Sale of The Century Wiki
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Hosts
Jack Kelly - 1969-1971
Joe Garagiola - 1971-1974
Jim Perry - 1983-1989
Hostesses
Madelyn Sanders - 1969-1974
Barbara Lyon - 1969-1971
Kit Dougherty - 1971-1974
Sally Julian - 1983
Lee Menning - 1983-1984
Lou Mulford - Sub for Lee in 1984
Summer Robin Bartholomew - 1984-1989
Announcers
Bill Wendell (1969-1974)
Jay Stewart (1983-1988)
Don Morrow (1988-1989)
Broadcast
NBC: 9/29/1969 - 7/13/1973
Syndicated: 9/10/1973 - 9/13/1974
Sale of the Century
NBC: 1/3/1983 - 3/24/1989
Syndicated 1/7/1985 - 9/19/1986
Packagers
Jones/Howard Productions (1969-1974)
Reg Grundy Productions (1983-1989)
Syndication Distributors
Screen Gems (1973-1974)
Genesis Entertainment (1985-1986)

This article is about the American version of Sale of the Century, a game show format mixed in with shopping and bargaining, where contestants could answer questions and buy prizes at a low cost.

The first version (from which the Sale format originated) aired on NBC from September 1969 to 1973 as a daytime game show. A syndicated version also aired from September 1973 to September 1974.

A second version (borrowing elements from the then-successful Australian version) also aired on NBC daytime from January 1983 to March 1989, with a syndicated nighttime version airing from January 1985 to September 1986.

Premise[]

The format centered around three contestants answering general knowledge questions, buying prizes at a low cost, and attempting to win a huge cash jackpot.

Gameplay[]

Three contestants (one usually being a returning champion) were given $20 to start. The host asked a series of questions, all of which were toss-ups, and only one person could answer each one. During the NBC run, many of the questions asked were based on events or topics that were relevant to the then-present year or then very recently, while the syndicated run used mostly general knowledge questions. The first contestant to buzz-in with a correct answer scored $5, but an incorrect answer or not answering in time lost $5; however, scores could never go below zero.

In the 1969–1974 version, the players were given $25 to start, and the questions increased in value throughout the game from $5, to $10 after the second round of questions, to $15 each after the fourth set of questions; however, if a contestant's score was reduced to $0, they were eliminated from the game. Later, the $15 questions were replaced with five $20 questions (this was called the "Century Round", because the total value of the questions was $100). From 1973 to 1974, the game was played with two couples; each started with $20 and if either couples score was reduced to $0, they were both given an additional $20.

Instant Bargain[]

During the game, contestants were given a chance to buy a special prize at a bargain price. To buy the prize, a contestant had to hit his/her buzzer; doing so won the prize which became his/hers to keep win or lose, but the bargain value of the prize was deducted from his/her score.

On the original version, all three contestants could buy a prize. The first contestant to buzz in after the prize was revealed purchased that prize, and the price was deducted from his or her score. The prices of all prizes offered on this version were expressed much as one would hear in a department store (ending with "and 95 cents"), and the prices increased as the episode progressed (e.g. $7.95, $11.95, $14.95, $21.95). All prize values were rounded up to the nearest dollar before being subtracted from the score of the contestant who purchased the prize. Each Instant Bargain was hidden behind a curtain, and contestants could not buzz in before the curtain opened. A contestant who did buzz in early was penalized by having the cost of the Instant Bargain deducted from their score and being locked out of purchasing the prize.

On the 1980s version, only the player in the lead or contestants who were tied could buy a prize. Jim Perry usually tempted the contestant by offering some extra cash and/or lowering the bargain price of the prize, and afterward he said, "Going once, Going twice." If the contestant did not ring in, he said, “No sale.” Sometimes, instant bargains offered "Sale Surprises", which were bonus cash amounts ranging from about $500 to $1,000, and the contestant who bought the prize got the bonus cash. Sale Surprises were added to the show by May 1984. The surprise would only be revealed either after the player bought the prize, or after Jim said, “No sale.” For a brief time in early 1984, any contestant who bought an Instant Bargain could answer a "Money Back Question", and if correctly answered, won back the bargain value of the prize.

During the 1985–1986 syndicated run, the typical values of Instant Bargains were accordingly:

  • First – $300-$800, "yours today for only" $5-$6.
  • Second – $600-$1,500, "yours today for only" $9-$12.
  • Third – $900-$2,500, "yours today for only" $13-$17.

By mid-1986 on the daytime version, with Instant Cash played as the third Instant Bargain, the first segment could be worth as much as $1,500 and the second sometimes was as much as $3,000. During that time, the first Instant Bargain would be offered for $5 or $6, while the second was offered for $10 or $11.

On occasion, a Sale "Garage Sale" was held during one of the Instant Bargain segments, which was simply a collection of three to five prizes previously offered in Instant Bargains, but not won. If the player(s) eligible for the Instant Bargain passed, Perry would open up the Instant Bargain to the other players, and would often lower the price to as low as $1 until someone decided to buy or all three players declined and a "no sale" was declared. The "Garage Sale" was the only time any of the players could potentially buy an Instant Bargain, and Perry noted that this opportunity allowed players who were well behind and not likely to win an opportunity to come away with some prize winnings.

Open House/Audience Sale (Original Version Only)[]

The "Open Sale" round was played in early episodes, usually about halfway through a particular episode (after the third round of questions). Five prizes were presented to the contestants and each could buy as many of them as he/she wanted. Unlike Instant Bargains, multiple contestants could buy the same item. This was later replaced with an "Audience Sale" round in which three members of the studio audience guessed the "sale price" of an item. The one that bid closest without going over won the item. The three contestants could increase their score by correctly guessing which, if any, audience member would win.

