Comments on: The Five Greatest Financial Board Games #2: Acquire http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:36:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: weber http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-760055 weber Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:51:17 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-760055 Acquire is addictive & rocks. I play online w/ others which is the best. Check out this site & share others you know of that are currently up & working. gametableonline.com The statement above about Life is wrong b/c in the older version you could gamble each turn on the market(cardboard 1-10 numbered peice), but Life is still not very worthy of a mention here. Acquire is addictive & rocks. I play online w/ others which is the best. Check out this site & share others you know of that are currently up & working.

gametableonline.com

The statement above about Life is wrong b/c in the older version you could gamble each turn on the market(cardboard 1-10 numbered peice), but Life is still not very worthy of a mention here.

]]> By: rodgerlvu http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-663099 rodgerlvu Fri, 15 May 2009 06:53:34 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-663099 After doing more digging on eBay, I see that the $150 version is a shiny deluxe edition with fancy molded plastic pieces. NICE. After doing more digging on eBay, I see that the $150 version is a shiny deluxe edition with fancy molded plastic pieces. NICE.

]]> By: Chris Farrell http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1597 Chris Farrell Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:30:44 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1597 Interesting. I love Acquire, but it is out of print in the US, and not trivial to find. I can't imagine that situation will last for long, though, as this is an all-time classic. I do wonder if this game is as strong in the finance department, however. You say it teaches you to "buy low, sell high", but in Acquire it's actually very hard to sell high - you can only sell stock when companies merge. Also, I'm not entirely convinced of the message about risky start-ups; in Acquire, the way to lose is to invest in established companies, because cash is so tight and because of the strange way in which stocks only become liquid when companies are merged. So you have to invest in start-ups, it's just a question of which ones. I think Acquire is a wonderful, classic game, and the bit about insider information is true and a critical part of the game, but I think Modern Art is a more effective teacher about markets. Both Modern Art and Acquire have interesting financial workings, but Modern Art doesn't teach you anything that's explicitly wrong (that I can tell!). My pick for #1: Settlers of Catan. Has to be, right? You've done personal finance, markets, money management ... now you need one for macroeconomics. Settlers of Catan is a wonderful game for thinking about the value of free trade, as well as the economic cycle of boom and bust. It would only be fitting. The Landlord's Game, which would eventually become Monopoly, was originally designed as a "message game" (like the Game of Life), this time to demonstrate some of the ways in which capitalism and free markets are *undesireable*. Settlers of Catan then shows us why we need them. Interesting. I love Acquire, but it is out of print in the US, and not trivial to find. I can’t imagine that situation will last for long, though, as this is an all-time classic.

I do wonder if this game is as strong in the finance department, however. You say it teaches you to “buy low, sell high”, but in Acquire it’s actually very hard to sell high – you can only sell stock when companies merge. Also, I’m not entirely convinced of the message about risky start-ups; in Acquire, the way to lose is to invest in established companies, because cash is so tight and because of the strange way in which stocks only become liquid when companies are merged. So you have to invest in start-ups, it’s just a question of which ones. I think Acquire is a wonderful, classic game, and the bit about insider information is true and a critical part of the game, but I think Modern Art is a more effective teacher about markets. Both Modern Art and Acquire have interesting financial workings, but Modern Art doesn’t teach you anything that’s explicitly wrong (that I can tell!).

My pick for #1: Settlers of Catan. Has to be, right? You’ve done personal finance, markets, money management … now you need one for macroeconomics. Settlers of Catan is a wonderful game for thinking about the value of free trade, as well as the economic cycle of boom and bust.

It would only be fitting. The Landlord’s Game, which would eventually become Monopoly, was originally designed as a “message game” (like the Game of Life), this time to demonstrate some of the ways in which capitalism and free markets are *undesireable*. Settlers of Catan then shows us why we need them.

]]> By: Gerald Cameron http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1576 Gerald Cameron Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:48:48 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1576 Power Grid, perhaps? While not a favourite of mine, it is an excellent demonstartion of supply and demand, and the importance of cash flow. Power Grid, perhaps? While not a favourite of mine, it is an excellent demonstartion of supply and demand, and the importance of cash flow.

]]> By: Trent http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1575 Trent Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:45:58 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1575 Yehuda: Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope. :) You're on the right track, though. Also, JD, I have that very molded version, and it's also still available on the shelf at a local game shop! $150? Time for a profit, I think. Yehuda: Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope. :) You’re on the right track, though.

Also, JD, I have that very molded version, and it’s also still available on the shelf at a local game shop! $150? Time for a profit, I think.

]]> By: Yehuda Berlinger http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1574 Yehuda Berlinger Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:34:56 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1574 Acquire's good. Number 1: 1830? Age of Steam? Diplomacy Empire in Arms? Traders of Genoa? Buy Low, Sell High? I still think you should reconsider Life, which has no choices in it. That doesn't teach anything, except how to do what the board tells you to do. Yehuda Acquire’s good.

Number 1:

1830?
Age of Steam?
Diplomacy
Empire in Arms?
Traders of Genoa?
Buy Low, Sell High?

I still think you should reconsider Life, which has no choices in it. That doesn’t teach anything, except how to do what the board tells you to do.

Yehuda

]]> By: J.D. @ Get Rich Slowly http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1573 J.D. @ Get Rich Slowly Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:32:55 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1573 Oooh... After doing more digging on eBay, I see that the $150 version is a shiny deluxe edition with fancy molded plastic pieces. NICE. Oooh…

After doing more digging on eBay, I see that the $150 version is a shiny deluxe edition with fancy molded plastic pieces. NICE.

]]> By: J.D. @ Get Rich Slowly http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/comment-page-1/#comment-1572 J.D. @ Get Rich Slowly Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:31:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/21/the-five-greatest-financial-board-games-2-acquire/#comment-1572 While this is a great game, it can also be difficult to find. The older editions are far superior — they possess durable plastic pieces. I've found old copies of the game for sale at garage sales and thrift stores for less than $5/each, but that's just luck. You can buy copies off eBay for $30-$80. Recent editions are made with poor-quality cardboard tiles. I don't recommend these editions, but if you can't find anything else, buy one. New, they go for around $40, I think. You can find them on eBay for <b>$150</b>. The game is currently out of print. While this is a great game, it can also be difficult to find. The older editions are far superior — they possess durable plastic pieces. I’ve found old copies of the game for sale at garage sales and thrift stores for less than $5/each, but that’s just luck. You can buy copies off eBay for $30-$80.

Recent editions are made with poor-quality cardboard tiles. I don’t recommend these editions, but if you can’t find anything else, buy one. New, they go for around $40, I think. You can find them on eBay for $150.

The game is currently out of print.

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