"781." "Fuuuck you."

December 16, 2006 9:32 PM

Has anybody on the Price Is Right, when overbid by one dollar, ever won because the actual retail price was exactly the amount they bid?
posted by GooseOnTheLoose to Media & Arts (21 answers total)

To clarify:
Person A bid $780. Person B, the wisenheimer, bid $781.

"And the actual retail price of hypothetical object is...$781!!"

Person B, therefore, won by overbidding $1.

That's what you meant, right?
posted by niles at 9:57 PM on December 16, 2006

No, I think the goose means the actual price was $780, so person A won.
posted by teg at 10:00 PM on December 16, 2006

Niles, the person who wins would have been "overbid by one" -- so Person A would have been the winner.
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:00 PM on December 16, 2006

I think he meant a case where Person A wins, because the price was exactly $780. Interesting, because the "overbid by $1" strategy is otherwise kind of to bad for original bidders - if someone bids just $1 more than you, your odds of success drop dramatically.
posted by amtho at 10:01 PM on December 16, 2006

Hey, if either case has come up, let's hear about it.
posted by IvyMike at 10:03 PM on December 16, 2006

In searching for an answer I came across this, which has to be just as unlikely. :)
posted by danb at 10:14 PM on December 16, 2006 [2 favorites]

Check out this Showcase Showdown video on Youtube: Price is Right Showcase -- Close Finish.
posted by Aanidaani at 10:51 PM on December 16, 2006

I have no proof, but I seem to recall this happening once. I remember feeling kind of smug on behalf of the original bidder and a little disappointed that they didn't stick their tongue out at the dollar-over bidder.
posted by diamondsky at 10:55 PM on December 16, 2006

At some point, the show added a rule stipulating a minimum separation between bids, $50 I think. I don't know how many years that $1 nonsense was going on before the producers decided to do something about it.
posted by ceribus peribus at 12:55 AM on December 17, 2006

Really, ceribus? That was a staple of the Price is Right well into the 90s. And danb, that link is amazing! Here's another $29 difference, though not quite as cool as Aanidaani's link (Here's a $5 double-showcase winner). And here's a couple of 1.00 spinners, but not exactly what you were looking for.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:00 AM on December 17, 2006

ceribus.... I was unemployed this summer and watched a lot of Price is Right. There is no minimum separation. The $1 overbid is alive and well.
posted by kimdog at 5:44 AM on December 17, 2006

ceribus: I watch TPiR almost every day. There is no minimum bid seperation.
posted by drleary at 7:34 AM on December 17, 2006

For those who want to know the ins and outs of attending TPIR and learn some tips about how to get chosen (it is NOT a random pick, as many people think) feel free to read about my trip to TPIR back in February.
posted by camworld at 9:40 AM on December 17, 2006

please pardon my not answering the question, but Camworld - that was a great post to your blog! Very interesting!!
posted by matty at 10:03 AM on December 17, 2006

I hate the people who bid by overbid by $1, especially when they win. If I was the original bidder to who they are overbidding, I'd be pissed! As for the question, I don't think anyone has ever gotten that price exactly, it's used more as a strategy to get closer to the actual bid then. I understood your question as:

player A bids 500, player B bids 501, Actual retail price: 501

I don't think that has ever happened, but I have no proof, Im only going by memory from the show's that I've watched.
posted by spacesbetween at 11:53 AM on December 17, 2006

Folks, GooseOnTheLoose's question is really clear if you take time to actually read it.

Person A bids n dollars. Person B bids n + 1 dollars. Actual retail price is n dollars, so person A wins.

Unfortunately, I don't know the answer.
posted by musicinmybrain at 12:00 PM on December 17, 2006

Probably should have used the term outbid instead of overbid as in TPIR overbid usually means you bid over the price of the product.
posted by Null Pointer and the Exceptions at 12:57 PM on December 17, 2006

Ditto Diamondsky--I can recall it happening, but don't have proof. I'm sure it's happened, though.
posted by Cricket at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2006

I do recall seeing in the past, one person bidding $1, another bid $2, and another bid $3.
posted by IndigoRain at 4:24 PM on December 17, 2006

I've seen it happen at least twice, where the +1 bidder turned out to be a perfect price $500 bonus winner.

Personally, I despise people who, as the last bidder, decide to bid under everyone else, but don't bid the single dollar.
posted by nomisxid at 10:31 PM on December 17, 2006

I hate the people who bid by overbid by $1, especially when they win.

I hate it when the last bidder doesn't either overbid another bidder by $1, or bid $1, because those are the only logical bids. (Unless the bidder is so certain of the exact price that he has a good shot at getting the price exactly, and getting the $N bonus for doing so, but that would be a rare exception.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:51 AM on December 18, 2006