Monopoly fans vote to toss 1 token, add new piece

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - The end is near for the shoe, wheelbarrow or iron in the classic Monopoly game as fans vote Tuesday in the final hours of a contest to determine which token to eliminate and which piece to replace it with.

The eight tokens identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935. The latest changes mark the first time that fans have had a say on which piece to add and which one to toss.

The voting on Facebook is scheduled to close just before midnight Tuesday. Pawtucket-based toy maker Hasbro Inc. will announce the new piece Wednesday morning.

So far, the wheelbarrow, shoe and iron are neck and neck for elimination through the Save Your Token Campaign. The new addition will be a robot, diamond ring, cat, helicopter or guitar.

Fans from more than 120 countries have voted.

The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans.

Monopoly's iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from a charm bracelet for tokens. The real-estate trading game is based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J., and has sold more than 275 million games worldwide.

The eight tokens are an iron, racecar, Scottie dog, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.
   ------
Monopoly voting: https://apps.facebook.com/saveyourtoken/
   ------
Rodrique Ngowi can be reached at www.twitter.com/ngowi