Tales from your childhood - part 2...Wheel of Fortune

[fairygoodmother]

O-nut's thread about stores got me thinking about other things that are no more...
here's one...

Who else remembers when Wheel of Fortune actually had "rooms" where you spent the money you won? You had to spend all your money, and if everything in the room was priced too high you received the amount in a Service Merchandise gift certificate.

So you shopped in the kitchen/dining room: "I'd like the oak dining table for $500, the china for $350, the refrigerator for $300..."

Or the game room: "I'd like the pool table for $2500, and the board game assortment for $200"

But best of all was the ceramic dalmation for $250. I always wondered what someone would do with a life-sized ceramic dalmation!

[aashee]

Absolutely. They were always stuck taking the ceramic dalmation for $90 at the end. Good old Chuck Woolerey was the host. One thing I liked about his was he always spun for the big amount on the last spin. At that time it was $1500.

Chad

[Mousey Girl]

I tried to tell my mom about this, but she just does not remember it. I used to watch it with my Grandma whenever she came to visit.

[Jazzman]

I totally remember the rooms! It was almost like watching Price is Right and Wheel all at the same time. I remember one lady saying that she didn't like any of the furniture and that she'd probably just give it to her daughter.

[stinkerbell]

I remember that, and I also remember my Consumer Reports-studying father yelling at the TV, "That dishwasher isn't worth $600! They're ripping them off!!"

[Jazzman]

I remember that, and I also remember my Consumer Reports-studying father yelling at the TV, "That dishwasher isn't worth $600! They're ripping them off!!"

Hah hah! That's awesome! I always think that about game shows where the contestant has to buy/guess/reveal/whatever the price of something. They're always way inflated. "Okay Bob, we'll take the Magic Bullet Blender for $2499!"

Puh-lease...

[stinkerbell]

I'm recently Magic Bullet obsessed.

My sister and her husband have one and my Consumer Reports addicted (still!) dad swears by his.....

[Jazzman]

I'm recently Magic Bullet obsessed.

I was talking about the Blender...






I love ours. They're awesome for smoothies. I stock the fridge all summer with strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, mangos and such and always have a few different varieties of sorbet on hand. My favorite thing is Baskin & Robbins Daiquiri Ice mixed with rum and lemon. Mmm.... Good stuff. Steph's whole diet revolves around her morning smoothies. I get woken up every weekday by the sound of frozen fruit and yogurt whirring away in the kitchen. Gotta love those "As Seen On TV" gadgets!

[stinkerbell]

Okay, now I really want one. But wait! If I order in the next 18 minutes, I'll be sent TWO!

[NeverNeverland]

My mom's cousins were on the version of WoF! I can't remember what stuff they won, though.
Those were the good old days. And I totally remember the ceramic dalmatian too!

[aimster]

I totally remember that.

[Wendygirl]

I also remember that. I really liked seeing how people picked out what they wanted.

[PSP]

Not only do I remember it, but I was ON THE SHOW in 1975! I was on for 3 days - it aired in July. I ended up winning about $10,000 worth of "stuff" including a car (Chevy Vega!), a bunch of Tiffany gift certificates, and the prize I remember best - a fiberglass greyhound dog!

It was one of those deals where you had to take everything you could afford, and the dog was the last thing left so I had to take it. I thought it was the ugliest thing I've ever seen, but I had no choice.

All of my friends and family were excited to watch the shows when they were on about 6 weeks after filming. Right after the last show, my girlfriend (now wife) got a call from her relatives in Kansas who saw the show. They were very excited about all the stuff I won, but the one thing that they thought was really cool, over and above all else, was the fiberglass greyhound dog. After explaining that it didn't exactly fit into my decor, they offered to buy it, but I had to ship it from Southern California to Kansas.

So, how would YOU ship a fiberglass greyhound dog? That's right! - Greyhound Bus! I took the dog to the bus terminal in Santa Monica, carefully wrapped and boxed and sent it on its way to Kansas City. On a hunch, I insured the dog for the value that they listed on the show ($550) for an additional $3 or $4

Apparently, the dog had to change buses in Albuquerque - the driver took it out of the bus and put it behind the bus so that it could be transferred to the new bus, but before the dog was loaded, another driver hopped in the original bus and started to back out of the parking stall.

The crunch could be heard all the way to California

Greyhound Bus Lines sent me a letter of apology and a check for $550 - and my girlfriend's relatives were crushed, just not as crushed as the butt ugly greyhound dog.....

[Alchimedes]

One of my bike racing aquantiences Jeremy who runs a sports fitness network in San Diego, won this:
25,000 cash.
A Chrysler Sebring, which he sold cost to a dealership in his area.
and few other goodies.
But I do remember when a contestant on Wheel of Fortune would have to go shopping in different sections of the prizes back in the day.

[Wendygirl]

I loved your story PSP. What a hoot.