Instant Cash[]

Beginning in March 1986, the third Instant Bargain was replaced with the new Instant Cash. The player in the lead faced three black boxes numbered 1, 2 and 3. Two of them had $100 bills while the remaining one contained a cash jackpot that started at $1,000, plus another $1,000 for every day it wasn't won (the highest it ever reached was $17,000 with $16,000 being won at least twice, including on the penultimate episode on March 23, 1989 and won for $14,000 at least twice, including Linda Credit's May 1987 Instant Cash win). To play, the player in the lead had to surrender his/her lead (the price was the difference between the leader and the second place player). In case of a tie for the lead, a Dutch auction was held between those players. If he/she decided to play (by hitting his/her buzzer) or whoever decided to play, the player selected one of the boxes and whatever the amount inside was, it was his/hers to keep.

Fame Game[]

There was no Fame Game in the original version; it was added when the show returned in 1983. In all three rounds, all three players got to participate in the Fame Game. It started with the host reading a "Who am I?" type of question in which the clues would become easier as time progressed. Each Fame Game question had a maximum of ten clues. The first player to buzz in had the right to answer. An incorrect answer forced that player to sit out the rest of the question without money penalties. If at anytime a contestant gives an incorrect answer, then changes to a correct answer, the question was thrown out, and replaced with a new question for a substitute Fame Game for the remaining contestant(s). The first player to buzz in with a correct answer faced a game board with nine numbers (1–9). Behind those numbers were cash awards, prizes, surprises and Money Cards. Denominations of $10, $15 and $25 were added respectively in each round. By late 1984, there was an occasional $5 Money Card as well; for a brief time after its introduction, the $5 card had a plus (+) sign after it, meaning the contestant who found it got a second pick of the board, adding either a second Money Card, a prize, or cash to the turn.

The player in control chose a number, and whatever cash and prizes he/she found was his/hers to keep, regardless of the outcome of the game. If a Money Card was found, its value was added to the his/her score. Plus, at various times during the run, there were two spaces (three in the more earlier episodes) that gave the player in control to either take a cash prize or choose another number (one marked $400 and called "$400 or Pick Again" (sometimes accompanied by a space marked $200 and called "$200 or Pick Again"), the other marked with a mystery amount between $1.75 & $1,500; this was called "Mystery Money or Pick Again"). At one time in 1984, there was a space called "True or False".

The prizes themselves ranged in value from just more than $100 to $500 during the first year; by 1984, all Fame Game prizes were worth at least $200, and although some were worth as much as $2,000, they mostly tended to fall within the $300-$750 range.

When the show started, the Fame Game board consisted of faces of celebrities (many of them NBC-related) instead of numbers. There was only one Money Card (the $25 Money Card) hidden on the board, and the rest were prizes. Thus, finding the $25 Money Card early made the other Fame Game(s) useless since there were only prizes left. By July 1983, the $10 and $15 Money Cards would start to appear on the board.

Beginning in October 1985, the board became randomized. Lights around the numbers would flash at random, and stopped when the player in control hit his/her buzzer. In addition "Mystery Money or Pick Again" was renamed "Mystery Money or Try Again"; plus, the Money Cards were revealed at the outset. Once the player stopped the board, that was what he/she got, and whatever it was, that number would be taken off the board for the remaining Fame Games in the show.

On the special week of September 15-19, 1986, the board was used as a Play-Along Home Viewer Sweepstakes. Before the show, Summer Bartholomew drew three cards out of the bin. Unlike the regular Fame Game, instead of prizes, all other numbers were cash. Whatever the player hit, the Home Viewer received the money. If a player hit a Money Card, the Home Viewer won $1,000.

On special weeks from 1988 to 1989, the board was used to determine who would win a brand new car in a game of high number wins.

Final Round[]

For the first year in the 1980s version, host Perry would read three more $5 questions for a total of $15. This was scrapped when many games were well already decided prior to this point, in favor of the well-remembered Speed Round by late March 1984.

Speed Round[]

In the Speed Round, the host would ask as many questions as possible during the next 60 seconds (originally 90). Correct answers were still worth $5 (with incorrect answers also deducting that amount).

During Speed Round play, Jim would call out one of the following responses:

  • "Right" (originally "That's right") if a contestant answered correctly.
  • "Wrong" (originally "[That is/That's] incorrect/wrong") if a contestant answered incorrectly.
  • "Time" if a contestant failed to answer in the time required, or if none of the contestants buzzed in to the associated question.
    • In most cases, after the Speed Round ended, Jim would then read out the answers to the questions that were either answered incorrectly or missed.

Unlike most versions of Sale which used the Speed Round, the game was over once the clock finished, even if a contestant had buzzed in at the last second to answer a question. In addition, the clock was not stopped at any point in the game, even if a contestant answered before or when Jim called "Time" on a question.


The player with the most money won the game. If there was a tie at the end, the host would read one final question (a Fame Game/Who am I question in the earlier months of the 1980s version). A correct answer won $5 more and the game, but an incorrect answer cost $5 and the game. In the case of a three way tie, the first contestant to buzz-in and miss was out of the game. The winning player became Sale of the Century champion and in the final years of the show also won a bonus prize, while the losers kept their final scores in cash in addition to everything else.

Shopping[]

The champion won a chance to buy a grand prize at a bargain price using his/her winning score.

A series of prizes (four on the original version, six on the 1980s version) were on display with the biggest prize being a brand new luxury car. The champion could either buy the grand prize (for which he/she had enough money to buy with) and leave the show, or return on the next show with the money scored that day being added to the next day's winning score. In the original version and in the 1980s version Tournament of Champions, (grand) champions could buy more than one prize. Occasionally in the 1980s version, if a champion scored more than enough to buy the next prize in line while shooting for the intended target prize, then the champion had a choice between those two prizes. In the original version, the highest the winning contestant could buy was (usually) a new car.

Meanwhile, the 1980s version allowed contestants to win every single prize on the stage plus some extra cash. In the beginning, the extra cash was added to total the grand value to exactly $95,000, depending on how much the prizes were totaled to. Then on May 23, 1983, a cash jackpot was added. It started at $50,000 and increased by $1,000 each day until somebody won it.

In the original version, when contestants chose to return the next day, they were asked which prizes they were considering buying. As long as the contestant kept winning, those prizes remained while others were replaced by more expensive ones.

