User:Daniel Benfield/Sale of the Century 1980s Prize Lists

A sort of episode guide for the NBC version, listing each week's available prizes, player names, and Cash Jackpot/Instant Cash values.

For the Winner's Board and WBMG eras, the first prizes listed are those mentioned during the intro, with any other known prizes listed afterward.

Winner's Big Money Game (1987-89)
Debuted no earlier than October 19 and no later than December 21.

Originally, the WBMG had players solve five puzzles in 25 seconds. In March or April 1988 (definitely by April 11), this was dropped to 4-in-20.

When the new endgame debuted, the day's winner won a prize from a six-number Winner's Board. As such, during that period the day of the week is determined by how many prizes are left on it before said pick.

1987, Continued

 * 12/28/87-1/1/88: Spa, grandfather clock, diamond earrings, trip to New York, Ford Thunderbird.
 * Mon: Anna Maria/Grover/Francine (Day 2 - $3,999). Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Not the debut of the WBMG. Second week, at the earliest.
 * Tue: Al/?/Francine (Day 3 - $10,000+). Instant Cash is $2k.
 * Wed: Marc/Betty/Al (Day 2 - $3,929). Instant Cash is $3k.
 * Thu: ?/?/Marc (Day 2 - $8,970). Instant Cash is $4k.
 * Fri: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $1k.

1988, Winner's Board

 * 1/11-15/88: Brass bed, jukebox, gold coins, trip to London, Jeep.
 * Mon: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $7k.
 * Tue: Tom/?/?. Instant Cash is $8k.
 * Wed: ?/?/Tom (Day 2). Instant Cash is $9k.
 * Thu: Charles/Karin/Tom (Day 3 - $14,260). Instant Cash is $10k.
 * Fri: ?/?/Tom (Day 4 - $25,753). Instant Cash is $11k.

Don Morrow becomes announcer (began by 1/20/88)
 * 1/18-22/88: Complete kitchen, artwork, diamond bracelet, trip to New Zealand, Saab.
 * Mon: ?/?/Tom (Day 5). Instant Cash is unknown.
 * Tue: ?/?/Tom (Day 6). Instant Cash is unknown.
 * Wed: Eric/Janis/Tom (Day 7 - $50,847). Instant Cash is unknown.
 * Thu: players and Instant Cash unknown.


 * 2/1-5, 8-9/88 (Tournament of Champions): Personal computer, console piano, diamond pendant, trip to Fiji, Mercedes-Benz.
 * Mon: Andy Ross ($81,900)/Linda Credit ($140,457)/Bob Rafael ($65,000+). Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Jim notes that none of the players in this Tournament have played the WBMG.
 * Tue: Dave King (~$67,000)/Zak Barlo (~$75,000)/Tom O'Brien ($152,847). Instant Cash is $2k.
 * Wed: Ben Wang (~$50,000)/John Homa (~$88,000)/Diane Cross (~$77,000). Instant Cash is $3k. [Jim notes that Ben started his run during a College Week.]
 * Thu: Finals, Day 1. Instant Cash is $4k.
 * Fri: Finals, Day 2. Instant Cash is $1k.


 * Mon2: Finals, Day 3. Instant Cash is $2k.
 * Winner's prize is still picked at start of second segment. Winner's Board still has its original appearance and staging.
 * Tue2: Finals, Day 4. Instant Cash is $3k. [WBMG still has its standard light-up check marks.]

WBMG changes from 5-in-25 to 4-in-20 (began 3/ or 4/88)

Car area now has varying decorations behind it; winner's prize now picked after the game; Winner's Board adopts standard shape and staging (all began by 4/11/88)
 * 3/ or 4/88 (taped 2/88): unknown, Jeep. [Winner's Board includes a trip to Colorado, a ruby-and-diamond necklace, some artwork, a motorscooter, and a living room.]
 * Mon: Sheree/Ron/Judy (Champ). Instant Cash is $5k.
 * Debut of the revised WBMG, though here it uses light-up versions of the check marks rather than black boxes with the check marks appearing.
 * Tue: Roberta/Steve/Sheree (Day 2 - $2,595). Instant Cash is $6k. [WBMG check marks return to standard style.]
 * Closing voiceover plugs this week's daytime Win, Lose or Draw with guests Jed Allan, Mary Ann Mobley, Martin Mull, and Jessica Walter.
 * Wed: Cathy/Bud/Sheree (Day 3 - $5,315). Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Second question mentions April 15 as upcoming.
 * Thu: ?/?/Bud (Day 2). Instant Cash is $2k.

Standard intro returns; car area now has varying decorations behind it
 * 3/88 or so: Large-screen TV, Erté artwork, diamond ring, Scandinavian cruise, Oldsmobile.
 * Mon: Kevin/Andi/Bill (Day 3 - $16,746). Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Jim hopes viewers enjoyed the preceding "Brides-To-Be Week". One question references an event from 3/10/88.
 * Tue: ?/?/Andi (Day 2 - $3,767). Instant Cash is $2k.


