This auction is for The Game of Progress and Poverty, made by The Folkopoly Press.  This game is based on early "folk art monopoly" games such as the 1906 version of The Landlord's Game*, the original version of what we know today as Monopoly.  It is also inspired partly by B'rer Fox and B'rer Rabbit, the 1913 UK version of The Landlord's Game.

It is the closest thing to one of these originals as we are able to make it.  As far as I am aware, it is one of the only Landlord's-inspired replica available today.  There was such a game made in Germany perhaps 25 years ago, but it was in German and didn't look too authentic to my eyes.

Now, with Progress and Poverty, you can experience playing these games much like they were done in the early 1900s.  It will appeal to early game collectors as well as modern-day "Georgists."

The Landlord's Game was invented and patented by Lizzie J. Magie (also known as Elizabeth Magie Phillips), a follower of economist Henry George (1839-1897), who popularized the "Single Tax."  Her intention was to use her game to keep Henry George's ideas alive after his death.  His most famous work was the book Progress and Poverty, which therefore makes this a perfect name for this game.

As actual early Monopoly items become older and older, more scarce and valuable, they take on the status of "holy relics" that you probably should treat with kid gloves.  Naturally, some of the experience of using them to actually play Monopoly is thereby lost.

Also lost, over the years, is what I call the "shock of the new."  Long gone is the experience of opening up one of these classic game sets and using it for the first time.

That's part of what I hope to bring back with these reproduction sets.  I want anyone who gets one of these to have the same sort of elation that buyers had in 1906, when this was all a brand new thing.

I have received many questions about whether this game has a "second set of rules."  It does- they are in the section titled "For Advanced and Scientific Players."  The rules included here are the same exact ones Elizabeth Magie included in her 1906 version of The Landlord's Game.

This set comes with:

1 Game Board (18" x 18" - same size as the original)

1 Utensils box

1 Rules sheet

Quotations from Henry George (8 pages)

2 Small dice w/Dice Cup

4 Colored Tokens (the game is for 1-4 players, as in the original)

29 Property cards (the usual 28 as in later Monopoly games, plus "Speculation")

16 Chance and 27 Luxury Cards ("Luxury" eventually morphed into Community Chest in these games)

100 paper houses (25 of each in four different colors)

16 "Education" cards

2 "Free College" cards

1 "Professor" card

1 Certificate of Authenticity

Scrip money as follows:

54x $1

54x $5

81x $10

54x $50

81x $100

A total of $11,934.

Now you can experience the "shock of the new" again, just as early Monopoly players did in 1906.  We are not going to be making very many of these sets, since they are made completely by hand, and a lot of work is involved.

From a 1906 advertisement:

The Landlord's Game*, invented by Lizzie J. Magie of Washington, D. C. will be manufactured and ready for the market about June 1st.

DESCRIPTION

The Landlord's Game* is played on a board about 18 inches square, divided into 44 spaces representing all the various institutions of modern commercial life.  The names of some of these spaces are "Soakum Lighting System," "Slambang Trolley," "Gee Whiz Railroad," "Lord Blueblood's Estate," "Wayback," "Boomtown," "Easy Street," "Broadway," "Timberlands," "Oil Fields," "Jail," "Poor House," etc.

The play on the board is started by the throw of dice which indicates the moves of the players and from that time on the transactions between individuals, corporations and the government are entered into with vim and interest.  At the start the players are equally equipped but as the moves continue the majority of the players are apt to be forced into poverty, some even arriving at the Poor House, while one player generally becomes the millionaire.

THE SINGLE TAX

This condition prevails until the adoption of the single tax on land values, when the land rents, instead of being appropriated by individual players, are turned into the public treasury and used for public improvements.  The game as then continued equalizes opportunities and raises wages, while it is impossible for one player to get any great advantage over the others.

The game brings out with great cleverness the exact position in the commercial world of money, transportation and land monopoly.  Unlike most game preserves all the principal features of the popular chance and skill games, at the same time demonstrating the problems with clearness and simplicity.  It is easily learned and is played with great enthusiasm by children as well as adults.

The game will be furnished in a neat box with lithographed board in colors, will include a pack of cards representing title deeds, railroad charters, etc., besides checkers, dice, money and all other implements necessary to the playing of the game.

Address MISS LIZZIE J. MAGIE, Secretary, ECONOMIC GAME COMPANY, 58 WEST 68TH ST., NEW YORK, N. Y.

*Please note that The Landlord's Game is a registered trademark owned by Thomas Forsyth.  Folkopoly Press is not affiliated with Thomas Forsyth.

PAYMENT
You can pay using any eBay approved payment method, including PayPal.  Your prompt payment is greatly appreciated.

SERVICE
Items will be mailed promptly, and packed securely so as to avoid being damaged.

SHIPPING METHOD:
The set will be shipped domestically by USPS Ground Advantage for $10.00.  Priority Mail costs $15.00.  Shipping outside the US will be via eBay Global Shipping.  They determine the rates, which should be very competitive.

REFUNDS:
I provide a refund (purchase price only) after your return of any item that I shipped with a physical defect or is not the item listed - BUT you must contact me first for a return authorization.

REFUND EXCLUSION:
Damage or loss by the US Postal Service is not eligible for refunds since I can't control what they do with a package after I deliver it to them.

FEEDBACK:
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