High-Bid

High-Bid is a board game published in 1963 by 3M that simulates the buying and selling of items via auction. The game was acquired in the mid-1970s by Avalon Hill and re-published under two titles: The Collector and Auction.

Box cover of 3M edition, 1963

Contents

High-Bid is a game in which players complete collections of rare items and make money buying and selling to other collectors.[1]

Gameplay: 3M

In the editions published by 3M, a player may acquire items via auction, and may sell items in their hand to other players for a value indicated by a die roll. This can be anywhere from 25% to 100% of the property's theoretical value. Players attempt to put together a set of related items. The first player to attain a worth of $5000 in completed sets and cash is the winner.[2]

Gameplay: Avalon Hill

In the editions published by Avalon Hill, the amount needed to win was raised to $7500. Also, a "Rich Collector" can appear via a Special Events card deck to purchase at full price items of the most expensive collections. In addition, a "Buyer's Card" can be used as a wild card to complete a set.[2]

Publication history

Larry and Pearl Winters designed High-Bid and it was published by 3M in 1963. It sold well, and 3M came out with new editions in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1975.[3] Avalon Hill then acquired the license for the game, and produced a new edition titled The Collector in 1977, and an edition with the title Auction in 1989.[3]

In 1989, Swedish publisher Casper created a Swedish-language edition titled Första, Andra, Tredje! (First, Second, Third!)[3]

Reception

In A Player's Guide to Table Games, John Jackson noted that "In practice, the completion of one or two medium-value sets is enough to win; the high-value sets take too long to collect." He concluded "If gratuitous awards for rolling the right number on a die or landing on the proper space is your idea of excitement, then High Bid [...] may afford you hours of fun. Otherwise, look elsewhere."[4]

In The Playboy Winner's Guide to Board Games, Jon Freeman thought the Avalon Hill edition titled The Collector "is certainly a better game than High Bid was. Unfortunately, that's still not saying much."[2]

Although the game had been a popular product for 3M for over twenty years, The Avalon Hill Game Co. General Index and Company History, 1952-1980 reported in 1980 that their edition titled The Collector "has never sold well."[5]

Ian Livingstone reviewed Auction for Games International magazine, and gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 5, stating that "As a person who enjoys going to auctions, I'm afraid I found this simulation rather disappointing despite its promise."[1]

References
  1. Livingstone, Ian (September–October 1989). "General Games". Games International (9): 10, 12.
  2. Freeman, Jon (1979). The Playboy Winner's Guide to Board Games. New York: Playboy Press. pp. 13–14. ISBN 0-872-16562-0.
  3. "High-Bid: Versions". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  4. Jackson, John (1975). A Player's Guide to Table Games. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. pp. 39–40. ISBN 0-8117-1902-2.
  5. The Avalon Hill Game Co General Index and Company History, 1952-1980. Avalon Hill. 1980. p. 13.
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