Non-cash prizes you have won

[jollystomper]

I am enjoying reading about these winnings. Thanks!

I am reminded of my most expensive "win". Not so much a random contest, but in my first software sales "contest" at my Megacorp office I won a Peugeot racing bicycle. It was a great bike, but it "cost" me. DW and I had been just over a year and did not own bikes. When I brought the bike home, she was happy for me, but from the look on her face I knew that I had to buy her a bike - and not just a cheap department store bike. So off to a local bike shop, where the owner was more than happy to sell me the female version of same model, and it was not cheap .

 

[pacergal]

Just remembered--in grade school at the "school fair" back in the 60's, my brother used to win the "cake walks" every year, not once but often 2-3 times he would bring home multiple cakes that night! He was the lucky one. One yer, the teacher stopped him from entering any more--he had won at least 4. No way our family could eat that many

 

[RockyMtn]

I won a VCR back in the late 1980's.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Nothing major like a car, but hundreds of small prizes over the years from online instant win games and local contests like school raffles, Facebook contests and ticket give aways. I figured out that the free ticket contests were really just a way for venues to unload unsold tickets as the same tickets often appeared on my seat filler subscription lists. So instead of one winner sometimes everyone who enters is a winner, or at least has really good odds of winning compared to national contests.

Our kids' school raffles often had greater total prize values than they collected in raffle tickets, so I'd buy a few hundred dollars of raffle tickets at a time and usually get quite a haul. The biggest item was an MP3 player when those were just coming out. The rest were usually gift cards for local businesses and restaurants.

 

[grasshopper]

I could mix this with what I did today. Used my Cub Cadet wheeled string mower for several hours.

Won the Cubby at Tractor Supply, can't remember the hows or what's. As guaranteed started on the 2nd pull.

 

[kcowan]

,,,Unfortunately my most vivid memory was coming down with the flu the day before flying home and how absolutely miserable I was for the next 10 days. I've never been sicker.

A buddy at Nortel went to Japan for a week on business. When he came back he felt sick and died 3 days later. He was 48!

 

[Koolau]

For a couple of months, the members of my lab won a radio station prize almost every day (from station coffee mugs to sponsor crap) by correctly answering R&R trivia. A buddy of mine (technician) and I were pretty good apart and together, we could get 95% of the answers to the questions. He was best on albums and I was best and 50s/60s/70s "pop" rock.

It all came to a sad end when some jerk manager happened to hear the program and heard the name of someone in our lab that he knew. He called her manger who caller her dept. head who called her supervisor and the Kibosh was applied. NO more radio station calls. Buddy and I were devastated as we so enjoyed the "game." I think I still have a couple of mugs around here someplace. YMMV

 

[Scuba]

I won a diamond engagement ring. The paperwork said it was worth $10K. I really wasn’t in the market for this, and I took it to an appraiser to see the rough value, which he said was far less than claimed. I refused the prize as I did not want a 1099 for a non-cash prize “valued” at $10K.

 

[kcowan]

Yes most contest prizes, especially trips, are valued way above what you would actually pay. The providers love to inflate the value!

 

[Teacher Terry]

I won a 200 voucher towards a pair of eyeglasses which was perfect as I needed a pair of driving glasses. I have won a few small things at raffles. When I worked for the state of Kansas they had a drawing for counselors only to go to Washington DC on a business trip to meet with senators/congress person related to legislation to help people with disabilities. 2 experienced counselors were chosen to go and being new in the field I was thrilled to go.

 

[Gadabout]

Fun list of unique prizes! I've won quite a few over the years, from a mini-gas grill, to a weekend in Boston, to an all-expenses paid trip for two to my choice of the top ski resorts in North America (from Conde Nast's Gold List). Ironically, my husband and I don't downhill ski, but we do love some good apres-ski and Conde Nast was very flexible with the prize. We chose the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole (since we wanted to visit Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks in Februrary) and also the elk refuge and National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. In lieu of lift tickets, they gave us spa credit (awesome deep tissue massages) and we took a private snowshoeing tour. I've also been lucky at Banff Film Festival drawings for swag like Patagonia jackets with the festival logo.

 

[FI FELLOW]

A free set of tires from a raffle at a fundraiser for a deceased acquaintance who was a politician. Turns out my RAV4 was in need of tires at the time so it was quite timely, and tires aren't cheap these days!

 

[Dynaflash]

I have a hobby of entering contest and have won several times
The Who concert tickets
A steering wheel. Yes car steering wheel.
A 71 Lincoln
67 Camaro Convertible
4000.00 cash..oh sorry itnsaid non cash prizes

 

[disneysteve]

Totally forgot that just a couple of weeks ago we won a 5L barrel at a local liquor store. We cured it with water for a week or so and then this weekend filled it with 2 bottles of bourbon and a bottle of vermouth to make barrel-aged Manhattans. So the barrel was free but we spent about $70 on what to fill it with.

 

[newlyold]

At a winter sports show, back in the early 1990's, I signed up for a chance at winning a free Jeep and a Ski boat with trailer. A few months later I learned I'd won a third place price: a custom slalom water ski and a two-way marine band radio. SWEET! And unexpected!

A few years later I entered an online contest sponsored by my boat manufacturer, who wanted the best recipes for cooking fish. I put in my favorite recipe and won first place--a pair of very nice, nesting, cast iron skillets.

