“If only Monopoly money were real money.”

If only ... If only I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard those seven words spoken in some way, shape or form, I’d have more money than ... err ... Rich “Uncle” Pennybags, himself. Which is really quite humorous, considering your typical, “old-school” Monopoly game only came with a grand total of $15,140 in paper cash.

I know, I’ve counted it.

Of course, Monopoly in this day and age has changed somewhat, with ATM machines, dollar values in the millions and a new, modern look that’s, well, just wrong in my opinion. Some things should never change and – like it or not – Parker Brothers’ iconic board game is one of them.

Me? I’ve been a huge fan of Monopoly for as long as I can remember. And I have fond memories of marathon sit-downs with both family and friends, from our annual Thanksgiving contests as a young child to my high school days, staying up through the wee hours of the morning staking my claim as the Monopoly grand champion (until the next game, of course).

What can I say? There’s just something special about dominating Monopoly’s fictional economic market that tickles the fancy of the greedy capitalist that resides deep inside of me. And I’ve always found it a little disconcerting how perfectly the game mirrors real life, at least in an abstract way.