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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Time to open the vault and take a look at this week in business history. What’s this? A flat iron, a top hat and a thimble . . .

[ Rolling dice ]

STACEY VANEK-SMITH: During the Depression, cash was scarce, so it probably wasn’t surprising that Monopoly was a smash as soon as it hit store shelves this week back in 1935.

Sure, those gold-colored $500 notes weren’t exactly money in the bank, but at least you could feel rich for a little while.

Monopoly was developed by Charles Darrow, a salesman who lost his job after the stock market crash in 1929.

He sold the patent to Parker Brothers and became a millionaire. And Monopoly went on top become the best-selling board game of all time.

The original design hasn’t changed much, but it has spawned hundreds of spin-offs.

There is Star Wars Monopoly, Spongebob Monopoly, even a 21st Century version where you get 2 million dollars for passing “Go.”

I’m Stacey Vanek-Smith.