Participating in Wheel of Fortune has always promised cash, cars, and even dream vacations for contestants. But, sometimes, the prize behind those special wedges isn’t quite the jackpot it seems. Over the years, some Wheel of Fortune winners have spun their way to prizes that were less like grand rewards and more like questionable gifts they weren’t sure what to do with. These occasional flopped prizes add a quirky vibe to the show’s history but have also left more than a few contestants scratching their heads.
So, what makes a prize feel less like fortune and more like misfortune? Sometimes, it’s high-cost luxury items that come with even higher taxes or impractical prizes like a giant Toblerone bar. On some Reddit forums, fans have reported that people they knew won a lifetime supply of WD-40, which is one of the worst prizes. All in all, Wheel of Fortune is filled with plenty of prizes that winners might have wished they could skip or exchange, and we will rank in the top 10 of those below.
- Release Date
- September 19, 1983
- Cast
- Pat Sajak , Vanna White , Bob Goen , Chuck Woolery , Charlie O’Donnell , Don Pardo
- Main Genre
- Game Show
- Seasons
- 41
- Creator(s)
- Merv Griffin
10 A South Dakota Trip
Season 41
Winning a trip to South Dakota on Wheel of Fortune can be a surprising prize for contestants who might initially dream of jetting off to beaches or exotic islands. In Wheel of Fortune Season 41, Tom Stadnicki solved a puzzle from the Living Things category. As his prize, the contestant received a trip to South Dakota. Jim Thorton also narrated a video after that that marketed the prize in English and described “iconic sights” on the trip, like Mount Rushmore. However, viewers were quick to point out that the award was not really that “great,” as Pat Sajak suggested.
Another thing noticed by the fans was the appearance of Devil’s Tower in the promotional video. The tower is actually located in Wyoming, but it was added to the video for South Dakota, which added a geographical blooper to an already underwhelming reward. The South Dakota trip is a classic example of prizes that fail to deliver the wow factor that fans anticipate from a long-running game show like Wheel of Fortune.
9 All-Inclusive Vacation Trip to Atlantic City
Season 42
While an all-inclusive trip can sound exciting, a trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, will definitely leave contestants scratching their heads. Although Atlantic City is known for its beaches and boardwalk, it’s not exactly the luxury destination that many game show winners envision when they spin for a prize. The Season 42 episode aired on October 4 featured Cody Hunger, who won the BetMGM Big Winners Tournament.
Instead of jetting off to Europe or an island paradise, he was given a trip to Atlantic City that — while entertaining — might not match his dream vacation. As TV Insider mentioned, in one of the sneak peek segments aired on Good Morning America, fans were promised “tons of new prizes” that had NFL game tickets and music concert tickets. However, after watching Ryan Seacrest announcing these undesirable trips to Atlanta City, many felt disappointed. One of the fans even said that he’d be “kinda salty” with the trip to Atlanta City as a prize.
8 Miami Trip During Hurricane Season
Season 42
The trip to Miami, which was given as a prize during the Girlfriend Getaways episode, was indeed questionable and one of the worst prizes. On October 7, Contestants Cathy Roth and Jane Schwartz won a stay at The Elser Hotel & Residences in Miami. However, the timing of the prize was less ideal. According to The City Of North Miami, hurricane season in Florida starts on June 1 and ends on November 30. Hurricane season highly impacts Florida in October, which is a fact that viewers quickly noticed.
Fans even voiced their concerns online and criticized the show for sending winners to a hurricane-prone region during a volatile time of the season. Some of the viewers are wondering if Wheel of Fortune has been cutting corners on its prize offerings since Pat Sajak’s departure. One of the fans asked if Wheel of Fortune is unable to “afford any nice prize puzzles now that Pat has retired,” which highlights the growing frustration and extreme criticism from long-time fans.
7 Household Appliances
Season 5, Season 6
One of the more frustrating prize categories was appliance bundles that looked like a jackpot for homebodies — until shipping fees and taxes came into play. Buzzfeed quoted a reply from a Canadian Reddit user who suffered a similar fate. The contestant won several small appliances and items in 1995. These included a Dirt Devil vacuum, facial cleanser, and, amusingly, two loaves of Sunbeam bread instead of the anticipated bread maker.
The fact that made it even worse was that each item arrived separately, piling up shipping, brokerage, and cross-border fees. The contestant had to pay over $65 for a Dustbuster alone, which could have been bought locally for half the price. To make matters worse, as a non-US resident, the winner, faced IRS withholding and additional state tax. As a result, they lost a significant chunk of the winnings to taxes and handling fees. These prizes from Wheel of Fortune became more of a burden than a bonus for the contestant and highlight how winning such items starts up a hefty financial hassle.
6 Ceramic Dalmatian Statue
Season 1, Season 2
One of the more infamous prizes of the Wheel of Fortune was the Ceramic Dalmatian Statue, which became a puzzling and unwanted collectible for some contestants. This unusual item, likely chosen to add a whimsical touch, often left winners confused about where to put a life-sized porcelain pup. It is safe to say that this prize didn’t fit everyone’s taste or decor. The dog statue was placed in the shopping segment and priced at $146. Later on, its price was increased to $154, and many contestants spent their winnings on taking it home with them.