More recently, I regularly participate in an online computer network monitoring forum, and have won a LOT of items over the last fifteen years. Custom hooded sweaters with my name embroidered in them, Raspberry Pie computers, custom computer backpacks, mugs, solar USB batteries, and more.

When I was a kid, my father called into an A.M. Radio trivia contest show with the correct answer to one of their science questions. He won a top of the line fancy Hoover vacuum cleaner with at least a dozen heavy-duty attachments. This thing's body was solid cast metal, and its power take off accessories included buffers and grinders and polishers. That thing lasted 50 years--they don't make 'em like that anymore.

 

[Sand101]

A spice rack (rack and ~30 bottles of spices). Seemed cheesy and funny when I got it, but we used a lot of the spices out of it.

 

[Boose]

I won something like 10,000 air miles in American's frequent flyer anniversary program last year. And I got a $5 gift card from my cell carrier. These were "gimmees", just required logging into their apps on a daily basis. Otherwise, I never enter contests.

 

[disneysteve]

My wife won a Coach handbag at a designer handbag bingo game at our synagogue a few years ago. I think she spent $35 to play so it was a nice return on her investment.

 

[Steeler75]

My DW is a huge 49er’s fan. She saw a contest sponsored by McCormick and Schmidt’s seasoning in the mid 2000’s with a grand prize to stay in The Fairmount in San Francisco (and airfare or limo if local), a $500 gift card, meet Joe Montana and have lunch at Cuvaison Winery after a cooking demo.

The contest was an essay on why you are the Master of the Grill, promoting grill mates. The top entries had to send in a photo ant the top five vote getters won.

I made an analogy of the grid iron and the grill but my DW did the rest. We were one of the 5 grand prize winners. Received the limo to SF since we live in the Bay Area. Long story short, after the cooking demo, Joe took pics with the 5 couples then we went into the wine caves for a catered lunch.

We were the last couple in along with Joe. When we walked to the tables, the other couples filled a couple of tables by themselves so Joe sat next to DW and myself and we had lunch together… DW had a wonderful time!

Joe very down to earth. Talked about his family. I had to admit to him that I was a huge Steelers fan since 1970, and of course he said he was too, being from Pennsylvania. He signed balls and photos before saying goodbye. Great day for sure…

 

[lucky penny]

I won 2 contests in the 1960s, one of which was life-changing.

In 1965 I won 2 tickets to the Beatles concert of my choice in an upcoming tour. The contest was sponsored by a teen magazine & my entry was a book of poems. The bad news is that I couldn't go! Though I'd chosen the concert closest to home, by summer I was working nowhere near that. But amazingly, the magazine's editor shared the book with my favorite Beatle, & it was returned to me with a photo of Paul reading it & a very sweet drawing & note on the first page. And happily I did see the Beatles the next year at Shea Stadium, 6 days before their last concert ever.

I was in NYC in the summer of 1966 because I'd won another magazine's "Guest Editor" contest, which gave 20 college students a one-month, glamorous job with many perks (including travel to Europe). Working for a magazine in NYC was then my dream job, & this experience opened many doors; I stayed for the entire summer, returned after graduation & never looked back. As it happened, my entry in that contest was Beatles-themed, & one of the editors was a huge Beatles fan. Talk about luck!

 

[Dean56]

Did a number of golf outings while working. Mostly won money on skins or golf paraphernalia. However, one time I won a night at a nice hotel at Mackinaw. We added an additional night and it was an enjoyable fall get away.

Did you eat a lot of fudge? (Mackinaw is known for it's fudge)

 

[bigadventure]

I was chosen as an entrant to safety incentive contest. I was the pipefitter entrant. There was one entrant from every trade, about 13 of us with are wife’s. We were given a luncheon at the local exposition center. There was a drum with keys in it and a new F150 truck. We all picked keys to unlock the truck door. I won the truck. About 5 minutes later a lawyer come over to me and we had to fill out the 1099. (Surprised) I offer to pay the sales tax. He told me I would have to pay income tax. (Much higher) Well my kids were both in college at the time. So as a result of the win and the 1099, they lost all financial aid, because now my income was to high to get the aid. I also got audited because they submitted two 1099s. One had sale tax, one did not. The IRS though I was hiding a second truck. I also had to keep the truck 6 months and drive it in the Labor Day parade. After that i could sell it. The local was pretty jealous, they never congratulated me, as they thought one of there chosen buddies should have won. Good thing I didn’t need a job from them. As I was employed.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Me nothing, but DD entered a guess "how many jelly beans in a jar" contest. It was a very large jar. She guessed the exact number and won $25,000.

 

[Koolau]

DW advertised the family small business on the radio. The station used to have a yearly party for their good customers (those with so many standard "spots" on the station.) Two years in a row, she and I attended and won season tickets for the local Big 10 Basket Ball team. Sold them for $500 IIRC.

 

[kgtest]

Never much. Maybe I need to participate more. My buddy and I set 1st and 2nd for the week on K1 racing..that to me was a WIN seeing as I never had raced a kart before. The other drivers couldn't believe how aggressive we "played" in that game/competition.

Never one much on lotto, pull tabs, or even when trying to win concert tix on the radio. But I feel like I am 'winning' everyday in most regards.