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The Most Valuable Board Games That Could Be Gathering Dust In A Closet
Swift Meats Major League Baseball (1957)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $2,644
Why It's Worth So Much: Swift Meats Major Leage Baseball is one of the hardest games to find completely intact, and that has a lot to do with how it was made. Unlike a traditional board game, this one features 18 collectible perforated cards, which contain baseball players that can be punched out and pieced together. Players received the paper game board via the mail, which meant the only way to get this game was to collect all 18 player cards and send away for the "board" from the company.
All of these factors make this game considerably rare in complete condition. People regularly trade graded cards online for hundreds of dollars each, but the real money is in a full set. Those sell for thousands of dollars at auction, but even if you just have a card or two somewhere in your closet, you could still be sitting on several hundred dollars.
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The Elvis Presley Game (1957)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $2,150
Why It's Worth So Much: Finding a copy of The Elvis Presley Game isn't easy, but finding one with everything complete and in good condition is almost impossible. When a set does come onto the market, it trades from as low as $650 for a banged up version to $2,150 for a well-preserved copy.
This is one of those games that is hard to find due to the limited number of copies that were originally made. Finding one in any condition is tough enough, and they rarely pop up on eBay. In early 2019, a damaged game with missing pieces was listed at $650.
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Win-A-Card (1969)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $1,795
Why It's Worth So Much: Win-A-Card was released by Milton Bradley in 1969, and while the game is fairly simplistic, its value stems from the "generous supply" of Topps baseball cards released in 1968. Some football and non-sports cards were also thrown into the mix. The game came with the cards packed in clear cellophane, and given that these were cards from '68, but slightly different from the standard-issue Topps cards from that year, they are highly collectible.
This game is worth a ton of money to an entirely different collector market than board games. The people who want to buy copies of this game aren't looking to play it, they're hoping to score some valuable baseball cards. Some of the names on those cards could be Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, and Nolan Ryan.
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The Shadow Game (1940)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $1,500
Why It's Worth So Much: Back in the '40s, The Shadow was one of the most popular radio shows around, which is why it should come as no surprise that The Shadow Game was made soon after the character's broadcast career began. This game is pretty old, and it is very rare and difficult to find.
If you happen to have one in crummy condition, you are still sitting on a ton of cash. Just listing it online could result in a ton of interest. A complete copy in decent condition sold for $1,500 recently, but those listings are few and far between.
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Be A Manager (1967)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $1,500
Why It's Worth So Much: While most sports games are all about playing as an athlete, Be A Manager is all about winning from behind the scenes. This unique angle made the game different and interesting when it came out, but it also kept it from becoming a great seller. For those who did enjoy it, it's all the more collectible and hard to find.
These games are incredibly rare, and with so many cards and pieces, they're often missing items. On average, a complete set in decent condition sells for around $1,500. The trick is finding one, which is far easier said than done. If you have a copy, even if it's not intact, you're probably sitting on a few hundred bucks at the very least.
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007 Underwater Battle (1966)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $1,300
Why It's Worth So Much: 007 Underwater Battle is based off of the underwater battle sequence in the movie Thunderball, and its specificity increases its appeal. Like many games made to help sell films, it didn't sell particularly well, which means it's pretty hard to find these days. Another issue with the game has to do with the pieces being easily lost or broken - and there are a lot of pieces.
The game comes with a bunch of small scuba men and their equipment, which kids probably enjoyed playing with on their own. This inevitably led to pieces going missing. Copies of this game with all of the parts are difficult to find, and when one does come up in good condition, it's snatched away quickly.
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Monopoly (1935)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $895
Why It's Worth So Much: There are millions of copies of Monopoly floating around these days, and only a few copies could be considered rare or valuable. The 1935 model known as the Trade Mark Edition White Box #9 is one of the rarest. Even in average condition, the game can fetch as much as $895.
This version of the game was released on August 31, 1935, after Parker Brothers had acquired the trademark. It's the first copy of the game sold by Parker Brothers, which doesn't hurt its value in any way. Just about every family has a copy of Monopoly somewhere, but if your copy is the one from 1935, it may be time to part with it.
