Holiday Board Game Buying

It's that time of the year again when everyone is scrambling to find that long lost game they had as a child or find a gift for a friend. I personally feel that receiving an original board game or toy from when I was a child is a very thoughtful gift. The worst thing that could happen is that one, you pay too much for it or two the game is not complete. Some of the most popular games today are ones that came out in the late 70’s & 80’s. The ones that seem to be the most popular based on sales on Ebay, and my site are strategy games and TV shows. One game in particular that seems to be very popular is the 1970’s Parker Brothers game Masterpiece. The game was release in several versions over time with new art added in each edition. The 1970’s version seems to be the most popular. This is a very fun game to play with the family where the object of the game is to purchase the highest amount of art without being stuck with a forgery. My kids love this game and it also teaches them about the art and the artists.

Probably the most popular game recently is the Milton Bradley game HeroQuest. The price of this game has recently shot up on the market. The game is very difficult to find complete since is contains over 50 pieces. 4 heroes face a legion of monsters in a dungeon and castle board game. The hardest things to find on the market are the expansion sets that came out later. Those are Kellar’s Keep, Frozen Horror and several others. These are small kits but command a high price to purchase.

Well have a happy holiday season, let’s hope you get the game you are looking for and bring the fun back to the table.

Obscure 3D 80's Board Games

Today we look at a growing trend in 80's-90's board games. There were a series of games putout that had a common design and have become very collectible. The 1st is "It from the Pit" made by Milton Bradley. The object of the game is to land on the treasure chest, but don't get grabbed by It From The Pit, a mechanical arm that comes up and drags you to the pit. The one drawback of the game is that it is noisy. This and other games that I mention below are 3D plastic environments, making them difficult to find in good condition. The game is fast paced and you have to move quick to get around the outside of the playing field. My family and I really enjoy playing this game.

The second game I would like to mention that is designed with a 3D plastic playing board is "Tornado Rex". This game manufactured by Parker Brothers and a great game to play. The object of the game is to move up the mountain and hope that the Tornado Rex, a spinning top, is not released down the mountain. Again a difficult game to find, in a mint box, and without a cracked mountain. If you happen to find one, keep it and play it with your family.

The other 2 games in this series of 3D games is "Fireball Island" and "Crash Canyon". Both of these games are very collectible and difficult to find complete. Well keep your eye out for these games and bring the fun back to the dinner table.

Fiddlesticks I want to play with my toys

This is a very interesting toy that I recently found at a yard sale. It's called "Fiddlesticks" by Knickerbocker Toys. Not much is known about this particular toy that I could find. What really makes this toy interesting is the cross promotion of DC and Marvel in one product. This is a building toy where you have instructions to build what looks like the Bat Plane. The set comes with many different types of pieces, sort of in the style of Knex. What I really like is the 4 action figures that you get with the set. You get the Hulk, Spiderman, Superman and Batman. Now what child wouldn't like a toy where you get the best characters from both worlds without buying two different toys from 2 different toy companies.

Thanks and keep looking for those hard to find toys! www.vintageboardgames.net

MB Mystery Mansion Game

The first game I will post about is MB Mystery Mansion Game. My family really enjoys this electronic game. Produced in the 80's this game speaks to you providing you clues on where to look for millions of dollars hidden in furniture throughout the house. Just like Clue, this game provides you hints about where to look and where not to look.

This game is becoming highly collectible since many of the kids who played the game are now adults. Many times the main piece of the game, the Electronic Organizer is broken or one of the 35 pieces of furniture are missing. If you ever have the opportunity to pick this game up at a yard sale or auction I would highly recommend it!