On the 1973-1974 syndicated series, the winning couple answered a series of questions worth $100 and could stop at anytime and buy one of three prizes (trip, fur, or car). Later, the couple had to correctly answer three questions to win one of the three prizes, the difficulty of which depended on its sale price; the low-end prize was $50 a question, the medium prize was worth $100, and the high-end prize was worth $200.

Shopping prices[]

1983-1984 daytime
From the start to at least March 1983, the sale prices for the six on-stage prizes varied from week to week. By about mid-April 1983, they were fixed to:

  • $55 – $2,000 to $2,500 prize
  • $120 – $3,500 to $4,000 prize
  • $185 – $5,000 to $7,000 prize
  • $250 – $10,000 to $12,000 prize
  • $335 – $20,000 to $25,000 prize (typically a boat, but occasionally other prizes)
  • $420 – $35,000+ car (in the earliest months a Mercedes-Benz, later a Cadillac)
  • $510 – Originally, all of the above plus enough cash to round out the Lot to exactly $95,000. Beginning on May 23, 1983, this level became a Cash Jackpot that started at $50,000 and went up by $1,000 per day until won.
  • $600 – Once the Cash Jackpot was added, $600 was the goal for the Lot (all six prizes and the Cash Jackpot).

Once the Speed Round came into play in March 1984, the values were upped to the following:

  • $75
  • $160
  • $245
  • $330
  • $435
  • $540 (car)
  • $650 (Cash Jackpot)
  • $760 (The Lot)

1985 nighttime
When the syndicated series debuted, the prize structure ran as follows, with each of the first five levels below roughly corresponding to the same spot prize-wise as the daytime run:

  • $85
  • $195
  • $285
  • $390
  • $485
  • $610 (car)
  • $720 (all prizes)
  • $830 (The Lot)

Beginning on the 16th episode (January 28, 1985), these were tweaked slightly to their more familiar structure:

  • $85 (unchanged)
  • $175
  • $260
  • $340
  • $445
  • $530 (car)
  • $640 (all prizes)
  • $750 (The Lot)

The price drops were probably done to make getting the prizes a bit easier: during the first three weeks, no champion stayed on for more than four days, no player banked more than $223, and nobody opted to purchase an endgame prize. Note also the progression: for the first three weeks, the price jumps were $110-$90-$105-$95-$125-$110-$110, whereas the standard structure had jumps of $90-$85-$80-$105-$85-$110-$110.

Big Winners during the 80s shopping era[]

Daytime

  • Michael Todaro – He was the first-ever Lot winner on this incarnation of $ale, winning $99,613 in late January 1983; he returned in November 1983 to compete in the third semifinal week of the very first Tournament of Champions, losing to Fran Wolfe, and left with a final total of around $100,000.
  • Cathy Powers - She was the second Lot winner of the 80's revival in February 1983, winning over $98,000; she was a finalist in the first ever Tournament of Champions in October-November 1983 and left with a final grand total of more than $123,000.
  • Helen Darvall - She became the third Lot winner of the 80's revival in early March 1983, winning $100,466; she returned in November 1983 for the first ever Tournament of Champions, competing on the third semifinal week and lost to Fran Wolfe.
  • Mort Kamins – He was the fourth Lot winner in the 1980s revival, He won $107,369 in March 1983, and later went on to win the very first Tournament of Champions (November 1983), winning a grand total of $249,982.
  • Richard Heft – He won an $82,000 Cash Jackpot in July 12, 1983 (his grand total was $88,198), and was the first person to claim the jackpot.
  • Barbara Philips – She won $151,689 in August 9, 1983, becoming the first contestant to win over $150,000 on a daytime network show. On her final show, Phillips needed $116 to win all the prizes plus the Cash Jackpot ($68,000), and she won everything in dramatic fashion, needing to answer the final three $5 questions correctly, thus making her the only player to win all the prizes and the Cash Jackpot as well as the final daytime player to win the Lot (all the other big network winners took the Cash Jackpot and left).
  • Fran Wolfe - She captured a $67,000 cash jackpot in late August 1983 and was a finalist in the first Tournament of Champions in November 1983; her final winnings were $98,048.
  • Kathy Riley – She won a $78,000 Cash Jackpot in January 1984, albeit in a rather anticlimactic fashion: Kathy was $15 ahead of Bob, one of her opponents, as the game was going to the final three questions, which meant that Bob needed to correctly answer all three to tie the game. Roger, who was in a distant third, buzzed in on the first question, therefore giving Kathy the Cash Jackpot by default… although nobody seemed to realize this until Bob missed the second question, at which point Jim threw away the last question and declared Kathy the winner. The Speed Round was instituted shortly thereafter.
  • David Rogers – He won $122,084 in April 1984, including a $109,000 Cash Jackpot (the highest ever won on the show). His big win came just two weeks after a previous champion, Dawn McKellar, tried for a $99,000 Jackpot but lost the game by just $2. Rogers was among the first big winners since the incorporation of the Speed Round, and later appeared on Jeopardy! in 1987 (under the name David Nagy); he returned to play in the second game of the second Tournament of Champions in February 1985 and lost to eventual champion Stephanie Holmquist. He previously appeared on Tic Tac Dough in the fall of 1982 as a winner of at least six matches.
  • Bill Baxter – He won a $70,000 Cash Jackpot in somewhat dramatic fashion in May 1984 and left with total winnings of $85,256. Baxter had a total of $659 in his account the day of his big win, and would've needed to come back the next day and win with at least $101 to get the Lot, which totaled $142,855; he returned to the show in February 1985 to play in the second Tournament of Champions, won a living room set and made the second semifinal game before losing and retired with final winnings of around $90,000.
  • Ian Barondess - Won a $58,000 cash jackpot in May 1984 for total winnings of over $73,000 and competed in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions; he later appeared on Jeopardy! in 1986.
  • David Herelko - He won an $82,000 cash jackpot in early July 1984 and total winnings of over $97,000; he returned in February 1985 to compete in the show's second Tournament of Champions and won a Piano and reached the first semifinal game before losing and retiring with a final grand total of over $104,000.
  • Susan Wolfe – She won $69,798 in July 1984, including a $61,000 Cash Jackpot; she returned in February 1985 to compete in the second Tournament of Champions, winning a jet ski and reaching the first semi-final game and was defeated by eventual champion Stephanie Holmquist and retired with final winnings of almost $75,000.
  • Joe Lasher - He captured a $57,000 Cash Jackpot in August 1984 and returned to compete in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions where he lost in his quarterfinal game against eventual champion Stephanie Holmquist. His final grand total was around $70,000.
  • Stephanie Holmquist – She won a $74,000 Cash Jackpot in September 1984 (about a month before the debut of the Winner's Board) with her bank account on the show. Her cash and prize total was $83,337. Stephanie had $723 when she bought the Jackpot, and she would have needed at least $37 or more on the next show to win the Lot, which totaled $147,095. In February 1985, she appeared again, this time in the Tournament of Champions, where she won $35,000 and a Porsche. Her total winnings were $152,897, which was the highest ever in daytime at that time, until her record was overtaken by Tom O'Brien two years later.
  • Stefan Chasnov - He won a $58,000 Cash Jackpot in late September 1984 (approximately four weeks before the debut of the Winner's Board) and returned to compete in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions where he lost to Bill Baxter by a split-second in the speed round. His final winnings came to around $64,000.
  • Bill Fogel – He won $66,459 in October 1984 (a week before the Winner's Board's debut), including a $61,000 Cash Jackpot, but not before winning the game with $145 (setting an all-time main game record). Bill was the last big-money winner of the NBC shopping era and had a total of $721 in his account the day of his big win; a win of just $39 more would have won the Lot, which totaled $131,761. He competed on the show twice more, first in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions (where he lost) and the International Invitational Tournament in January 1987 where he reached the US Finals before losing and finished with a final grand total of almost $75,000.

