Collectors take a turn at modern board games
Five thousand years ago, in the land of Sumer between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, members of the royal household entertained themselves playing what is now known as the Royal Game of Ur. King Tut was entombed with a game of senet.

Beautiful multicolored game pieces were highly prized by the ancients. Even today, games are valued for their visual appeal as much as for the game itself.

"Game collecting is a hobby which has seen enormous growth in the last ten years," said Alex G. Mallory, author of the book American Games: Comprehensive Collector's Guide. "It has become a new and widely accepted pastime."

Modern age games, those produced between 1946 and 1999, often employ licensed characters from comic strips, movies, television, and radio.

Milton Bradley began the television-theme game craze in 1950 with the Hopalong Cassidy board game. In near-mint condition, it can now rope in as much as $110 on the collectors market. Hopalong Cassidy Chinese Checkers, produced in 1951, is valued at $75 in Malloy's book.










Later television-based games bearing the famous MB logo are also collectible.
The I Dream of Jeannie Game from 1965 is valued at $75, and the 1971 Scooby Doo Game reaches $35.

Robert Whitman, founder of Bettye-B Co., was one of the first game manufacturers to spin off a TV game show with Masquerade Party, valued at $75 today.

"By 1955, some 12 game companies were producing TV games, the peak number of companies at any time since," said Malloy.

Lowell Toy was one of the most prolific producers with Beat the Clock ($35), Groucho's You Bet Your Life ($85), and What's My Line ($65) among its titles. Milton Bradley also produced a Beat the Clock game in 1969 that has a collector value of $25.

Comic-book superheroes have been the subject of many board games. Milton Bradley produced The Adventures of Superman ($200) in 1938. Spiderman, Aquaman, Batman, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Shazam, Wonder Woman, Superboy, X-men and Green Hornet all have board games to their name.

                                       But it isn't only superheroes who can travel from comic book pages to the game                                         board. Dick Tracey, Peanuts, Blondie, and Garfield are just a few of the many                                            strips that have made the transition.

                                        MB's Orphan Annie to the Rescue (circa 1930s) is valued at $200. The 1946 Li'l                                         Abner His Game can fetch up to $125.

                                        Transogram produced several games featuring Popeye in the 1960s. These                                                 range in value from the Popeye Sling Dart Game at $30 to Popeye Ball Toss at                                            $65.
                                        
                                         There are several rules of thumb novice collectors should know before                                                      encountering the hobby's chutes and ladders.

"The outside of the box is the collectors first and prime concern in terms of grading," said Malloy. "The points on the corner of the box should be the primary focal point as it is here that the game shows the first signs of wear."

Collectors of early American (pre-1900) games will be happy to have just the board. but later games without the box are for playing only.

"A great box without a board is of very limited value," Malloy said. "Even early boards, pre-1940, in and of themselves have a value.