 * 4/88 or so: Miniboat, gold ring, dining furniture, trip to Aruba, Volkswagen Jetta.
 * Mon: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $8k.
 * Tue: Tara/?/?. Instant Cash is $9k.
 * Wed: ?/?/Tara (Day 2). Instant Cash is $10k.
 * Thu: Nole/Ralph/Tara (Day 3 - $20,440). Instant Cash is $11k.
 * One WBMG puzzle is about a film released 3/18/88.
 * Fri: ?/?/Tara (Day 4 - $24,374). Instant Cash is $12k.


 * 5/88: Patio furniture, computer, ring, trip to Florida, "cabriolet" (convertible).
 * Thu: Karen/Jim/RANI WHITE (Day 6 - $51,627). Instant Cash is $3k (third show in a row it's been in #3). [Rani wins with $100, then gets the $10,000!]
 * Fri: ?/?/RANI WHITE (Day 7 - $65,641). Instant Cash is $4k.


 * 5/88: unknown. [Winner's Board includes a necklace.]
 * Mon: Brenda/Joel/RANI WHITE (Day 8). Instant Cash is unknown. [Rani wins with $120 and gets the $50,000, retiring with $140,011!]
 * Tue: Players and Instant Cash unknown.


 * 8?/88 (A): Patio furniture, piano, diamond ring, trip to Barbados, "luxury automobile". [All weeks from here onward were at least partly reshown by USA.]
 * Mon: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Tue: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $2k.
 * Wed: Terrill/?/?. Instant Cash is $3k.
 * Thu: Vikki/Chip/Terrill (Day 2 - $4,397). Instant Cash is $4k.
 * Fri: ?/?/Chip (Day 2 - $2,144). Instant Cash is $5k.


 * 8?/88 (B): Computer, diamond ring, exercise bike, trip to Ireland, "luxury automobile".
 * Mon: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $13k.
 * Tue: Robin/?/?. Instant Cash is $14k.
 * Wed: ?/?/Robin (Day 2). Instant Cash is $15k.
 * Thu: Katie/Stan/Robin (Day 3 - $12,394). Instant Cash is $16k.
 * Fri: Michelle/Paul/Robin (Day 4 - $17,118). Instant Cash is $1k.


 * 8?/88 (C): Sauna, camera, gold-and-diamond earrings, trip to San Francisco, Cadillac. [Winner's Board prizes have a "gold" theme.]
 * Mon: ?/?/Robin (Day 5 - $20,418). Instant Cash is $2k.
 * Tue: Marge/Anthony/Robin (Day 6 - $25,606). Instant Cash is $1k.
 * Wed: Jeanne/Win/Robin (Day 7 - $38,337). Instant Cash is $2k. [Robin loses the car, so she retires with $41,537.]
 * Thu: Linda/Steve/Gloria. Instant Cash is $3k.
 * Fri: ?/?/Linda (Day 2 - $4,940). Instant Cash is $4k.


 * 8?/88 (D): unknown, Jeep. [Winner's Board includes a trip to Hong Kong and a camcorder.]
 * Mon: Mitchell/Sandy/Terry (Day 2 - $12,000+). Instant Cash is $1k. [Terry won it for $4k last time.]
 * Terry won some gold coins last time, and based on a few comments it seems this week follows the above two. "Well Jim the 2s have been good to me..."; the 2 card was still unpicked after Linda/Steve/Gloria.
 * Tue: ?/?/Terry (Day 3 - $14,501). Instant Cash is $2k.


 * 8?/88 (E; Varsity Week): Large-screen TV, pair of motorscooters, miniboat, Jeep, trip to the 1988 Summer Olympics (Seoul, Korea). [Olympics held from 9/17-10/2.]
 * Thu: Mary Ann/David/Whitney.
 * Winner of the week gets the Jeep and Olympics package. Player intros suggest this week consists entirely of high school students.
 * Winner's Board is still present, but has just five numbers to pick from (the sixth instead saying "VARSITY WEEK"). This and the fact Don says "our players will win" during the intro suggest being close to the end of the Winner's Board era.


 * 8/22-26/88: unknown. [Not sure on placement.]
 * Thu: Bart/?/?. Instant Cash is unknown.
 * Fri: Bryan/Barbara/Bart (Day 2). Instant Cash is unknown.

1988, Post-Winner's Board
By August 30, presumably to save a bit of time, the Winner's Board was removed and Jim simply announced the winner's prize before the game began.

The Money Cards change to their final designs on October 10.


 * 8/29-9/2/88 (End of Summer Bash, aka "High School Students Week"): Audio/video system, personal computer, trip to Hawaii, Jeep.
 * Mon: ?/?/?. Instant Cash is $2k all week.
 * Tue: Alan/Jennifer/Erik.
 * Wed: Jason/Erin/Robert.
 * Thu: Lauren/Andy/Darcey.
 * Fri: Anne/Chris/Evelyn.