Syndication

  • John Gose – He won $156,339, including a $72,000 Cash Jackpot, in February 1985, becoming the first player on this version to win the Lot. In his final game, Gose had $655 in his account, needing at least $95 to win everything on the stage, and he won the game with exactly $95. It was revealed after his big win that John was between jobs at the time, making the fact he continued to take risks that much more remarkable.
  • Helaine Lowey – She won $142,974 in February 1985, including a $64,000 Cash Jackpot. On her final show, Lowey had $703 in her account, needing at least $47 to win the Lot.
  • Alice Conkright – She won $141,406 in April 1985, including a $77,000 Jackpot, in only six shows (the shortest amount of time it took anyone to do so on the American version; the three other nighttime lot winners all needed eight shows to win) and won every single show with at least $115, including a record $145 (tying Bill Fogel's record) on two separate occasions. On her first show, she defeated Michael Friedman, who himself needed $101 to win the $72,000 Cash Jackpot. In her final show, Conkright had $660 in her account, needing at least $90 for the Lot. She won her final game easily with $115 to her opponents who finished with $20 and $25 respectively.
    • In addition to her adeptness at answering questions, she refused to buy any of the Instant Bargains she had a chance to take despite the cajoling of host Jim Perry, even when she had seemingly insurmountable leads (which kept her scores relatively high). Jim remarked on her final show she had turned down a total of $11,000 in cash offers along with the Instant Bargain prizes.
  • Tim Holleran – He won $166,875 in September 1985, including a $90,000 Cash Jackpot (the highest it ever got on this version, and second only to the $109,000 jackpot won by David Rogers in daytime), becoming the biggest winner in American Sale history (notwithstanding tournaments). In his final show, Holleran had $707 in his account, needing at least $43 for the Lot. In 1987, Holleran competed in the International Invitational Tournament, and was the United States' representative in the Finals. He finished second place to Cary Young of Australia, but won additional money during the Tournament, giving him a final total of $183,373. NOTE: A young Kevin Nealon appeared onstage to congratulate Tim after his Lot win.

80s Bonus Games[]

In the later years of the 80s revival, the shopping format was dropped, and new bonus rounds were played.

Winner's Board[]

Starting in October 1984 on the NBC version, and November 18, 1985 on the syndicated version, the winning contestant faced the Winner's Board. The Winner's Board consisted of 20 numbered squares. Behind those numbers were eight matching pairs of prizes (one of which was $3,000), and two WIN cards which constituted an automatic match. The champion picked off numbers to reveal the prizes, and the first prize matched was the prize won. If at any time one of the WIN cards was revealed, the next prize revealed was the prize won. The two biggest prizes were $10,000 and a new car; both of which appeared only once. To win either of the big prizes, the player had to first find one of the WIN cards, then find one of those prizes. Should the two big prizes be left on the board, then only two numbers hiding those prizes would be shown. There was no bonus for finding both WIN cards in succession; the champion simply picked another number.

The combined value of all the prizes, including $13,000 cash, nominally added up to between $50,000-$60,000.

Once the board was cleared (all prizes matched), the champion then had to make a decision: either keep all the prizes and retire, or play one more game for a chance at adding an additional $50,000. The catch in the latter instance was that the contestant, if he/she wanted the opportunity, had to put all 10 of the Winner's Board prizes up as collateral (essentially it was a form of competing against the house). (All front game prizes, such as Instant Bargains, Instant Cash, Sale Surprises, and Fame Game prizes, were not at risk.) A champion winning by at least $1 awarded the $50,000, as well as being allowed to keep the 10 Winner's Board prizes and retiring undefeated; if one of the champion's opponents won, however, he/she lost all the Winner's Board prizes.

Based on circulating episodes and fan recollections, all contestants who took the risk won their final game. However, more than once, the final game came down to the closing seconds of the Speedround before the win was secured, and at least once -- in the case of Mark DeCarlo, in April 1985 -- a tiebreaker was needed to determine the day's winner; he won after the opponent he was tied with at the end of the Speedround rang in too early and gave an incorrect answer, costing her $5 and the game.