However, the Ceramic Dalmatian Statue was far from the dream prize many envisioned when stepping onto the Wheel of Fortune stage. Even though the shopping element ended entirely in 1989, this statue stayed. The statue became a permanent fixture on the set. Even though some call him the unofficial mascot of the show, it is considered impractical and odd as a prize. It is a hefty and fragile item that is tricky to transport or display, which makes it a prime example of why cash and versatile prizes tend to be more appreciated by winners.
5 Cheesecakes On A Game Show
Season 2
In an episode of December 19, 1984, a contestant named Connie celebrated after solving the puzzle Silent Night Holy Night for $2650. She spent $300 from her winnings in the shopping segment to get the Baby Watson cheesecake as a prize. While cheesecakes can be a crowd-pleaser, this prize is quite underwhelming when you consider the competition and the overall experience of the game. In the context of game show winnings, it lacks the excitement of larger, more extravagant prizes.
Many prizes inside the shopping segments were odd and not up to the standards of a popular game show. For instance, in an episode on November 19, 1984, a contestant named Rhea spent $236 to get the Dessert of the Month as a prize. Besides, it was considered a slow segment, which is why it faded away as time passed. The culinary prizes in the shopping segment might be a fine choice to celebrate, but winning it on a high-stakes game show can feel like a missed opportunity for something more rewarding, such as a trip or car.
4 Programmable Tomy Toy Robots
Season 2
Programmable Tomy Toy robots like the Omnibots were exciting in the 1980s, but they weren’t perfect as a prize on Wheel of Fortune. These robots came with clunky remotes, tricky programming, and only basic functionality — moving, playing cassettes, or awkwardly lifting objects. Plus, after just a few uses, most people realized that the programming was limited, requiring constant reconfiguration each time it powered up. It wasn’t long before these robots ended up in storage.
These toys were placed in the high-tech center of the show’s shopping segment, and some contestants even bought them with their winnings. One example is from 1984 when a contestant named Brett solved a puzzle Leonard Nimoy for 2400 and spent $375 on these toys. Unlike today’s sleek tech, these bulky robots quickly yellowed with age, and their plastic parts became brittle. They also made a lot of noise and moved at a snail’s pace, which made them one of the worst prizes on a game show like Wheel of Fortune.
3 The Gucci Mini Calculator
Season 1
The Gucci Mini Calculator on Wheel of Fortune holds a peculiar spot among odd rewards given on the show. While Gucci is renowned for its high-fashion items, this calculator offered little more than a luxury label for basic math. Unlike the toy robots, this Gucci calculator was placed in the TV room of the shopping segment. A contestant, Evangelina, once had the option to spend winnings on the show’s December 29, 1982 episode. Evangelina successfully solved a puzzle, Easier Said Than Done, and won $3500, which she decided to spend in the TV room. The contestant spent $85 for the mini Gucci calculator.
While high-end brands can add allure, paying for a designer calculator as a luxury prize felt absurdly mismatched to the stakes and excitement of the game. It’s safe to say the Gucci name didn’t make math any more thrilling! This prize was likely baffling and one of the worst on the show because it lacked any practical or financial impact — qualities contestants expect in show winnings.
2 French Accent Ceramic Canisters
Season 1
One of the Wheel of Fortune’s more unexpected prizes was a set of ceramic canisters described as French accent. During a classic episode in 1979, contestant Nancy solved the puzzle Tic-Tac-Toe and chose to spend $75 out of her $1850 winnings on those canisters presented in the Cook’s Corner of the shopping segment. While canisters can be practical for storing dry goods, they didn’t carry the glitz or thrill most contestants expected from game show winnings.
In the 1980s, contestants on Wheel of Fortune were given a catalog of items to choose from, and household basics like canisters were standard, though not exactly exciting. Despite their French accent label, the canisters were a modest kitchen item that felt somewhat out of place on a high-stakes game show. Even for kitchen enthusiasts, the canisters fell short of a dream prize, especially when compared to travel trips or high-value items offered on other episodes. With their low price and limited appeal, the ceramic canisters are one of the biggest reminders of just how hit-or-miss Wheel of Fortune prizes can be.
1 A Giant Toblerone Bar
Season 2
Sometimes, Wheel of Fortune prizes left fans puzzled. A giant Toblerone Bar is one of those prizes. In an episode from November 26, 1984, contestant Miranda solved the puzzle, “You Have The Right To Remain Silent,” and cashed in with $4250 in winnings. She had to spend it in the shopping segment and chose to pay $125 of her winnings for a giant Toblerone chocolate bar. While it was a fun and quirky selection at the time, viewers were left wondering if it was really worth the splurge.
Other items in her spending spree, like china sets and flatware, felt a bit more in line with typical prizes, but a colossal Toblerone bar stood out like a sore thumb. At $125, this Toblerone was both comically oversized and comically overpriced. While it may have delighted Miranda at the moment, it won’t be wrong to call it one of the worst and most impractical prizes in the Wheel of Fortune.
Wheel of Fortune can be streamed on YouTube TV.
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