What Is The Best Thing You Ever Won From A Contest Or Drawing?

I won a year's supply of dog food when I was just a kid, maybe 6 years old. Of course we did not have a dog. In those days, you did not get the choice of cash equivalent. No one would buy it because you had to take delivery of all of it at one time. Who has room to store a years supply of dog food?

While a member of another photography site (no longer online), they used to have monthly and bi-weekly photo contests, and the prizes were furnished by Think Tank Photo, one of the site's sponsors. Over a period of time I won two Digital Holster 30's (V.1 & V.2), plus a Pixel Pocket Rocket. The Think Tank products are well-built, and designed by photographers.

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/digital-holster-30-v2.aspx

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/pixel-pocket-rocket-usa-flag.aspx

Floyd why would you have entered that contest with no dog? Did you hope that your parents would get you one if you won?

Greg those are cool. Did you have a lens to put in that first one?

$100

David monty is always a cool prize! We need more of those!

I won at beach bingo last week. Visiting the old beach community where I spent some summers as a kid. They still used the same bingo cards. $15 for three cards. My son won the first game - $5. I won the eighth game - $5. And then I won the grand finally round. - $20. We doubled our money!

My Dad was always lucky at drawings. He won a video camera once and gave it to me.

I was six years old. My sister and I went up and down every isle and entered every free drawing they were offering.

We were at "The 1955 General Motors Powerama ExhibitIt". http://viewlinerltd.blogspot.com/2008/12/1955-general-motors-powerama-exhibit.html

It was a trade show for heavy equipment and entry was free.

We were dirt poor and living in the projects. A dog was never going to be possible. But you can bet I threw a fit when my mom said no.

The thing I always wondered, years later, is what that dog food company was doing at that show?

Good discussion Andee, I designed a book jacket cover contest., competition was state wide. There was an article in the local newspaper. It was sponsored by our local Library Association and all schools throughout the state. The public recognition alone was more than any monetary compensation and my winning designed was used on books in schools and displayed at the Libraries.


Cheers, Michael Hoard Principal Actor, Artist, Photographer and Writer.

Beach bingo? I never heard of such a thing. But I live in the midwest and not much in the way of a beach around here. Winning a a video camera that is a fun prize. It does seem that some win more than others. I was pretty good at the school cake walk a few years when my kid was in school.

Floyd I bet they figured they would advertise any place they could. Later in life did you ever have a dog to make up for not having one when you were a kid?

Michael that is a near prize as well!.

cup of coffer

Chibu that would be good as long as you like coffee! :)

Beach Bingo - Bingo in the beach associations club house. They also sponsor movies on the beach. This is in CT on the Long Island Sound.

Oh I thought they played being out on the beach. Shows what little I know about beach related games.

In college we used to win these party's at a club in Boston. Basically the idea was they gave away these "parties" by picking a business card out of bowl and then the winners bring all their buds to the club on an off night. Kind of got old the second time in a row we won.

.....

Reminds me - just about everyday this robot voice on the phone tells me I've won some cruise. lol.

It wasn't a prize (I don't even remember what the actual prizes were). It was two blue ribbons: one Best of Show, one People's Choice. Two separate photographs entered in a contest/exhibit sponsored by the city.

My friends and I walked into that room on our lunch break, and spotted the two ribbons. Then, when we were close enough to the display, realized they were both MINE!

An unforgettable moment! :-)

Of course, a car and/or a pie would have been very nice . . .

"Greg those are cool. Did you have a lens to put in that first one?"


Nope, not at that time. It works well with my D7100 and 18-140 with lens hood now though. :)

Edward those cruise ones are such a pain. Scams for the most part!

Wendy winning ribbons are cool too. And yes a car would be a much better prize but the taxes would be killer on those.

Greg nice you have something to use it on now!