Furthermore, there were at least seven daytime contestants (Jeff Hewitt and Margerite Newhouse (both in 1984), Tim O'Rourke and Dave Goodman (both in 1985), Judy Cahill (1986), Andy Ross and John Homa (both in 1987)) who opted to walk away after winning their 10th game. Plus, there were several contestants who lost on their 10th game, with two of those contestants failing to win only the car and another needing to clear just the $10,000. Another 10th-game loser, Jody Spreckles, was invited back to a show after a judge's error was discovered; she reclaimed her championship by defeating a six-day champion, and went on to win the $50,000 bonus after a suspenseful Speed Round.

In the transition from the Shopping to the Winner's Board, the champion at that point was given the option to leave with the prize offered, or keep the prize and continue as champion into the new format. In both the daytime show and the syndicated series, the champion chose the latter. Debbie Morris, the champion on the NBC show kept a prize and on the first ever Winner's Board show the champion successfully defended her crown (winning a TV). The champion on the syndicated show kept a $5,000 custom women's wardrobe (by French designer Ted Lapidus) and on the first syndicated Winner's Board show the champion successfully defended his crown (winning a Beverly Hills Shopping Spree).

Big Winners from this era[]

Daytime

  • Jeff Hewitt – One of the first champions to clear the Winner's Board in late 1984, he declined to go for the $50,000 bonus, leaving with $72,794; He returned to compete in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions where he finished as the runner-up finalist with final winnings of over $87,000.
  • Margerite Newhouse – She won over $65,000 in late 1984, including winning a new Mercedes-Benz in dramatic fashion during her next-to last game with two prizes and four numbers left on the Winner's Board. Newhouse declined to go for the $50,000 bonus.
    • During the debut of the Winner's Board format, she lost due to an error (Debbie Morris, the last winner of the previous bonus, won that day), so she was brought back a few weeks later.
    • She came back to compete in the February 1985 Tournament of Champions where she lost her quarterfinal game to Bill Baxter.
  • Tim O'Rourke – He won $62,843 in January 1985, declining to go for the $50,000 bonus; he competed in the last quarterfinal game of the February 1985 Tournament of Champions and lost.
  • Cindy Barr – She won $111,590 in June 1985; her final-day score was $115, and her 10th-day prize was a white-iron and brass-accented bed. During her congratulatory celebration, Barr announced that a portion of her winnings was going to various charities to feed children in Africa.
  • Mark DeCarlo – His final game (April 1985) came down to a climactic tiebreaker. His opponent buzzed in early and answered incorrectly, which by default netted him the win and the $50,000 bonus, for a grand total of $115,257 (his cash total is $69,400). He was the first contestant to win the $50,000 bonus. He won $10,000 on his 10th day; prior to his 10th victory, he picked up a Mexican cruise, a pearl necklace, a lady's fur coat, a high-end stereo system and a Nissan 300 ZX T-top 2 dr. coupe from the Winner's Board. Six years later, in 1991, DeCarlo would host the short-lived syndicated dating game show Studs where in an episode, the late Jim Perry made a brief walk-on appearance by introducing him on the show.
  • Jeff Colbern – He won $123,753 in April 1985, including an Oldsmobile Toronado Brougham 2 door coupe (won on his 10th day). His cash total was $70,600.
  • Dave Goodman – He took home $64,045 in December 1985, opting to retire undefeated after winning $10,000 on his 10th day.
  • Judy Cahill – In January 1986, she won $89,780; her 10th day prize was a Persian rug. Deciding she (and her husband) could do a lot of good with what had been won, she walked away.
  • Richard White – He was an attorney who won over $120,000 in May 1986, including $70,000 cash. His wife Rani won over $140,000 in the Winner's Big Money game era in April 1988, becoming the only person to win the $50,000 bonus there.
  • Jody Spreckles – She won $107,462 in August 1986 (her cash total is $68,400). Jody won her final game by $10. She had earlier lost her 10th game, but due to an error that cost her that game, she was invited back, reclaimed her championship (picking up $3,000 cash upon doing so) and went on to win everything.
  • Diane Cross – In January 1987, she was a big winner during the final year of the Winner's Board era, and was invited back for the final Tournament of Champions in 1988 and was that year's biggest tournament winner, having won a Mercedes-Benz worth over $30,000, plus other cash and prizes previously, including over $80,000 in cash and prizes during her run in the Winter of 1987. Among the prizes she won in 1987 included a $21,000+ Ferrari Daytona Spyder, a $2,000+ trip to London, England, and an unusual trip to an underwater hotel in Key Largo worth about $4,000. She won other prizes during the Tournament of Champions in 1988 along with the Mercedes-Benz, giving her a grand total of $146,995.
  • Andy Ross – He won $81,900 in early 1987, declining to go for the $50,000 bonus.
  • Linda Credit – She won $140,457 in June 1987, including a $14,000 Instant Cash jackpot (her cash total is $84,300). She then played in the 1988 Tournament of Champions and won another $5,700, for a total of $146,157. She was one of the last big winners during the Winner's Board era.
  • John Homa – He won 10 games from June 10 to 23, 1987, and won $17,000 in the Instant Cash game on June 23, 1987, won his 10th game that day, and decided not to go for the $50,000.
  • Tom O'Brien – The last big winner of the Winner's Board era, Tom won a total of $152,847 in his first eleven games (his cash total is $81,400). He was brought back for the final Tournament of Champions in 1988 and added another $20,217 to his winnings, giving him the then-biggest ever daytime total of $173,064.

Syndication

  • Curtis Warren – He was one of two Winner's Board lot winners on the syndicated show. In January 1986, he left with $136,288, including $69,600 cash; his Winner's Board take was $56,241, including a Nissan 300ZX. He would later go on to win $1.41 million on Greed in 2000, which at the time was the all-time winnings record (has since been broken four times, most recently by Brad Rutter). He also won $700 on Win Ben Stein's Money after he failed to beat Ben in the Best of 10 Test of Knowledge.
  • Lisa Muñoz – She won $122,551 in February and March 1986, including the $50,000 bonus. Lisa won her final game with a whopping $140. Her cash total is $68,200.

