Game shows are pretty amazing.
Just think about it — you may come into it with nothing, and leave with a brand new car.
The experience looks like a lot of fun, and you’ll have a video keepsake for the rest of your life. Or at least, until someone accidentally deletes your episode from the DVR.
Prizes have always been such a draw, even when we were young kids. It seemed like the only way to go to Space Camp was to win it as a prize on one of Nickelodeon’s most notorious game shows. And of course, you’d bring your moon shoes if you went — which Nickelodeon seemed to just be handing out.
Unfortunately, most of us haven’t had the experience of appearing on a game show before. While it’s a possible goal, it’s not every day where we happen to be in the city where most of them are filmed.
Thus, we tend to believe a lot of what we see — that shows like The Price Is Right can offer up new cars to a bunch of lucky audience members. But how many of those people actually drove off with a shiny new vehicle?
Luckily, the internet is a great resource in getting the scoop regarding what happened with the prizes after the camera stopped rolling.
1. Sometimes, winners are so caught up in the action that they don’t know what they’ve won.
Remember, we’re seeing it after it’s been lightly edited. They experienced it live.
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If it’s exciting when the prizes are announced on television, just imagine how it must feel when you’re on the stage. Overwhelming, probably. If you’re looking for a good way to ensure that you or a friend makes it on the stage, this poster has a great idea — just get a big group together of excited participants. One of you will be what their talent scouts are looking for.
2. You might realize the sketchiness of a show and their prizes after the fact.
Sometimes, prizes aren’t an exact match.
And sometimes, it’s just better to sell them after all is said and done. So if you’re ever on a game show and win something you know you’ll never use, like a pair of skis when you’re happily living in Florida, you’ll be able to get them off your hands and hopefully profit differently.
3. There are often hidden costs.
Taxes are a big one, but if you’ve won something that requires installation? That’s often on you.
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Remember, the show’s main job is showing off the products. That’s why they often give all the information about what contestants can win, and make it sound really good. But, they don’t care about what you do with the prize when it’s off the stage. So even though you might want to act excited on television, your mind should be saying, “Can I afford to set this up?”
4. You might want to read the fine print.
If you’re on a game show of a smaller scale, you may not be competing for yourself.
Local trivia gameshows are pretty common. Someone should have gone over the rules with the kids before appearing on the show. Thinking you’ve won $7,000 and then realizing you won’t actually see a cent of that? Pretty devastating for a high school student, especially if college is in the near future.
5. Prizes often take a long time to arrive.
And when you’re a kid, that wait could last forever. Time moves slowly when you’re young.
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A lot of kids win gaming systems on game shows, not realizing it’ll take a handful of months for that prize to actually arrive. Behind every game show win is a lot of paperwork. Sadly they don’t just have the prize stored in the back for you to pick up immediately, even though it often seems that way.
6. Trips have specific rules
This story is almost spooky. Who thought an unclaimed gameshow prize could cause so much stress?
If you listen to the game show announcer, you’ll hear that these big trips often have very specific words attached to them. For one, a lot of flights seem to leave out of Los Angeles. That means that if you move overseas, you may be ineligible to claim your prize. But, like in this tough case, someone else might.
7. Some contestants wish they had never won.
When you’re in the moment, it’s really exciting to win — even if the prizes aren’t all that great.
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But then when you get home and need to declare everything, you may realize that you’re essentially paying for things you never actually wanted in the first place. Some things might sell, but others — like that diamond necklace — may just sit around for a few years with no takers.
8. If you want to win big, do your research.
Being a big fan of the show and knowing how things work can end up paying off in a big way.
Even though it’s tempting to keep your gaze on Wayne Brady on Let’s Make A Deal (he’s so charming!) it might help to look around and see what the production crew is doing. It’s not a guaranteed way to win big, but it definitely couldn’t hurt — especially if you know how big prizes are presented.
9. Sometimes, trips can be traded in.
It seems a little strange, but according to this Redditor, it can be done.
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That means that if you win a trip that seems a little boring, you might be able to trade it in for a more exciting location that’s priced at the same level. Of course, this probably varies by game show — but knowing it’s at least possible is pretty darn cool.
10. Other items can also be traded.
So, what you see on television might not be what goes home with the winners.
In this particular story, even musical instruments get swapped. That means that if you win big but don’t really like your prizes, talking about it after the episode tapes with someone on the gameshow team may be worth it. Again, they’re just happy that the product got a mention on air.
11. You need to be quiet about your win.
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Like to gab? Well, maybe gameshows aren’t for you.
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Even if you know you have money coming your way, you won’t see it for a while. But in the meantime, you also can’t tell anyone that you won. So, if something exciting happens, you need to wait until you share it with social media. Or even your parents (unless you can trust that they won’t tell the rest of the family.)
12. Yes, prizes can expire.
If you don’t use it, you may lose it.
When you win a trip on a game show, they don’t care much about your schedule. They have an opportunity gifted to you, and you need to play by their terms. That means that not everyone actually goes on the trips they win — especially if they’re young, and may not have their own income just yet.
13. Prizes can literally be life-changing.
Who knew that one single trip might change your life?
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Aside from taxes and limitations, there’s one very good thing about game show prizes — they often inspire you to travel to places you might not have even thought about going before. It’s a big world out there, and one unexpected detour might make you rethink everything, and you’ll have Drew Carey or Pat Sajak to thank.
14. You can only accept parts of a prize if you want.
This may vary by gameshow and year, so you’ll want to do some further research become you “Come on down!”
When the reality of the situation hits, you may realize that the dining room table is nice, but the chairs are too much. Or, like this family, you’ll accept the trip but turn down the limo. You’ll only pay taxes on what you choose to keep, so you may want to be realistic about what you’re taking home.
15. Competitors are often burned out by the time they hit the stage.
If you like things to be scheduled, going on a game show may not be the best idea.
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It’s often hectic behind-the-scenes. There’s a lot that goes into making the shows that you don’t even know about. But, contestants are often a little drained too. Can you imagine not knowing whether or not you’ll be in the running for a million-dollar prize? Or, not knowing how much prep you should do before you go on? This particular Redditor won some money but thinks they could have won more had the process been better.
16. Your prizes might also grant you unwanted attention.
Just imagine how many messages you’ll get if your episode repeats a lot.
Not only will everyone know how much money you won (and probably forget about the taxes,) but you’ll get hit up on social media. So if your full name is mentioned, or if you’re easily recognizable, you might want to try and hide some of your profiles if you’re not the type of person who likes attention.