Several years ago, my husband and I went to Water World in Denver for a little weekend vacation. There was a radio station there doing a live remote and having little contests throughout the day. We stopped by the crowded gathering around the radio van to see what the hype was about. After a short trivia contest, they did a "moon walk" contest. Several individuals entered the circle one by one to do their best "moon walk" with Michael Jackson music playing. I kept telling my husband..."I can do that better than THEY are doing it!!" He kept urging me to get out there and do it. Well...I'm incredibly shy...but with enough encouraging and a supportive husband, I got out there and did my "moon walk". After several contestants, they lined us up and held their hand over each of our heads as they went down the line and had the crowd cheer for their favorite. They got to me...and the crowd cheered and clapped louder than any of the others...and I WON!! LOL! A shy white girl from Wyoming WON the moon walk contest in Denver! LOL! I won an awesome Pepsi Beach towel and sunglasses! :) LOL! And it goes with a great story! That was the first and last time I ever did the moon walk in public. LOL!

BUMP

Diane that is cool and that took guts if you are shy!

$100... yet I think the best came from winning 2nd place in Non-Pro Architecture: Bridge category at the Lucie Awards photo contest and of my series had 2 images chosen for Best in Show Exhibition that toured around. I had only been shooting for about 1.5 yrs and it was the first time I ever entered their contest, so I was very honored to have my work recognized

~ Charly

Thanks Andee! I am really shy...not as bad as I used to be...but still shy in certain situations. LOL! My husband...and certain life events over the past few years...and just getting older...has brought me out of my shell.

2 tickets to see Siegfried and Roy in Las Vegas was the "biggest" prize.

the best.. a fish fossil as a door prize at an indian art auction.

Charly money is always a good prize for sure! And great on the photo contest as well!

Diane sometimes we just have to step out of shyness and find it is not so bad after all!

Bob that sounds like a fun door prize. Was that show good? I never saw them. Never been to Vegas either.

Michael's those are fine to include tool That is very nice to be able to earn money from those too. Very nice. I bet you became popular with the kids winning kids items! :)

@Andee..... I have a pretty loyal fan base in this town.... I take a lot of pictures here and am quite popular in their Facebook group..... Plus it was a big event for the schools so I am not surprised people spent money

I didn't remember some of these until I was reading the posts above!

First thing I remember is in 9th grade, won a blue ribbon for a pinhole camera photo. Art teacher entered it in a or county or state school 'thing'. I don't know that I knew it was entered.

Won some cash ($?) answering trivia question on radio show....what game do you double in and out of? was the question.

Won $500 or $600, name called out on a radio show, someone called me so I could call in :)

Won a drawing at Michael's Craft Store, big nice tote bag and a gift certificate.

Won sirius satellite radio from Harris Teeter, didn't know I was entered in that either. That was, like 8 yrs ago and I just installed it this year...wasn't driving enough to justify a monthly expense for the service until lately, so I splurged and installed it before my Charleston NC photo trip earlier this year.

Going to win the HGTV Urban home in Asheville NC this year....yep, just putting that out there in the Universe ;o)

In 2013, Ovation TV ran an art contest and the winner would receive a $500 Visa gift card. Submissions were to be posted to their Facebook page and the winner chosen by someone within Ovation TV. When they announced the winner, we were all livid. The person took some clipart and colorized it and added a phrase about the initiative the art was to represent. After some back and forth and the "winner" claiming it was his work (we all proved otherwise), another winner was chosen. Me.
This was the winner:

That gift card helped pay for upgrading my garden.

Another interesting win.
A car club was having a long weekend rally in Wildwood, NJ and they were selling 50/50 tickets. I bought 10. This car club banned me and several others for comments in their forum, so, as a joke, i designed t-shirts (and sold them) with a big red circle with a slash over the club's initials. Around the circle were the words, "the few, the proud, the banned". It was not going over well with the admins. LOL
Come time to call the numbers and the guy, Mark, said he wanted everyone to stand and as he called them, if you didn't have it, sit down. Well, my last 3 numbers were 800-809. He got to that first 0 and i whispered to the man next to me "I just won".
It was $500 cash and when I went to give Mark a hug,wearing that shirt, he stood there like he was being hugged by a bear. People were cheering and calling my name while others just shook their heads. Best win ever!

