Calling all Forum "departing contestants" with gifts

[Mr. Matté]

A few weeks later I got a check in the mail from the Otter Pops people along with a lovely note hoping I would use the money to go out and buy Otter Pops.  I did not.

If you used your money on something for your dad, then you can just reply to their letter saying you spent it on Ottinger's Pops. (ducks thrown Otter Pops)

[tomobrien]

from Jeopardy '84:

Coupons for a case of Shasta soft drinks and a Shasta beach towel.
Os-Cal calcium tablets, which went right to Mom.
Hanes Underalls: The "male" equivalent of that gift was a Kodak instant camera. Since Kodak lost a patent lawsuit to Polaroid and had to discontinue it, it was worth a share of Kodak stock.
Niagara Spray Starch and Mazola No-Stick: 50 coupons for free cans of both products.  I would hand them out to friends who came over as their "parting gifts."

Exactly what I was hoping for, thank you! Do I correctly conclude that the only gifts you personally used or enjoyed were the Shasta and stock?

-Jason

Au contraire!  I had the slickest pans and the sharpest-creased pants for years after that. Do you realize how long it takes to go through a can of spray starch?

[BrandonFG]

I didn't get parting gifts or a per diem for either of my appearances. I wonder how many shows still do that. My friends were all shocked to learn that most game shows don't cover your travel expenses anymore.

When I tried out for Lucky 13 last year, the casting director said they would pay for travel and a stipend. Can't remember if it was a per diem + stipend or just one or the other, but the CD implied it was a decent amount.

/Assuming the contestants got paid at some point

EDIT: I was told airfare and a stipend...don't remember how much, but I wanna say it was around $1,000. Don't hold me to that number.

[knagl]

As a non-winner on Mall Masters at Mall of America, I received a $50 gift certificate valid at the Mall of America.

As an at-home contestant on two episodes of Let's Make a Deal, I received negative $3 for going out and buying some sugar cubes for one of the quickie deals that I was never picked for, some sore feet from standing for hours on end in front of my computer, and nothing else.

[JasonA1]

Do you realize how long it takes to go through a can of spray starch?

That was part of watching the Bob Harris video with my wife. We both thought about how long our cans of cleanser last, and just how long Bob would have gone before he came anywhere near using all that Bon-Ami.

-Jason

[Denials]

As a non-winner on Mall Masters at Mall of America, I received a $50 gift certificate valid at the Mall of America.

I got that too!  Spent it on the Rainforest Cafe!

[chris319]

Color me suspicious. There was no Rice-a-Roni or Turtle Wax in that haul, nor Castrol GTX motor oil.

Madge the manicurist is spinning in her grave.

[PYLdude]

The only thing they gave my Millionaire group was T-shirts, but when I tried out the most recent time they had a couple of nice freebies including a refrigerator magnet which I still have. (I gave the shirts to my dad and brother and haven’t seen them since. The shirts that is.)

[davidhammett]

October 1986, nighttime WoF: Each of these was to send me $25 of either their product or something "equivalent"...

Beeman's, Blackjack, and Clove Old-Fashioned Chewing Gum
Aapri Facial Scrub
Glade Light (one can, sent via UPS, plus a portable CD player)
Lipton Cup-a-Soup (they sent a pot and pan set instead of soup)
Cutex Nail Polish Remover (along with some eye shadow and perfume "for my pleasure")
And finally, Krackel... which they never sent, claiming it would melt.

I was also eligible for a new set of parting gifts when my show reran the following summer, but I was out of town and wasn't able to return the claim form in time, thus missing out on such delectables as Castleberry Beef Stew and Sarne Handbags, among others.

[nowhammies10]

I received a $120 per diem for my appearance on Battle of the Generations and a night's stay in a hotel which is walking distance from the studio in which we filmed. No travel as I was local, but I know they did fly contestants in who were from outside the greater Toronto area.

[Dbacksfan12]

I was also eligible for a new set of parting gifts

I actually find this interesting, as I was under the assumption that summer reruns were given the "promotional consideration paid for by..." versus the "departing contestants may receive" treatment.

I'd be interested to see if Tom's situation was similar.

[tomobrien]

I'd be interested to see if Tom's situation was similar.

No, one and done for the gifts. David's list reminded me that I also got a parting gift from the Glade folks: something called a Spin-Fresh, which was a stinky--er, scented--thing that replaced your toilet paper roller and allegedly filled your bathroom with fragrance every time you spun the toilet paper.

[Mike Tennant]

I'd be interested to see if Tom's situation was similar.

No, one and done for the gifts. David's list reminded me that I also got a parting gift from the Glade folks: something called a Spin-Fresh, which was a stinky--er, scented--thing that replaced your toilet paper roller and allegedly filled your bathroom with fragrance every time you spun the toilet paper.

[BrandonFG]

There's a core memory unlocked...I remember seeing one in someone's bathroom as a child. That and scented toilet paper...