting and developing their very own real estate! Can you imagine? Not a dime in their pocket, and here they were, real estate developers! Donald Trump would be proud. With little cash of their own, playing with the “Monopoly” money was like finding a rainbow in a storm. Monopoly, indeed, made their lives rich in fun!

Soon friends wanted to take the Monopoly game home. So Darrow opened up shop and began creating homemade copies of the family board game, filled with game board, property cards and buildings. It might have been the Depression, but Monopoly let people feel like financial kings! But demand grew a rate unimaginable to Darrow. Unable to keep up, Darrow brought the idea to Parker Brothers. If you can believe it, Parker Brothers flat out rejected Monopoly, deeming it too complicated! Then fate took hand. The wife of the president of Parker Brothers discovered the game. She told her betrothed that he must not pass up on such an opportunity! Hearing the wise words of his wife, he listened. Parker Brothers bought the Monopoly board game from Darrow and the game you know and love today was finally available to anyone who wanted it. Darrow’s Monopoly money turned into real money! At the ripe age of 40, he retired and traveled the world.

With its modest beginnings, it’s hard to believe just how far Monopoly has come. The original Monopoly game no longer holds a “monopoly” on the market. Instead, there are a variety of Monopoly games – from Nintendo Monopoly to Nascar Monopoly to even Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly! Imagine all the video game bad guys, pirate haunts and racetracks you can own! For the classicists, the first edition Monopoly board game still remains in all its glory.

For anyone who loves the magic of the screen, it can come to life with a movie or TV show themed Monopoly board game. Latest to hit the shelves is the Family Guy Monopoly. The new Family Guy Monopoly board game allows you to buy and trade prime Quahog real estate. Disney fans can watch the magic come alive when playing with Disney Pixar Monopoly. Join Nemo, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Incredible and more of your favorite Disney Pixar characters when they take over the Monopoly board game. Pirates of The Caribbean Monopoly is sailing the high seas, allowing players to buy and sell key haunts from Curse of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest. When Monopoly meets the movies, it’s even fun going to jail (or Port Royal Prison, in the Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly’s case).

Personalized Monopoly Board Games is the latest craze. Feel like Darrow himself when you create your own specialized Monopoly board game. Fill in your family photos in Photo-opoly or, for sports enthusiasts, collect your favorite teams with My NBA Monopoly, My NFL Monopoly or My MLB Monopoly. The fun is only limited to the infinite possibilities of your imagination!

I bet you didn’t know these fun facts about Monopoly!

• Over 250 million Monopoly board games have been sold worldwide.


• The longest Monopoly Game was played for 1680 hours - or 70 straight days!


• Monopoly is sold in 81 countries and produced in 27 languages. The latest version being in Thai!


• In Cuba, Monopoly had a strong following until Fidel Castro took power and ordered all known sets destroyed.


• The world record for the longest game upside-down is 36 hours.


• A set created by Alfred Dunhill, with gold houses and silver hotels, sold for over $25,000.


• In 1978, the famous Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog offered a chocolate version of the game priced at $600.


• The total amount of money in a standard Monopoly board game is $15,140.

Wally the Wizard recommends:

Fantasy Toyland’s Monopoly Board Game Best Sellers:

• Nintendo Monopoly– Even Mom and Dad will tout the benefits of video games when they get into the Nintendo Monopoly Board Game. Be apart of Mario and Luigi’s whole gang when you play Nintendo Monopoly!


• Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly– Aye, aye, it’s a Pirate’s life for you when you play Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly! Get ready for swashbuckling adventure on the high seas with the Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly board game.


• Photo-opoly: Personalized Monopoly Game– Ever imagine your face on a Monopoly game? Well here’s your chance! The Photo-opoly Personalized Monopoly Game allows you to fit in all your family photos in the unique personalized board game.


• New York Yankees Monopoly– Okay, I admit it, I am huge Yankees fan! So when my favorite team is out of town, I bring them to me with the New York Yankees Monopoly game.


• Anti Monopoly Board Game – Now this is Donald Trump’s kind of game! Free market competitors clash with ruthless monopolists in this 21st real estate board game. It’s enough to get my wand spinning!


• Make Your Own-Opoly– It’s an art and crafts meets Monopoly! Make Charles Darrow proud when you create very own personalized Monopoly game. The only thing more fun than creating your own Monopoly board game, is playing it!


• Triopoly – What’s cooler than Monopoly? Monopoly in 3D! Build real estate empires across the US on 3 different levels. When the stock market is put into the mix, it’s anyone’s game.


• Mega Monopoly– All the excitement of regular Monopoly, and more! The Mega edition of Monopoly includes more property, more real estate and more fun! Even my magic wand conjure couldn’t conjure up this much fun.


• Boston Red Sox Monopoly – Calling all Red Sox fans! Buy, sell and trade your favorite baseball players with Boston Red Sox Monopoly. It doesn’t matter if it’s off-season when you have Boston Red Sox Monopoly!


• Monopoly Coffee Tables – Looking for the perfect gift for a Monopoly fan? Monopoly tables come with everything that’s needed for a fun game of Monopoly! So gather up your family and enjoy game night with these Monopoly Coffee Tables.

Let me introduce myself...

Hello from Toyland! I am Wally the Wizard, the toy wizard. It is said I can make any child’s wish come true with just the flip of my wand. And I must say, it’s never been proven otherwise! My expertise, as you can see, is toys! I may be 500 years old, but I am a child at heart. Give me a ride on car, moon shoes, or a backyard zip line and I am in heaven! And the kids agree – Wally the Wizard always knows what the new fun toy is.

How did I get this magical power you ask? As a young child, my mother gave me a wand.

She said, “be careful with this toy, Wally, as it holds the power for good, but the lure of evil.”

That night, after my mother tucked me into bed, I took the wand from underneath my pillow. I waved it around – and suddenly I couldn’t stop smiling, and then my smiling turned into rolls of laughter! It was unstoppable. There it was, I discovered what my mother was speaking of! Toys, games, everything, appeared before my eyes. The next morning, my mother walked in and saw me playing with all my new toys.

“This is exactly what I feared,” she shouted, “you playing with these toys and not sharing them with anyone else!”

I had become greedy and selfish, holding all the fun for myself. From that day on, I promised to share my fun with the world.

That is what I hope to give to you, my dear friends, all my wonderful toy and games finds! Discover the magic of fun – and don’t forget to share!

May all your wishes come true,

Wally the Wizard
The Wizard of Fun!