A TPIR Dilemma

[TLEberle]

Would you rather take the $5,000 offered for a .05 or .15 spin, and give up a spot in the showcase, or have a shot at the prizes?  Given some of the recent showcase packages, I'd be inclined to take the money, but that's just me.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Feb 1 2005, 02:50 PM\']Would you rather take the $5,000 offered for a .05 or .15 spin, and give up a spot in the showcase, or have a shot at the prizes?  Given some of the recent showcase packages, I'd be inclined to take the money, but that's just me.[/quote]
Interesting hypothetical.  I'd probably agree with you.  One of the genius strokes of TPIR is how they get people hyped up over "winning" the showcase, without stopping to realize that they really didn't want bedroom furniture, nor need a trip to Monaco or a speedboat.  They won, and that's all that occurs to them at that monent.  There's also the tax burden to consider.  With cash, you just take the taxes off the top.  With prizes, the dough for the taxes has to come from somewhere else.

Presented the opportunity (which of course doesn't happen), I'd want the $5K.

[CarShark]

$5,000 or a chance to win something I like, huh? I'm one of the few people that likes Showcases that end with boats, trips, and motorcycles, but there's so much that I don't want. I'd probably risk it. I wouldn't mind being there the rare time they trot out two cars or a Deville.

[Little Big Brother]

Just to clear up some confusion from the original question, you're asking if in the case of a spinoff/bonus spin would you rather..., right?

Personally, I would rather go to the showcase.  While it is true that some of the showcases have been rather sub-par recently, there is almost always one prize that I would love to have.  You usually can't go wrong with a trip unless a) you live at the destination, or b) it's the same seven-day excursion you went on last summer.  As for the tax burden, you do have $1,000 (since you must have had that if you won the bonus spin) so that will bring some relief.  And as always, you can refuse any prizes that you really don't want.

[TLEberle]

Yes; the $5,000 is the cash bonus from the spin-off/bonus spin.  (True, I didn't come out and say it, it was just implied).  One thing I didn't consider is that the more expensive the showcase is, the harder it will be to get closer than someone who has a $15,000 'Round the World thing.

[parliboy]

Depends on the tape date.  You can usually guess when the budget is going to thin out during a taping year, and if I'm there during for a show to be aired during the really lean times (around March and April), I'm taking the cash.

[MSTieScott]

I'd take a chance on the showcase. Unless you got saddled with an all-trips showcase, there'd be a decent chance that if you won, even if there were no prizes that you liked, you could sell them all, pay the taxes, and still make $5,000 profit.

--
Scott Robinson

[comicus]

Perhaps I'm an idiot, but when would this scenario ever come to pass?  In a spin-off, doesn't the player get just one spin?  If they land .05 or .15, great, wonderful, but it's not as if they have the option to spin again.  There's no opportunity to forfeit the $5,000 for another spin.

Please put me in my place if I'm incorrect...

[comicus]

Ah... I see now that I'm not incorrect, I just don't pay attention.  It's recognized earlier in the thread that the situation could never actually occur, and the question was posed in a purely hypothetical "which would you rather have" vein.

I humbly withdraw my query.

[dale_grass]

I believe the essence of the question is, after you took one spin, which would you be more excited to get: a .05 or .15 for a $5000 bonus, or a higher amount to land a shot at the showcases.  I'd be happier with the $5000 for purposes of a lesser tax burden (as Matt pointed out).  Hope this erases confusion.

[Ian Wallis]

I believe the essence of the question is, after you took one spin, which would you be more excited to get: a .05 or .15 for a $5000 bonus, or a higher amount to land a shot at the showcases.

I'm always excited by cash!  Along the same lines, if I was playing "Let Em Roll" (for example) and I wasn't too crazy about the car they offered, I'd consider taking the cash after the first roll and stopping (depending on how much it was).

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 07:07 AM\']I'm always excited by cash!  Along the same lines, if I was playing "Let Em Roll" (for example) and I wasn't too crazy about the car they offered, I'd consider taking the cash after the first roll and stopping (depending on how much it was).

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I don't understand this logic. What you are essentially saying here is that you don't think you can sell the car for enough so that you clear, say, five grand after taxes. And THAT is assuming you won the full $7,500 consolation prize.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'CountdownRound\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 12:53 AM\']Perhaps I'm an idiot, but when would this scenario ever come to pass?  In a spin-off, doesn't the player get just one spin?  If they land .05 or .15, great, wonderful, but it's not as if they have the option to spin again.  There's no opportunity to forfeit the $5,000 for another spin.[/quote]
You're absolutely right, it's more of a "which is better?" question than a "what would you do?" question.  A similar "What would you do?" question would probably have to be filtered through a LMAD experience.  You win $5000 in cash.  Do you trade it for a chance at the Big Deal?  There are obvious differences, but the core question is the same in my mind:  Cash vs. the chance at interesting but potentially goofy prizes.  Gimme the cash anytime.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 12:49 PM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 07:07 AM\']I'm always excited by cash!  Along the same lines, if I was playing "Let Em Roll" (for example) and I wasn't too crazy about the car they offered, I'd consider taking the cash after the first roll and stopping (depending on how much it was).

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I don't understand this logic. What you are essentially saying here is that you don't think you can sell the car for enough so that you clear, say, five grand after taxes. And THAT is assuming you won the full $7,500 consolation prize.

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Selling the darn thing is too much like work. If I ever get to play Spelling Bee, I am prepared for the boos when I say, "I'll take the $2500 (or $2000 or $1500 or $1000). Just gimme the money so I can go out and celebrate my windfall with some Welch's Family Wine.

[starcade]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 04:43 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 12:49 PM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Feb 3 2005, 07:07 AM\']I'm always excited by cash!  Along the same lines, if I was playing "Let Em Roll" (for example) and I wasn't too crazy about the car they offered, I'd consider taking the cash after the first roll and stopping (depending on how much it was).

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[/quote]
I don't understand this logic. What you are essentially saying here is that you don't think you can sell the car for enough so that you clear, say, five grand after taxes. And THAT is assuming you won the full $7,500 consolation prize.

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[/quote]
Selling the darn thing is too much like work. If I ever get to play Spelling Bee, I am prepared for the boos when I say, "I'll take the $2500 (or $2000 or $1500 or $1000). Just gimme the money so I can go out and celebrate my windfall with some Welch's Family Wine.

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I'd see booing taking $2500 in that case.  But $1500 or $1000 would probably be good dump-outs.  $2000 is a sorta in my book.