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Keywood (1995)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $800
Why It's Worth So Much: Keywood was the first game in what would become the KeyFlower series, and when it was released in 1995, all 300 copies sold out almost instantly. The first edition printing of the game was limited to those 300 copies, which means finding one is incredibly difficult. Finding one intact and in good condition is, of course, even harder given the limited number of copies on the market.
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Warhammer Quest (1995)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $700
Why It's Worth So Much: To be fair, Warhammer Quest wasn't exactly cheap when it first came out, but even so, its value has skyrocketed since the game first hit store shelves back in 1995. If you've ever played the game, you know it comes with a ton of pieces, which means it isn't easy to find a box that has everything in it.
If you happen to have yours with everything still in the box, and it's in good condition, you can expect to sell it online for around $700.
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Dark Tower (1981)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $580
Why It's Worth So Much: Dark Tower was one of the most innovative games released in the early 1980s, which is also one of the reasons it's so rare and valuable. The game features the eponymous Dark Tower, which has a small computer capable of tracking all of the game functions and features as gameplay progresses. While this is primitive when compared to modern fare, it was revolutionary in 1981, and the game became a collector's item soon after it was released.
Since Dark Tower features electronic components, finding one that still functions isn't easy. Additionally, there are a ton of pieces, many of which are tiny and easy to lose, which means a fully intact copy can fetch a high price at auction. An opened copy with working parts and all the pieces will fetch around $600, while a sealed box might get up to $1,000.
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Fireball Island (1986)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $500
Why It's Worth So Much: You may have heard about a successful Kickstarter campaign that funded the re-release of the popular 1986 game, and while copies of those reproductions aren't cheap, an original copy is hard to find and incredibly expensive. One of the reasons the Kickstarter worked so well was due to the fact that original copies of the game are so difficult to track down.
The new version is a great game, but it's always fun to get your hands on the original, which is why these continue to sell for a lot of money in online auctions despite the availability of a new release.
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War In Europe Second Edition (1999)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $435
Why It's Worth So Much: The original version of War In Europe from 1976 is only about half as valuable as the revised release in 1999. This is one of the most complex games ever made, and it stands as the largest single strategy game ever published. It comes with nine 22" x 34" map sections, meaning you will have to link several large tables together in order to set the game up properly.
The game is so complicated and engrossing, it could likely be compared to the complexity of the actual planning and strategy that went into WWII. Despite this, it's considered to be a fun and engaging game, but it's also rare and difficult to find fully intact. Because of this, you can expect to sell your copy (if you're willing to part with it) for around $435.
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Lost In Space 3D Action Fun Game (1966)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $340
Why It's Worth So Much: Lost in Space was a popular television series back in the early 1960s, and like any popular TV series, it spawned a board game. Typically, board games based off shows like Lost in Space don't do particularly well, but the Lost in Space 3D Action Game was an exception.
These games are relatively rare, and since they require several pieces to construct a complete game board, it can be difficult to find a complete set. If yours has all of the parts and is in good condition, you can probably sell it for around $340 in an online auction.
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Boris Karloff's Monster Game (1965)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $300
Why It's Worth So Much: Boris Karloff's Monster Game is a fairly simple spin-and-move game that was marketed to young kids. It's not particularly innovative, but it is fun to play and features some interesting artwork. The reason these are worth up to $300 is simply due to their rarity. They are difficult to find in good condition, so a nicely preserved copy will sell easily for a few hundred dollars.
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The Haunted Mansion Game (1972)
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How Much It's Worth: Up to $275
Why It's Worth So Much: If you've ever been to one of the Disney parks, you probably stood in line for the popular Haunted Mansion ride. It's fun, it's innovative, and it's one of the Magic Kingdom's biggest draws for families. Disney isn't the type of company that's going to let an opportunity to capitalize on a popular ride pass them by (just look at the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise), which is why the company released a board game version of the Haunted Mansion in 1972.
One of the main reasons this game fetches a high price is due to the makeup of the gameboard. As players move across the board, they navigate a Doom Buggy around a track, which changes direction via several embedded disks. As they move, the playboard moves. The disks were often lost or broken, which makes any copy of the game with everything intact fairly rare.
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