GAMES : Capitalism Is International Pastime, and Parker Bros. Has the Monopoly

If any more proof is needed that capitalism is the hottest new sport in the former Communist bloc, chew on this: At the most recent world championships of a popular American game, held in October at Berlin’s Grand Hotel Esplanade, players from the former lands of Lenin showed up, for the first time, as enthusiastic participants.

The game was Monopoly. And that whirling sound you hear is Karl Marx pinwheeling in his grave.

Everyone, it seems, loves to play at being rich, which is what Monopoly is about. Introduced in the United States by Parker Bros. in 1935 as a kind of panacea for the economic horrors of the Great Depression, Monopoly became such a hit with people who were eating cold beans but longed to own a railroad that it began to find its way to other shores. Soon little metal top hats and thimbles were being bounced around the board in the great cities of Europe, and the stylized little millionaire in the top hat and swallowtail coat was becoming as familiar as Uncle Sam.

Even during the war years and the subsequent days of Communist repression, regular folks worldwide were putting up hotels on Boardwalk.

“It’s really interesting to talk to people from Hungary and Poland and Czechoslovakia who used to smuggle copies of Monopoly into their countries from London, say, and play it for entertainment after curfew,” said Carol Steinkrauss, a spokeswoman for Parker Bros.

Even in Cuba, according to Parker Bros. lore, Monopoly “had a strong following until Fidel Castro took over and ordered all known sets destroyed.” At the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, all six sets of Monopoly that were on display mysteriously disappeared.

The game, Steinkrauss said, even aided the Allied war effort. Monopoly games were smuggled into POW camps inside Germany during World War II. The games provided welcome diversion, but they also made ideal hiding places for escape maps, compasses and files, which were inserted into the game boards, as well as real money, which was slipped into the packs of Monopoly money.

Because of the universal popularity of Monopoly, in 1936 Parker Bros. began to authorize international editions of the game through foreign licensees. It then became possible to buy a game set that featured not the familiar properties and streets of Atlantic City, printed in English, but comparable locations in great world capitals, with all relevant information printed in the local language and the money in the local currency.

Today, Monopoly is produced in 31 countries and in 23 languages. Most international game boards feature the streets and major locations of a single large city, while others use an amalgam of properties from several cities in that country. Editions produced in small countries sometimes use the Atlantic City properties and the local language and currency.

The French edition is typical. Players begin with 20,000 francs at “Depart” and eventually pass such Paris properties (in ascending order of value) as the Avenue de Neuilly, the Place Pigalle, the Faubourg Saint-Honore, the Avenue Foch and the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, which corresponds to Park Place. The railroads in the edition are Paris railroad stations, such as the Gare Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon.

Raw numbers attest to the international popularity of the game: More than 150 million Monopoly sets have been sold worldwide, and each year Parker Bros. produces more than twice as much Monopoly money as the U.S. mint does actual money.

In spite of its patrician nature, the standard American Monopoly set continues to be inexpensive at $9.99. Foreign geography lessons with the international editions, however, are pricier. Depending on the edition, prices range from about $30 to $75.

They may also be difficult to find. Steinkrauss said that Toys R Us and FAO Schwartz occasionally carry the international editions, and game stores may stock a selection of them. But if you come up short, you can order an international set directly from Parker Brothers at P.O. Box 1020, Beverly, Mass., 01915. A $3.50 shipping charge will be added to each order.

Dibs on the roller skate, comrade.

Where in the World? Here are some places you can find Monopoly, which is available in 31 countries and 23 languages.

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Location of Place Language Properties Currency Australia English London Australian dollar France French Paris Franc Israel Hebrew Tel Aviv Shekels Hong Kong Cantonese Hong Kong Hong Kong dollar Japan Japanese Tokyo American dollar Portugal Portuguese Portuguese cities Escudo Russia Russian Moscow Ruble South Africa Afrikaans South Africa Rand English South Africa Rand United Kingdom English London Pound Arabic London Pound Irish Dublin Irish punt English Dublin Irish punt Venezuela Spanish Atlantic City Bolivar