Meredith C. Carroll: The New Real Aspen Monopoly
Muck Off
A new version of Aspen Monopoly all but sold out as soon as it hit store shelves before the holidays last month. While the game’s marketers told The Aspen Times that 5,000 units were produced initially and a second run is anticipated, an even newer and more updated version also is already in the works. Billed as The New Real Aspen Monopoly, the buzz on the latest adaptation of the 83-year-old classic board game is that it’ll more accurately reflect life in modern-day Aspen.
Original Monopoly: Boardwalk/$400
New Aspen Monopoly: The Little Nell/$400
New Real Aspen Monopoly: The Little Nell/$400 — while that won’t buy you the actual property, it will get you a $395 ounce of Oscietra caviar at Element 47 (with the leftover $5, you can eke out a 1.16 ounce flute of their least-expensive Champagne)
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Original Monopoly: Park Place/$350
New Aspen Monopoly: Limelight Hotel/$350
New Real Aspen Monopoly: A Tank of Gas at Locals’ Corner/$350
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Original Monopoly: Go to Jail card
New Aspen Monopoly: Go to Jail card
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Go to City Market During Apres Ski on the Day Before a Holiday card
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Original Monopoly: Get Out of Jail Free card
New Aspen Monopoly: Powder Day Get Out of Jail Free card
New Real Aspen Monopoly: I’m a Friend of Braudis Get Out of Jail Free card
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Original Monopoly: 32 houses, 12 hotels
New Aspen Monopoly: 32 cabins, 12 lodges
New Real Aspen Monopoly: 16 fractionals, 11 West End second homes, seven ADUs, five TDRs, three used couches for recent college graduates, and two employee-housing units
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Original Monopoly: Thimble, car, iron, wheelbarrow, shoe, and Scottish terrier tokens
New Aspen Monopoly: Hiking boot, aspen leaf, gondola car, cowboy hat, skier, and bear tokens
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Crutches, vape pen, Lululemon pants, VIP lanyard, a Bowl pin, and a bicycle that’s more expensive than most people’s car tokens
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Original Monopoly: Baltic Avenue/$60
New Aspen Monopoly: Jazz Aspen/$60
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Two Margaritas at the Jazz Aspen Labor Day Festival/$60
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Original Monopoly: New York Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, St. James Place
New Aspen Monopoly: City Market, Clark’s Market, Carl’s Pharmacy
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Target (a town can dream)
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Original Monopoly: Income Tax — pay 10 percent or $200
New Aspen Monopoly: Ski Pass — pay $200
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Hot chocolate and a Clif Bar at the Sundeck — pay $200
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Original Monopoly: Railroads
New Aspen Monopoly: Mountains
New Real Aspen Monopoly: All the places Lee Mulcahy is legally banned from entering
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Original Monopoly: Marvin Gardens, Ventnor Avenue, Atlantic Avenue
New Aspen Monopoly: Gorsuch, Pitkin County Dry Goods, Explore Booksellers
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Mark Hunt Boulevard, or the future ghosts of Aspen present (Ryno’s, Crystal Palace, Domino’s, and the Conoco service station)
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Original Monopoly: Water Works/$150
New Aspen Monopoly: Roaring Fork River/$150
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Enough Beer for a Half-Day Float Trip/$150
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Original Monopoly: Luxury Tax — pay $75
New Aspen Monopoly: Fishing License — pay $100
New Real Aspen Monopoly: Fishing License (which is actually just $26 in Colorado), plus the cost of bait, tackle and the fish you buy from the supermarket afterward so you don’t go home empty handed — pay $100
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Original Monopoly: Pacific Avenue/$300
New Aspen Monopoly: Cloud Nine/$300
New Real Aspen Monopoly: A New Ski Jacket After Yours Got Ruined in the Champagne Bath at Cloud Nine/$300
Original Monopoly: $14.79 on Amazon
New Aspen Monopoly: $40 at Carl’s Pharmacy, Clark’s Market, City Market, Gorsuch, Explore Booksellers, Four Mountain Sports, Pitkin County Dry Goods, The Little Nell, Limelight Hotel, Aspen Shop, Hotel Jerome and Aspen Art Museum Gift Shop
New Real Aspen Monopoly: MP, or whatever any non-Aspen retailer is selling it for an additional 60 percent.
Follow Meredith Carroll on Twitter @MCCarroll. More at MeredithCarroll.com.
