This particular show I've singled out as it aired 53 years ago to this date (as of this posting) at 11 AM EDT.
Bill comes out to applause, and tells us the winner of the Calendar Sweepstakes will be announced later. On to the bargain hunters:
* - The returning champ, back for her second appearance, Dorothy Jung a housewife from Grand Prairie TX, having won $971 in merchandise on the last show.
* - Stella Obidzinksi is a housewife from New York City. Her husband is in the audience, and she and Bill carried on a nice little conversation in her native Polish language.
* - Leo McTague is a car inspector from Jim Thorpe PA.
* - Rose Leion is a teacher from Miami FL.
A commercial for Lever Brothers follows. First item up for bids: Outdoor patio furniture. A three-piece set consisting of a tète-a-tète on wheels with an umbrella, a chuck wagon with ice cooler and storage units, and a chaise lounge. Price authority: Vandicraft furniture, Chicago.
Mrs. Jung opens:
(*--frozen bid; last bid buzzer follows bid in bold)
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
..................50 ..............75 ..............100 ................119
................125 ..............149 ............155 .............* 245
.............* 250 ...........* 149 ...........* 255
Actual retail price: $332.94, with Mr. McTague the winner.
Next item: A five-piece dress ensemble from Claire McArdle, consisting of a silk dress, 17-jewel Wittenauer watch from Longines, gloves, L'amont perfume from Koty and Trim Tread shoes.
Mrs. Obidzinski opens and it's a one-bid item:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
....................... ............* 119 ...........* 115 .............* 128
...............* 130
Actual retail price: $$122.70, with Mrs. Obidzinski the winner. She was pretty excited that she started hugging Mr. McTague (prompting Bill to crack "You've just seen the most torrid love scene in television--and we'll lose our license!")
Following is a commercial for Dove soap. Third item: A Castro convertible sofa, which opens up to show a king-size bed that sleeps two. Bill models it by lying down on the bed.
Mr. McTague opens:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
..................... ................... ................50 ...................75
................100 ..............125 ................150 .................239
.............* 100 ...........* 125 .............* 150 ..............* 239
Actual retail price: $249 with Mrs. Leion winning. She hit the bonus bell as well. She also wins a Hoover hand-held Pixie vacuum and a 9x12 Gold Seal rug.
A commercial for Jell-O pudding follows, then a break for station identification. (NBC promo tag: "Daytime TV's most exciting quiz game--see Tic Tac Dough today.")
The second half opens with this item: An Amana upright freezer. 15 cubic feet that stores 520 pounds of food with top and bottom coils for quick freezing. Price authority: Amana appliances, Amana, Iowa.
Mrs. Leion opens:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
..................... ................... ................... ...............75
...............100 .............150 ...........175 ................329
..............330 ............495 ...........* 500 .............* 518
...........* 330 ..........* 520
Actual retail price: $569.50, with Mrs. Obidzinski the winner.
The home viewer winner of the Calendar sweepstakes is announced. The items and their prices:
(1) China - $588.60
(2) Parasol - $10.30
(3) Stemware - $684.00
(4) Wallet - $5.95
(5) Perfume - $225.00
(6) Silver chest - $498.50
(7) Mink capelet - $975.00
Total price of the Calendar showcase: $2987.35. Two postcards submitted had identical bids of that price, so they were asked to submit a telegram bidding on one item in the showcase, namely the mink capelet. Both overbid so they were asked to bid on the parasol. The closest bid, $9.95, won the showcase for Kenneth Hopkins of Adamstown PA.
Next item: A mounted elk's head from Elmer F. Roland taxidermy. The camera was positioned to where the elk head covered Bill's head! ("The best shot of me you'll ever see on television!")
Mrs. Jung opens and it's a one-bid item:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
................* 125 ..............* 75 ............* 100 ..............* 189
Actual retail price: $150.00 with Mrs. Jung the winner, and she hit the bonus. She and her husband will spend three nights at the Sheldon Harbor Inn in Vermont.
A promo for NBC follows. Last item: A 4.50 karat diamond pendant with a platinum setting and suspended on a white gold chain. Price authority: S.G. Barnett, Fifth Avenue, New York.
Mrs. Obidzinski opens, and everyone is asked to bid at least $100 over the previous top bid:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
.................... ...............250 ..............350 ................495
................600 .............750 ..............850 ................975
..............1075 ..........* 750 ...........*1175 .............* 975
............*1075
Actual retail price: $1150.00, with Mrs. Jung the winner.
Final totals:
- - - JUNG - - - OBIDZINSKI - - - McTAGUE - - - LEION - -
.............*1412 ................692 ..............332 ................314
Mrs. Jung is still the champion with a two-day total of $2383. This is Bill's favorite type of show, when all the contestants win something.