Winner's Big Money Game[]

On December 21, 1987, the bonus was changed one more time. In the Winner's Big Money Game, the day's champion had solve a series of six-clue word puzzles within a time limit. To start, Perry gave the champion a choice three envelopes (red, yellow, or blue). Whatever choice was made, the player started to hear and see the words of each puzzle appear one by one; as soon as he/she knew what the puzzle was talking about the contestant had to hit a plunger in front of him/her to stop the clock (the clock started when the first word appeared). If the champion was correct, he/she won the puzzle and a circled checkmark lit up on the winner's podium. He/She could miss once and continue, but two misses or time running out ended the game. The player could also buzz-in and opt to pass without penalty if he/she couldn't come up with an answer.

Solving four puzzles in 20 seconds (originally five in 25 seconds until no later than February 29, 1988) won the champion $5,000 plus $1,000 for every return trip, until he/she played the $10,000 game (a grand total of $45,000 for the first 6 Winner's Big Money Games). The next Winner's Big Money Game was worth a new car; losing that game meant the player left the show, but winning the car gave the champion the right to play one more game. Winning that final game earned a chance to play one last Winner's Big Money Game for $50,000.

Two people made it to the $50,000 Winner's Big Money Game, but only one won it. Veteran game show contestant LaRae Dillman in January 1989 and Darrell Garrison during the last week of the show in March 1989 both made it to the seventh Winner's Big Money Game, but both lost when playing for the car (there were a couple of other seventh WBMG car losses including Robin McKirahan in August 1988 who ended up leaving the show with $41,537 in total cash and prizes after her seventh match). The $50,000 bonus appears to have been eliminated as early as November 1988, as Darrell was told on-air that his last time playing the bonus would be for the car, and there was no mention of the $50,000 bonus when LaRae was playing for the car in January 1989 but lost the car and left with over $44,700 in cash and prizes. Also, during Christmas week of 1988 when a contestant won two consecutive Winner's Big Money Games, there wasn't a mention of the $50,000 Winner's Big Money Game at that point. Ironically, the $50,000 top prize was still mentioned in the opening spiel despite having been eliminated.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

  • With the introduction of the Winner's Big Money Game, the day's winner now received a bonus prize for winning the match:
    • From December 21, 1987 through February 8, 1988 (the second-to-last game of the 1988 Tournament of Champions), at the start of the second segment of the episode, the returning champion would be shown a board with six concealed prizes (labeled 1-6), and their choice would go to the day's winner.
    • On February 10, 1988, this changed so that the day's winner would choose from the board after the Speed Round, before going to play the Winner's Big Money Game.
    • On August 17, 1988 and continuing for the rest of the run, the board for choosing prizes was done away with, with the prize for the day's winner now announced by Jim before starting the main game.
  • The Winner's Big Money Game was originally the bonus round of the unsold 1985 Reg Grundy pilot Matchmates, hosted by Michael Burger.
Big Winners from this era[]
  • Rani White – She won $140,011 in May 1988, and was the only contestant to win the $50,000 bonus during this era (her cash total is almost $94,000).
  • Robin McKirahan – She won $41,537 in August of 1988 (cash total $16,400). She lost the car on her seventh day, and had to retire undefeated, thus disqualifying her from the $50,000 Winner's Big Money Game (the $50,000 Winner's Big Money Game was eliminated after Phil Cambry's attempt at it)
  • Elaine Pelino – She won over $71,200 in September of 1988. She was defeated on her sixth day (her cash total was $40,755).
  • Phil Cambry – He won $91,323 in October 1988 (his cash total is $30,600). He won his final game, but missed the $50,000 bonus.
  • Kerry Phillips – He won $54,066 in January of 1989 (cash total almost $29,000). He was in line to go for the Jeep Cherokee in the Winner's Big Money Game on his seventh and final day but was defeated by LaRae Dillman in the front game.
  • LaRae Dillman – She won $44,756 in January of 1989 (cash total $15,200). She defeated Kerry Phillips on his seventh and final day. She made it to the Winner's Big Money Game for the seventh and final time, but missed the car. Previously, she was a contestant on The New $25,000 Pyramid and Bill Cullen's Blockbusters.
  • Darrell Garrison – He won $79,348 during the final week of the series in March 1989 (his cash total is $42,900), but missed the car on his seventh and final day.

Tournaments[]

During the NBC run, there were tournaments held at least once a season. These tournaments likely occurred during a sweeps period, when major ratings events tended to occur. There were no tournaments in the syndicated run.

Shopping Era[]

The first Tournament of Champions was held in Fall 1983, featuring the nine biggest winners to that point. In this first tournament, there were three weeks of semi-final games. Players accumulated money over the course of a week until Friday, when the player with the highest score would spend that money on the week's major prizes (even having the option to buy more than one prize if he/she accumulated enough money), with the top prize being everything for $600, including a flat $50,000; of course, as usual, the $50,000 was available as a standalone prize for $510.

The winners of the semi-finals would qualify for the finals, where the scores would again accumulate over the week, and the player with the highest score at the end of that week automatically won all the major prizes showcased that week totaling over $108,000, including an Apple II computer, his and her watches, a brass bed, a vacation gift certificate from American Express, a Chevrolet Corvette and the $50,000.

Winner's Board Era[]

The 1985 tournament had 18 players, all of whom played during either the Shopping or Winner's Board eras, competing three at a time until two players were left with the semi-finals being played for $10,000 cash. The finals were best-of-three, with the winner getting $25,000 & a Porsche worth $27,622 During the 1985 TofC, the Winner's Board was only played during each of the six quarter-final games.

The 1987 International Invitational Tournament had various winners from 1984 to 1986, as well as big winners representing Australia and Canada. At least Alice Conkwright and Tim Holleran were brought back from the 1985–1986 syndicated run to participate, although Alice didn't do well, possibly because the NBC version's questions tended to be based on current events whereas the syndicated series almost never used them. The winner of a match in this tournament would play the Winner's Board for a bonus prize, with no car on the board. The finals were a best-of-seven playoff between the three countries' finalists; the first player to win three games received a Chevrolet Corvette. this tournament was originally broadcast in January 1987 as part of the show's time slot change to 10:00am from 10:30am, not a sweeps period, instead of February 1987 due to NBC holding the "Car-azy February Sweepstakes" on all its game shows during the February sweeps.

