With all the technology around today, board games aren't quite as popular as they once were. Sure, they may be broken out once in a while on holidays to entertain guests, and some people likely still hold traditional game nights here and there. Many of the classics like Scrabble, Yahtzee, Clue, Monopoly and more can be found in mobile phone apps or game consoles today, so the actual boards and pieces aren't as useful.
Still, it wouldn't be wise to throw out your board game collection entirely. Some are worth a big chunk of change now, especially older games that didn't earn themselves a modern update. Here are 10 vintage board games that you can no longer find in stores. Are any of these in your home? If they are, they could be worth a pretty penny!
10 Fox And Geese (1830)
This game dates way back to the 1800s, and it's worth a whopping $17,000 today. As one can imagine, the original Fox and Geese is a pretty rare find these days, but there are plenty of hand-made duplicates on Etsy and even some tutorials on how to make your own.
Fox and Geese, according to Work and Money, uses a cross-shaped board with pegs, marbles, or any sort of small marker. The object of the game is for one "fox" to get rid of surrounding "geese" by getting them off the board. Meanwhile, the geese can attempt to trap the fox.
9 The Landlord's Game (1904)
Before there was Monopoly, there was The Landlord's Game. This was the original version of the iconic game of money, created by Elizabeth Magie in 1904. The premise of The Landlord's Game is pretty much the same as Monopoly, but the name of the game wasn't changed for several more decades.
The Landlord's Game is another rare but extremely valuable find. A first edition of the game is available for purchase from GeekMarket right now at a high price of $1,500. In addition, eBay sellers are offering it for $100 or less.
8 Monopoly Atlantic City (1933)
Speaking of Monopoly, this Atlantic City version was one of the very first editions, created by Charles Darrow. It was based on The Landlord's Game, but Darrow modeled the board to match streets and houses in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Work and Money reports that there were only 5,000 copies of this particular edition created before the Parker Brothers bought it from Darrow and turned it into the Monopoly we know today. It was the only version of Monopoly to feature a round board instead of a square one. Now, the game is worth $146,000.
7 Careers (1955)
This 1955 classic by the Parker Brothers is essentially a cross between Monopoly and The Game of Life, according to Atlas Obscura. The set includes dice, pawns, fake money, "experience" and "opportunity" cards, and more. Each player chooses an end goal for themselves, whether it be Fame, Money, Happiness, or a bit of all three. Players earn points for these areas from different moves and card draws. By the end, the total points from each goal should amount to 60.
Anyone who grew up with this game and wants to experience a bit of nostalgia is in luck. It can no longer be purchased in stores, but eBay sellers have Careers listed for under $10.
6 Mystic Skull: The Game Of Voodoo (1964)
This eerie board game puts players in the shoes of witch doctors. Players get their own voodoo dolls and pins. The object is to get the most amount of pins in someone else's doll and avoid having your own fill up.
Moves are determined by a swinging skull attached to a cauldron at the center of a round board, which tells players where to place their pins or where to remove a pin from their own doll. Mystic Skull: A Game of Voodoo is pretty rare, but available for $60 or under on eBay.
5 The Dating Game (1967)
The Dating Game is based on a television game show of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1965 to 2000.
The board game is unique in that it needs two female players and two male players, whose pawns travel around the square board as directed by dice. The winner must collect $100, check seven items off a list, match five questions with another player, and meet another player on the "Meet Date Here" space. A first edition of The Dating Game is available on eBay for $60.
4 Dragster (1980)
"The great Dragster race game of speed and skill," boasted the box on this '70s board game. Two players each get four cars in their own lanes, and the cars must all make it to the finish line when they are flicked with a marble.
According to Retro Gamer, Dragster takes a ton of luck to get just right, as the marble needs to be flicked with just the right amount of speed and precision. It's incredibly fast-paced, as players attempt to race their cars simultaneously and see who makes it to the finish line first.
3 Dizzy Dizzy Dinosaur (1987)
Dizzy Dizzy Dinosaur is pretty much just how the name sounds — it involves a wind-up dinosaur. This popular game involves 2-4 players, who each have five cavemen in the same color. Players roll a dice to determine the number of moves on a board, but if they land on a dinosaur space, they have to wind up the green dinosaur. It spins its way across the board can knock into any caveman, putting them back at the starting point.
The full game is available on eBay for $25. If you do have the board and are just missing a few pieces, there are also replacement dinosaurs and cavemen available as well.
2 The Original Mall Madness (1988)
"It's Mall Madness!"
Most people will likely remember the revolutionary shopping game that included a voice box which gave instructions to players and a massive miniature-mall game board. However, this wasn't the first version of the game. Milton Bradley released a smaller edition with an audio cassette and a tiny, foldable game board, according to Mental Floss.
There was also an updated Hannah Montana version released in the 2008. The object of the game remained the same throughout the years, though — spend as much money as you can!
1 Don't Wake Daddy (1992)
Don't Wake Daddy will likely provide a great sense of nostalgia for '90s babies. The game includes a board with colored landing spots, a spinner, an alarm clock, and a man in a bed. Players, the children, have to make it to the kitchen to grab a late night snack without waking up their father. If someone lands on a space with a picture, they have to press the alarm clock a specified number of times, and hope Daddy doesn't spring out of bed.
A newer version was released in the mid-2000's and can be found at Wal-Mart, but of course, there's nothing like the original. The Don't Wake Daddy of your childhood is available on eBay for $35.