All I've ever won was ribbons. I used to win lots of ribbons for my art in the county fair and art shows when I was a kid. The most recent ribbon I won was just an honorable mention, but I worked hard for that thing. It was in the annual garden photography show at the Tulsa Garden Center. A lot of people enter that show and few ever place. So the last time I entered, I won a honerable mention and last year I was in Australia and couldn't enter, but this year I'll be back in Tulsa. And I've read their rules very closely and they do not say anything about where the pictures were taken. And I've been thinking about that contest for almost two years now....Maybe I will actually place this year!!

I have enjoyed reading all of these... so fun!

Well, when I was in high school I decided one Christmas to paint my mother's front picture window to look like a postcard (that I made up). To my surprise, I won the Yard of the Month contest, and they gave me a transister radio. Otherwise I get ribbons for my paintings sometimes.

How fun is that and that your mom let you paint her window too. Do you still have that radio?

I've only won smaller stuff - the Oxford (?) Atlas from Amazon last year; a lowe lens changing bag, little bits of money. In a few art shows I've won awards - the biggest I think was about $100 - some also came with free registration the following year. I've twice won 1st Place Photography at the Madison Art Guilds summer salon - the last time I won all of $30. Still waiting, along with the rest oft he world, to win something big.

Steven you are right a big win is a nice dream to have. But you still got some really nice things too. And you can never go wrong with a little bit of money.

A day at the horse races with 3 friends and a Limo ride to/from. FYI: They scheduled it for the day after the races closed for the season.

So you did not get your prize? That is not fair!

A company I worked for in the past that bribed us to go to meetings with gift card drawings. I won a $50 gift card. Years ago I also won an ipod shuffle for being a certain number customer in line at the supermarket.

Those are nice prizes Ruth.

That reminds me of when I went to a Taste of Home presentation and they do a lot of give aways and they give away all the food they cook in the dish they made it in. I got a red corningware dish filled with homemade Cinnamon rolls. They smelled so good they were still warm. I shared them with all my family, that was fun. I even have a photo of those cinnamon rolls in my sweets for the sweets gallery.

Gosh...I have won a LOT of things! The best? I won a $250 gift card... $200 cash... a small 'flip' video camera...etc... etc....

Right after I started doing photography, I took a horrible picture of a swan-the swan was beautiful, but there was distracting stuff all around it. I started playing with it in photoshop, blacked the background, and reflected it so it looked as if it was looking down at its reflection. I entered it in the local Artist guild show that year (I had just joined the guild and was nearly the only photographer. I won the show (Big ribbon and bragging rights) but the biggest deal about it was Phil Leventis, who is a senator or something bought the print for his wife for her birthday, anf sold about 50 more prints of it within two weeks.

bump

All I ever win is praise.

I won $10,000!
I used to go to this photo store to order prints all the time..One day, their computer were down, they suggested I go their other store in the big mall across the street. When I was there waiting for my my turn for the computer I noticed a ballot box nearby for a contest to win $10,000 to shop at the mall. I fill in the ballot dropped it in the box then completely forgot about it.
A couple of months later, a knock on my door, a courier hanged me a official looking envelop, it was a letter to inform me I was the winner of the contest! I got $10,000 credit on my VISA card so i took the amount as cash advance and deposit into my account.

won a full topaz bundle years ago

More cool prizes! And Andy there is still time to win something in addition to praise! :)

Alfred I need to find a contest like that to win!

Thanks to all for adding theirs too!

Andee, I think I am a lucky person, anther time, I was in a books fair, a lady tried to get me to listen to a author talk about her book, she said you will get a change to win a signed copy by the autho.r.I told her I will go but doubt I will win that book but guess what? they draw my number and I won!

My wife won a half carat diamond ring guessing how long it would take 1 ton of ice to melt in summer in NC. Art wise - Best of show and purchase and another time about $2,500. On FAA - I sold a pillow.

Alfred you can not win if you do not enter so that tells us to try! :) Good thing you entered!

Roy did you wife just guess or did she know how to figure it out? That is cool!

When I was a teenager I entered a Mothers Day draw being held by Air Canada and to my surprise my name got picked and me and my mother got to fly around the island of Newfoundland for a few hours free of charge. We fly low enough to see much of the province, lunch onboard pretty cool day.

When I was 6 I won a play tent in a coloring contest.

Oh those are cool prizes!