The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: JasonA1 on May 26, 2025, 09:54:54 PM
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I was showing my wife Bob Harris' great video documenting all the parting gifts he received on Jeopardy!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ggePjCP8Y
...and it made me wonder: who here had the honor/burden of such a haul? This all stemmed from a conversation of what today's contestants receive vs. yesteryear. I imagine some contestants ended up with some decent gifts, on top of the task of having to give out Dimetapp as a stocking stuffer.
-Jason
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$25 worth of Bon Ami went a loong way back then...
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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."
There was probably more but now I'm too depressed upon realizing that I outlived most of these products.
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WWTBAM: Everyone went home with a "million-dollar check" regardless of how you did. I still have my million-dollar checks from my two appearances, as well as the check with my actually winnings listed. That check is in my home office and my daughter has the million-dollar checks in her bedroom.
2-Minute Drill: Received a 2MD T-shirt and CD-ROM video game. Both are long gone.
1 Vs. 100: Only thing I got from that show was the slight stomach discomfort from the breakfast spread the show provided contestants (and it was quite the sizable spread). Some travel-size Pepto I got from the hotel did the trick there.
JD
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WWTBAM: I have my million-dollar check from my appearance in 2000, which I framed and is hanging in my home office. Was also given a cash per-diem of $150 while there, and a t-shirt. And transportation to-from the show, I guess.
At-home contestant on PPoT: bupkis
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Like Mitch, Superfan on PPoT: Bupkis.
I got a nice haul for taking part in the Hardball Hot Seat in 2002--a nice Hardball shirt which is 3 sizes too small, a Hardball baseball cap, an MSNBC satchel, and a signed copy of Chris Matthews' most recent book. For making the (unaired) finals, besides a trip to DC with a guest, I got a $200 AmEx gift card and a fancy at the time digital camera/MP3 player hybrid.
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from Jeopardy '84:
Coupons for a case of Shasta soft drinks and a Shasta beach towel.
Was this (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1766689359/vintage-shasta-soft-drinks-beach-towel) the towel?
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WWTBAM: I have my million-dollar check from my appearance in 2000, which I framed and is hanging in my home office. Was also given a cash per-diem of $150 while there, and a t-shirt. And transportation to-from the show, I guess.
At-home contestant on PPoT: bupkis
I didn't get a million dollar check, but I did get free transportation to New York (Newark), a ride to the city, a hotel room, a T-shirt that I still wear, a pre-show green room meal, a handshake from Regis Philbin, and $100 spending money that I gave to my then wife while I got ready for the show.
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from Jeopardy '84:
Coupons for a case of Shasta soft drinks and a Shasta beach towel.
Was this (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1766689359/vintage-shasta-soft-drinks-beach-towel) the towel?
That very well could be it...it sure looks familiar.
And WWTBAM 2000...all the other stuff that everyone mentioned. But our per diem was $50 which, even in 2000, was pretty laughable for NYC.
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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
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from Jeopardy '84:
Coupons for a case of Shasta soft drinks and a Shasta beach towel.
Was this (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1766689359/vintage-shasta-soft-drinks-beach-towel) the towel?
That very well could be it...it sure looks familiar.
And WWTBAM 2000...all the other stuff that everyone mentioned. But our per diem was $50 which, even in 2000, was pretty laughable for NYC.
I recall using my per diem money at, of all places, WWF New York on Times Square. They had a clearance sale on XFL merchandise at the time and I bought two jerseys (Birmingham and NY/NJ) at 75% off. Gave them as prizes for an office Christmas party.
JD
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I'm sure I have told this story before.
One of my parting gifts on Sale of the Century in 1986 was a year's supply of Otter Pops, the frozen fruit-water treat. 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.
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Lingo : a watch and baseball cap, both with the show logo on it. Plus, an autographed photo of Chuck after we went 10 for 10 in the bonus round :)
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I'm sure I have told this story before.
One of my parting gifts on Sale of the Century in 1986 was a year's supply of Otter Pops, the frozen fruit-water treat. 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.
Of course, you were holding out for a bigger check to buy them, like your two grand from Jeopardy!
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(https://i.imgflip.com/9vd9ed.jpg)
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.
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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)
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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?
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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 (https://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php/topic,35779.msg413604.html#msg413604)...don't remember how much, but I wanna say it was around $1,000. Don't hold me to that number.
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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.
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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
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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!
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m87f4ZLurjw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m87f4ZLurjw)
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There's a core memory unlocked...I remember seeing one in someone's bathroom as a child. That and scented toilet paper...