Adventures in Sweeping

I began doing sweepstakes and contests a long time ago. I can still remember being 13 and listening to radio station WPGC (Where People Get Cash) I was so into the radio back then and actually worried about my song being number one. The morning DJ was Harv Moore and I loved when he did the school menus because if French Bread was on the menu he'd do this "French" accent and make believe he was chasing the "redhead" around the studio. She would titter "Oh Harv. Oh Harv stop." but you got the sense that this was all playful and obviously way before sexual harassment made the headlines.
They used to play a contest that I was pretty good at playing. They played a song backwards. You had to be the 10th caller and then if you could guess the song correctly then you were the winner. I ran to the phone one day after I listened to player after player getting the wrong answer on the air. I knew the answer and then when they announced the correct answer I laughed. I had never thought to enter because I was certain that NO One ever really won and when they did win it's because they knew something I didn't know. That one day convinced me that wasn't so. The next hour they did another backwards contest and I ran to the phone.
Now to show you how very old I was it was back when ALL phones had rotary dials and there wasn't call waiting or speed dial. There I was running down the hall at breakneck speed. I called the number only to get a busy signal. Being 13 I didn't realize that if you stand there with a busy signal in hand, it won't start ringing when someone else hangs up so there I stood like a big dummy. That might have been the end of it for me but the next hour I tried one more time. I called and the DJ said, "WPGC. Who's this? " I was paralyzed with fear and hung up. Turns out I knew the song and would have won some money.
I didn't try again for a long, long time. When I decided to try again many people got those new fangled touch-tone phones with speed dial and I didn't have that except at work. I got so good at it that I could tell by the busy signal if a lot of people were calling in and when to give up. I won lots and lots of things from the radio. I went to concerts, won t-shirts, albums, meals, sports tickets, and yes even some trips!!! Those are stories in and of themselves.
When I went through my divorce back in the early 1980's I stopped doing the contest thing for awhile. I began doing sweeps and won little gifts here and there for my boys. No trips from the sweeps but I did win a bike one time. I also won a trip to Disney World! It was pretty fun but I was going to college, working two jobs, raising two boys and trying to find a man who would treat me right. (yeah I know I'm supposed to be happy with myself, women need a man like a fish needs a bicycle, whatever) I was slammed packed busy so I really didn't dedicate a lot of time to this hobby. Postage cost money too so I sidetracked it for awhile.
Then I won a few trips doing local drop box sweeps. I won a trip to the Poconos, a trip to Bush Gardens Tampa Bay, a trip to the mountains of NC. Not bad, not bad.
I started sweeping online about three years ago and it seems I've been pretty successful. I have decided to try doing snail mail contests for awhile as an experiment.
A long time ago I tried to keep a running list but I can't put my hand on it. They were things I won from the radio when I was in my twenties. When I find it I will post them. Here's what I won last year from sweeping:
