Saw something I liked in a booth one time – I waited until the booth was quiet & asked the barker if he would sell it outright. Got it cheaper than by playing the game, and he still made money (and got publicity) on it.
My grandpappy used to run a game in Coney Island. It’s the one where you throw a ball and try to knock over some milk cans. That was until the big hurricane came and blew everything down, except those three milk cans.
A friend of mine figured out one of those games, and over a couple weeks won 20 HUGE stuffed animals. But he donated them to a local charity, which made quite a bit of money auctioning them off.
My dad used to win a lot of stuffed animals playing the booths where you had to land a dime on a dish. Every year, for a couple of months before the LA County Fair, he would set up a plate on the dinner table, grab a handful of dimes, and practice tossing those dimes with just he right backspin and loft so the dime would take a bounce and land back into the dish. The secret was to try and hit the back edge of the plate, which slopes back down towards the center of the plate. They started making the game harder by suspending the prizes low, over the plates, so you couldn’t get the ideal loft. Then they went from dimes to quarters, making the game much more expensive to play, and a bit more difficult since the quarters were heavier & bounced more.
JayBluE over 10 years ago
“And it also seems the state keeps coming around, asking for a zoo keeper’s license….”
finkd over 10 years ago
They just don’t like BIG winners.
J Short over 10 years ago
A police officer friend told me he would often go to the fair and make the barkers play their own games to see if winning was even possible.
jtviper7 over 10 years ago
Your only banned in Vegas if your CHEATING…We like winners they bring in more people… Believe me I’ve been here 44 years.
1MadHat Premium Member over 10 years ago
Saw something I liked in a booth one time – I waited until the booth was quiet & asked the barker if he would sell it outright. Got it cheaper than by playing the game, and he still made money (and got publicity) on it.
dflak over 10 years ago
My grandpappy used to run a game in Coney Island. It’s the one where you throw a ball and try to knock over some milk cans. That was until the big hurricane came and blew everything down, except those three milk cans.
Tricia A. over 10 years ago
A friend of mine figured out one of those games, and over a couple weeks won 20 HUGE stuffed animals. But he donated them to a local charity, which made quite a bit of money auctioning them off.
CrouchingBruin over 10 years ago
My dad used to win a lot of stuffed animals playing the booths where you had to land a dime on a dish. Every year, for a couple of months before the LA County Fair, he would set up a plate on the dinner table, grab a handful of dimes, and practice tossing those dimes with just he right backspin and loft so the dime would take a bounce and land back into the dish. The secret was to try and hit the back edge of the plate, which slopes back down towards the center of the plate. They started making the game harder by suspending the prizes low, over the plates, so you couldn’t get the ideal loft. Then they went from dimes to quarters, making the game much more expensive to play, and a bit more difficult since the quarters were heavier & bounced more.