Winner's Big Money Game Era[]

In 1988, supposedly in February (as the "5 answers in 25 seconds" rule was present, plus Don Morrow had recently taken over as announcer by that point; Rani White's $50,000 win happened in May and the "4 in 20" rule was in place by March 1988), the nine top winners from 1987 would participate in three days of semi-finals. The winner of each semi-final match played the Winner's Big Money Game for an extra $5,000.

On the Thursday of the first week, the three finalists would play a series of matches for up to four days. If a player won his/her first match, he/she would play the Winner's Big Money Game for $10,000; but the first player to win two matches in the finals would get $10,000 in guaranteed cash and play the Winner's Big Money Game for a $32,195 Mercedes-Benz. Unlike previous tournaments, there was a possibility that the player could have lost the car, resulting in the tournament ending on a sad note, but this was not the case as the car was won. This would possibly be the last time a car valued at $30,000 or greater was offered during the NBC run.

Although there were no tournaments of champions after February 1988, there were other tournaments that occurred that did not involve former champions. One example was the Salute to True Romance, in November 1988, which involved new players for the first nine shows, and the top three winners among those nine shows would play one final match where the winner would automatically win a new car. The Winner's Big Money Game was played for $5,000 on each episode during the first nine episodes, but on the finals, no end game was played. The finals during the Salute to True Romance tournament, oddly enough, involved three men competing, making this the last time in the series that this happened.

In February 1989, as the series' final sweeps stunt, the show held Brides Week, which had three female newlywed contestants every day that week. The Winner's Big Money Game was played for a flat $5,000 each day. The winner of each match during that week, including Friday, would play a special end game after the Winner's Big Money Game on Friday, where the Fame Game board was used, and each contestant would stop the board on a number 1 to 9. The player with the highest number won a new car. In the event of a tie for the highest number, the contestants involved would play a tiebreaker until a winner was declared. The Friday episode of Brides Week was the last time a car was won by a contestant in the series.

Four other such tournament weeks involving the Fame Game board to determine the winner of a new car included the End of Summer Bash during 8/29/1988 – 9/2/1988, and Pep Rally Week in October 1988 with the grand prize for each being a Jeep Wrangler, with the same Fame Game "highest number wins game" used later on the February 1989 Brides Week played on the Friday episode for the car (which was a Ford Probe worth over $14,000). The first two tournament weeks, the first Brides Week in April 1988 and Varsity Week in July 1988 used the above Fame Game "high number wins" with the winner getting a trip along with the car (a convertible and a honeymoon trip to Tahiti in April 1988's Brides Week and a trip to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea and the aforementioned Jeep Wrangler in that July's Varsity Week).

Gallery[]

Print Ads[]

Trade Ads[]

Press photos[]

Audience tickets[]

Ticket plugs[]

Other photos and screenshots[]

Crew Member jacket[]

In popular culture[]

A brief clip of the intro to Sale of the Century was seen in the 1985 episode called "Night Caller" on the short-lived revival of the classic anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

The glass money briefcase used to represent the cash jackpot or $50,000 was also used on Sale of the Century's sister show Scrabble during the finale of its 1985 Tournament of Champions.

A brief clip of Sale of the Century was seen in the 1986 music video called Welcome to the Boomtown by the rock duo David & David.

Sale of the Century was briefly featured in the 1988 film Rain Man.

In 2001, TV Guide ranked Sale of the Century #41 as one of The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time. Prior to this, the show was also mentioned in "The 60 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time" as a list of "The Other 50" (in alphabetical order) in 2013.

In 2006, GSN ranked Sale of the Century #34 as one of The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time. The special was hosted by Bil Dwyer. Interestingly enough, the 1980s version of Sale would not air regularly on GSN (save for a few clips in a GSN special) until 2013. When the network announced their acquisition of 65 episodes from the 1988-89 (finale) which began airing on April 1. The short-lived 1985-86 syndicated version began airing on the network in November. Those episodes aired until March 2015 when the network dropped the show from its schedule. Buzzr later started airing reruns from the 1985-86 version in September 2015.

Opening announcements[]

1969-1974 opening announcement:
"Today on the Sale of the Century, the total retail value of our prizes is more than $XX,XXX. These three players/two couples will have an opportunity to buy these prizes. (Players names, hometown, and occupation), (and welcome back our returning champion(s)) (champion(s)) who told us (s)he/they would like to buy (prizes)) And now here is the star of the Sale of the Century, Jack Kelly/Joe Garagiola!"

First 1980s NBC opening announcement:
"Today on America's biggest bargain sale we're offering a brand new car/(insert car name) valued at $XX,XXX for $XXX. (A [insert prize] valued at $XX,XXX for $XXX.) (A cash jackpot of $XX,XXX for $XXX.) Cash and prizes worth over $100,000 for $XXX. Two of the incredible bargains on... (echoing) Sale of the Century." And now, here's the star of the show, Jim Perry!

Second 1980s NBC opening announcement:
"Today/this week, we're offering/one of our contestants/players will win (insert two/three prizes), and a trip to (insert trip). And continue a journey toward a fortune in cash and prizes, including (insert car or other vehicle) and $50,000 in cash. In total, over $100,000 on... (echoing) Sale of the Century." And now, here's the star of the show, Jim Perry!

First 1980s syndicated opening announcement:
"Today/Tonight on America's biggest bargain sale we're offering a brand new car/(insert car name) valued at $XX,XXX for $610. All of the prizes and the Cash Jackpot of $XX,000/Cash and prizes worth over $100,000 for $830. Two of the incredible bargains on... (echoing) Sale of the Century." And now, here's the star of the show, Jim Perry!