James Bond action figure contest on RTM $40, African American Heritage Church Bulletins $8, $25 gift certificate to Walden Books, NIOXIN smoothing protectives moisturizing cleanser and moisturizing scalp therapy 18, weather channel branded time and temperature clock arv $5, Pokemon battle stadium arv $21.99, coupon for free chocolate covered peanuts from planters $2.99, Package of two grapefruits (ARV $15). nesquick collectible set (bowl, spoon, and tumbler) arv $3.99, Bond movie poster and CD soundtrack (ARV $30). Pappa Johns Free Breadsticks, Red Dress Ink book, bookmark and two Softlips products (ARV $15). Simpson's Library of Wisdom prize package "The Bart Book" and "The Homer Book" (ARV $19.90). Free take 5 candy bar (79 cents), Nail lacquer and glamour dust set (ARV $20),$50 gift card to Target, Incense burner and incense holder (ARV $19), Deck of Supercuts race team playing cards (?), Two Hasbro F.A.S.T YoYo's and a stopwatch (ARV $25). Free TGI Friday's Non-alcoholic mixer ($6), FOX Sports Radio Fanjam CD (ARV $17.99), Daily Runner-Up Prizes: Explorer's Kit provided by Kampgrounds of America (ARV $14.95), 05Color Magazine ($3.95), "Lip Glaze and Glaze Lip Liner Pairs" (ARV $30). Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turbo Basher or Air Ninja toy (ARV $9.99). Nutella t-shirt (?), Pair of BluBlocker sunglasses (ARV $20). Coupon for a free Keebler cookie product (ARV $3.50), Keebler cookie clip (ARV $.50). a second coupon for a free Keebler cookie product (ARV $3.50), Coupon for cube of Scotties Facial Tissues (ARV $1.59), Turbulence "Triumphantly" CD (courtesy of Reggae Now Records), $249 instead of a Sony PSP (BLINGO), a third coupon for a free keebler cookie product, 3 itune music downloads, Doorstep delivery of 12 cartons of Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream and "Party In A Box" including napkins, ice cream scoops, spoons, name tags, disposable camera, etc. (ARV $350). Celine Dion CD (ARV $19). Suite of Swingline office products (ARV $100). Canon® PowerShot 3.2 megapixel digital camera!($279), Prize Packs – DASANI® Hat, T-shirt (size XL) and one case of DASANI® Water (24/20 oz. bottles.) ARV: $31.00, You won a month Free Membership match.com (59.95 value!), Copy of Mamá: Latina Daughters Celebrate their Mothers (ARV $11.95), $5 7-Eleven Convenience Card. WSBTV weekend getaway to one of five destinations. Each weekend getaway includes: roundtrip airfare for two on AirTran Airways, two nights accommodations at the Crowne Plaza resort (ARV of each weekend getaway is $1,100). Certificate for a family size (1.75 L) container of Edys/Dreyers Slow Churned Light Ice Cream (ARV $6.50). Bottle of SoBe Adrenaline Sport (ARV $1.39), One month supply of Daisy bags. (18.95), Prizes (500-125 per month): Beach tote bag with cooler compartment, beach towel, pedometer, and a sampling of South Beach Diet Foods from Kraft (ARV $68). Gift certificate for one carton of Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream (ARV $5.50). soccer ball,A copy of "Los Cuatro Acuerdos" by Don Miguel Ruiz (ARV $11.95), Jane CD (ARV $8). The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric CD, The prize consists of a Spy Pen and a FINN™ Backpack (ARV: $18.50). Prize: Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy - Deluxe Edition Reissue CD, signed copy of shilo, Set of three financial slide calculators (ARV $7.50). A copy of Your Credit Score by Liz Pulliam Weston (ARV $17.95). Your prize is one (1) Upper Deck Trading Card Game Starter Deck. ($12.99.) Old Time Candy CompanyGift certificate for (ten dollars)F.A.G. shaving cream ($22.00), Prizes (5): Mannheim Steamroller Halloween CD and four other country artist CD's (ARV $75), Red Dress pin (ARV $.85), StyleLounge VIP gift bag of products (ARV $835), Autographed paperback copy of the 3rd Violet Eyes series book, In Golden Blood (ARV $7).Choice of Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipcolor (ARV $7.). One year subscription to Handy magazine and full benefits of the Handyman Club of America 19.97, 2 free carton of Edy's Slow Churned® Light Ice Cream. ($11.00), $100 Visa virtual account, Cake Kiss lip butter in pink berry cream (ARV $12). Fresh Face foundation (ARV $8), Sponsor-selected B.B. King CD (ARV $12.99). Blue Bunny lunchbox (ARV $25). Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating sample, Sugar Blossom exfoliating balm. ($14.00), Barielle Instant Liquid Nail Hardener (ARV $14). Rain Bird t-shirt (ARV $10).

Sweeping has been a great hobby for me and so far so good. I have already recouped the cost of my yearly fee to join ols. So there you go. I will try to post some information about how my snail mail entries go.