POETRY FRIDAY IS HERE - A Token for Your Thoughts

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I recently acquired an old Monopoly game.  I sorted through the pieces and everything seemed to be there (except the rules of play).  The box specified that the game includes eight tokens, but oddly, this box contained ten. 

I am unsure which pieces did not belong:

• Top hat * +
• Dog (Scottish Terrier) +
• Race Car +
• Cannon *
• Boot *
• Person on horseback
• Iron *
• Wheelbarrow
• Battleship * +
• Thimble * +

* The six original Monopoly pieces in 1935.
+ The current Monopoly tokens list for current-edition games (plus: Cat, Penguin, Rubber Ducky)

After a poking around the internet (see here), I learned that many Monopoly pieces have come and gone over the years.  Some interesting tidbits:

• Over the years, the composition of the pieces changed. Pieces were made of Zamac (zinc alloy), a lead and tin mixture, paper and sawdust composite, and wood.
• During WWII, wooden pieces were introduced so that the metal could be used for the war effort.
• After the 1970’s the pieces shrank in size.
• In 1998, a vote was held to choose a new piece from among: Sack of Money, Piggy Bank, or Bi-plane. The Sack of Money won.
• In 2013, the Iron was retired, and the Cat replaced it after a vote among: Cat, Diamond Ring, Toy Robot, Helicopter, and Guitar.
• In 2017, the Penguin, T-Rex, and Rubber Ducky replaced the Thimble, Wheelbarrow, and Boot.
• In 2022, several pieces came out of retirement, and several relatively new pieces were retired.

Here is a comprehensive list of token comings and goings from this article:

Although I am not a particular fan of the game of Monopoly (I need more patience), I do find the tokens intriguing!

What do the changes in pieces say about what was happening in our society at the time?

I can see why the Iron and Thimble were retired because of the “domestic” feel associated with them, but what of the Thimble’s comeback in 2022?  Perhaps COVID-19 inspired us to become craftier?

For the pieces that have endured – is there something about those pieces that speaks to us on a fundamental level?  The long-timers like the Top Hat, Thimble, Dog, and Race Car are truly part of the "American persona."  Conversely, we decided it was time to set aside the Iron, Cannon, and Howitzer.  I can get behind those decisions.  The Boot, Wheelbarrow, Purse, and Money Bag all had long runs, but the T-Rex was gone in a flash.

So … do you think that selecting a certain piece says something of our personality?  Here are my (unofficial) personality profiles for the current pieces:

• Top Hat – formal, proper, organized, concerned with appearance
• Race Car – competitive, sporty, James Bond type
• Battleship – serious, super competitive, ready to take on anything or anyone
• Thimble – domestic, crafty (with whiff of shyness perhaps?)
• Dog (Scottish Terrier) – loyal, fun loving, up for anything, spunky, a little naughty
• Cat – independent, but willing to cuddle
• Penguin – concerned with the environment, doesn’t mind the cold
• Rubber Ducky – wacky, fun-loving, perhaps a bit immature, a child at heart

If I had to choose: Dog, Rubber Ducky, or Penguin would be my top three.  (You always need a backup in case you don’t get your first choice.) What about you?  Do you have a favorite?  Do you think there is any correlation between the piece a person chooses and their personality?

And now, a small tribute to the Thimble:

Thimble

Dimpled elf hat,
protector of fingers,
epitome of domesticity!

By day,
you shield against needles
deflecting stabs
in the war of stitches.

At night,
you retire to your
sewing-box sanctuary,
nestled among
scraps of fabric.

© Tracey Kiff-Judson, draft 2024

Thank you for joining me in my Monopoly-token ponderings.  Please share your link below!