Later 1980s syndicated opening announcement:
"Today/Tonight on America's biggest bargain sale we're offering a brand new car/(insert car name) valued at $XX,XXX for $530. Cash and prizes worth over $100,000 for $750. Two of the incredible bargains on... (echoing) Sale of the Century." And now, here's the star of the show, Jim Perry!

Opening after Winners Big Money Game debuted until final episode:

"Champion (insert name), has won cash and prizes totaling $XX,XXX."

Quotes/Catchphrases[]

"Welcome to Sale of the Century. I'm delighted to be back with you on NBC and thrilled to be here with a show that I know you're gonna enjoy. I'm gonna enjoy everyday introducing our lovely hostess, Sally Julian!" - Jim Perry (on the first episode of the series)

"Welcome to Sale of the Century. Let's welcome back to our champion (insert name). Win today, you'll be playing the Winner's Big Money Game for (insert cash jackpot). - Jim Perry (on a returning champion on the last show during the Winner's Big Money Game era.)

"Here to introduce the challengers, Sally Julian/Lee Manning/Summer Bartholomew." - Jim Perry

"You're right for another $5." - Jim Perry

"Oh, no. (insert correct answer). A quick buzzer cost you $5." - Jim Perry (on a contestant ringing in early and answered incorrectly.)

"It's time for an Instant Bargain. Player in the lead can buy bargain merchandise." - Jim Perry (at the start of the Instant Bargain.)

"It's normally priced at (insert amount), but it can be yours for only (insert amount) on Sale of The Century" - Hostess (1)

"It's normally priced at (insert amount), but today on Sale of The Century, it's yours for only (insert amount)." - Hostess (2)

"We are selling the ... (item)." - Jim Perry (when a male contestant was offered an Instant Bargain, and one of the female models was wearing a bikini or looked very attractive in a dress)

"Going Once... Going Twice... No Sale!" - Jim Perry

"We'll knock the (insert amount) off your score..." - Jim Perry after a contestant made an Instant Bargain purchase.

"It's time for the Fame Game. We're playing, not for dollars, but for picking/controlling the board of the Fame Game. (It could be Money Cards, cash, or prizes.) Players, buzz-in when you know about a Famous Person/Place/Thing." - Jim Perry (at the start of the Fame Game)

"Incorrect. Out of the rest of the question. (You stay at (score)/No dollar value.) We'll clear it, continue for (insert opponents)." - Jim Perry (on a contestant ringing in and answered incorrectly during the Fame Game)

"No!/Incorrect! And (insert last contestant) gets the rest of the question all to himself/herself." - Jim Perry (on a second contestant ringing in and answered incorrectly during the Fame Game)

"Yes!/You are right! With very little/limited information. (Nicely done/solved.)" - Jim Perry (on a contestant ringing in early and answered correctly during the Fame Game)

Jay: "And behind number (insert number), we have (insert Money Card, cash, or prize)." - Jay Stewart when a contestant selects either the Money Card, cash or a prize on the Fame Game.

Jim: "(insert amount) dollar money card where, Summer?" - During the second version of the Fame Game

Summer: "Behind number (insert number)!" - During the second version of the Fame Game

"Come on (insert amount) dollar money card...NOW!" - Contestant 

"(insert amount) dollar money card...NOW!" - Contestant

Jim: "No, it lands on number (insert number) and he/she gets..." - During the second version of the Fame Game

Jay/Don: "(Insert cash or prize)." - When a contestant doesn't land on the Money Card during the second version of Fame Game

"(Very) Good/Excellent prize. That's yours to keep no matter how you finish in the game." - Jim Perry

Jim: "Where were those Money Cards?" - During the first version of the Fame Game

Summer: "Behind number (insert numbers.) - During the first version of the Fame Game

"And now, we finish up the game with the Speed Round. (I'll ask as many questions as I can in 60 seconds.) May I have 60 seconds on the clock. (Insert score recap.) We start the Speed Round now!" - Jim Perry

"We have a tie. (Last place contestant's name), you're out of it, you can't/cannot answer. It's just between (insert two tied contestants). Remember if you answer correctly, you'll add $5, and you would win, and if you answered incorrectly, you lose $5, and lose." - Jim Perry (on a Tiebreaker)

"Let's Go Shopping!" - Host

"You must stop the clock before the double-zero." - Jim Perry during the Winner's Big Money Game

"Three new challengers next time on Sale of the Century. Bye for now." - Jim Perry upon a champion's retirement

"Well, that wraps it up for Sale of the Century. First of all, on a personal note, this is my wife June. And if it were not for her and 30 years, I wouldn't be standing here today. And if it were not for all of these people behind us and all of the people up in the booth, we wouldn't have had 6¼ years of Sale of the Century where we have given away over $8,500,000 and I know of instances where we changed people's lives for the better. I hope for you that we have given you some joy, and some pleasure and entertainment, and somewhere along the line, possibly a little bit of knowledge that has added to your day. A lot of you have been very supportive of us for a long time. It has been almost 2,000 episodes of Sale of The Century, and we leave this show with great pride, a show that has been a wonderful show. And all of these people that we're going to see their faces, Summer and all the on-camera people, and all the people behind. It's because of them that it has been the great joy that it has. I thank you. I bless you. Goodbye, my friends." - Jim Perry (on the final episode of the series)

Music[]

1969 - Al Howard and Irwin Bazelon
1983 - Ray and Marc Ellis (updated in 1987)

Format creator[]

Al Howard

Links[]

The Best 80s & 90s Game Shows: Sale of the Century
Rules for Sale of the Century @ loogslair.net
Rules for Sale of the Century @ Game Show Temple
Josh's Sale of the Century Rules Page
Travis' Sale of the Century Rules Page
Another Sale of the Century Rules Page
A Blog about "Sale of the Century"
GSN's Press release for Sale of the Century
Sale of The Century on the Game Shows Wiki
Official Pearson website for Sale of the Century via Internet Archive
Sale of The Century (programme description) @ Fremantlemedia's former subsite (via Internet Archive)
Hell Yeah! $ale of the Century
Memories of Sale of the Century on Facebook
Sale of the Century Video Slots sub-site @ igt.com

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