Suggestions wanted for a game show prop.

[Matt Ottinger]

First some background.  I'm going to be hosting a Broadway trivia event at my community theater on March 29th. 

http://www.riverwalktheatre.com   

They think we're playing an original game, but what I've done is adapted the children's game show Runaround from the early seventies.  For those who don't know, the game featured multiple choice questions, and players physically moved and stood on one of three platforms representing their answer.

In that game, one wrong answer and you were out for the round.  I want to play it so that everybody gets one mistake forgiven.  I thought the easiest way to do that would be to give everybody what essentially amounted to an "insurance marker" at the start of the round, which a player would have to relinquish when he or she makes a mistake.  That could be something as simple as a poker chip, and that's exactly what I'll use unless one of you geniuses can think of something more interesting (especially something larger) which is just as easy to get in reasonably large quantity (50 or 60) at a fairly small cost.

I am open to suggestions.

[DoorNumberFour]

What about foam trucker caps, or something like that? I'm pretty sure you can buy blank hats like that in bulk at a craft store. That way, it'd be a pretty sweet little souvenir after the show is over.

[chrisholland03]

Maybe a ticket stub, since presumably they bought a ticket to get in?

[TLEberle]

Paper/plastic plates in different colors.

[Thunder]

Cheap plastic medals on cheap ribbons that you can order bulk or get at a dollar store.

You can make a big to-do about dropping your medal in the protection box to earn another life in the game.

ETA: Pack of 72 of them at Amazon for less than 9 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Winner-award-medals-bulk-wholesale/dp/B006W1115E/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=10T0JW9HDD6P4YR28C2A

[Dbacksfan12]

That could be something as simple as a poker chip, and that's exactly what I'll use unless one of you geniuses can think of something more interesting (especially something larger) which is just as easy to get in reasonably large quantity (50 or 60) at a fairly small cost.

Neither of these are larger, but if you want a couple of things that could serve some usefulness after the fact, I'll propose some of those shiny rock-like things you might see in aquarium or gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins.  Something that is larger would be some of those 'jumbo playing cards' (I think they're about 6"x6") and I believe you can get them at the dollar store for about $2.

[pacdude]

For the Game Show Gauntlet, we use plastic diamond gems (specifically, these: http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Carat-Acrylic-Diamonds-Super/dp/B0045457XM/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1395267281&sr=8-15&keywords=plastic+gems). They're not gigantic, but they're recognizable from a relative distance. Here's the size to scale: http://instagram.com/p/lJBjSgAlqc/

[dale_grass]

Since it's for theater (theatre?) folk, I suggest the comedy/tragedy masks made out of inexpensive material. (I'd have them held, not worn.)

[Joe Mello]

Since it's for theater (theatre?) folk, I suggest the comedy/tragedy masks made out of inexpensive material. (I'd have them held, not worn.)

In a similar vein, you can probably make miniature canes out of black construction paper and masking tape.  Then, if you want to give an extra mulligan before the final round, you can give hats

/If you're blue and you don't know where to go to why don't you go where Matt O sits?

[Big Brain]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pendant-of-Life-Legends-of-The-Hidden-Temple-Temple-Guard-Prop-New-/230893156479

Perhaps a bit pricey for pieces of cardboard, maybe you could negotiate a bulk discount 

[TLEberle]

How new could they be?

[Matt Ottinger]

How new could they be?

They're not vintage, they actually are "new" cardboard replicas.  The size is right for me, but not the price or the look.  I'm really trying to figure out how to make the diamonds work, that's my leading contender so far.

[TLEberle]

They're not vintage, they actually are "new" cardboard replicas.  The size is right for me, but not the price or the look.  I'm really trying to figure out how to make the diamonds work, that's my leading contender so far.

What kind of help are you looking for? I would think that they'd work this way: you had them out to everyone on stage; have an assistant go to each section and either take their Gem of Guessing Poorly or have them sit down, or hand out a poker chip point.

I will say that I like to use the various colors of acrylic gems as money in whatever games I'm working on, or to replace paper money in some games I already own; they add a touch of interest to the proceedings and people don't complain that they're not real.

[Matt Ottinger]

Gem of Guessing Poorly

Winner.

And yes, that's it exactly.  Everybody would start with whatever trinket we provide, doled out by my lovely hostess. (And oh my, she is, but that's another issue.)  On the first miss, you give it up.  On the second miss, you sit down.  And when I say "figure out how to make them work" all I mean is what Corey already alluded to.  They're terrific, but I wish they were bigger.

There's actually a second round ("Act Two") that's played differently, but still involves coming up with a right answer or sitting down.  Anybody who survives with their gem intact will be allowed to use it in Act Two.

[calliaume]

Would there be any reason why you wouldn't want the players to put the poker chip in their pockets?  I'm wondering if it would be too easy to lose, misplace, or get mixed with other stuff in pockets.

A tennis ball springs to mind, but I don't know how cheap they'd be.  It doesn't have to be a useable tennis ball.