what is the best/strangest/coolest thing you've ever won

[gonzo914]

The Selective Service lottery in 1970.

[Charlene]

$100 on a lottery scratch ticket.

[Innocent Bystander]

When I was eleven I won an alarm clock at a fairground Wheel-of-Fortune in Millisle in Norn Iron. I was delighted, as it would help me get up in time for "big school".
At a Ceilidh a few years back I won the raffle and got an alarmingly large china doll, which I gave to my daughter.
I won a national newspaper competition (in the Guardian) for the best Science Fiction Film scenario, and got ten DVDs of Science Fiction films - Good ones, too. I was later told there seventy five entries, which struck me as appallingly small.
My Dad won two thousand pounds in a local newspaper lottery, because he was still checking his tickets long after everyone else had given up in boredom and disgust.
And last Powwow, I won the raffle (along with about a dozen other people) and picked up a choker - a Warrior's choker, a very nice one, which I will wear to the next Powwow.

[PallasAthena]

I once won third place in my town's photo contest.
My prize: never getting the photo back...

[rebl_rn]

I won second place for "Hippie Day" my sophomore year in high school (late 1980's). The prize was a free hot lunch. Whoopee.

I've won various door prizes over the years, usually not much of anything exciting. Probably the biggest (monetary) prize was a free Lead Risk Assessor Training course - a week long course that costs $800. (This was for my job). So I saved the taxpayers $800 that year.

[Nanohedron]

The prize was a transistor radio, which was cool.

What is that?

[mutepointe]

a transitor radio is a major step up from a crystal radio.

[peeplj]

For those of you too young to know, here's a transister radio:



Once upon a time they were considered a big deal because they were small enough to comfortably carry around everywhere with you.

This is a crystal radio:



I built one of these for a science project when I was a kid. Looked a bit like this one except messier.

It worked, too.

Look, Ma, no batteries!

--James

[SteveK]

I won two milk shakes for having the longest feet at a dance in Fairmount, Indiana. My aunt had knitted me some bright red argyle socks and I happened to have them on. Very cool. In case you don't know, Jimmy Dean was born in Fairmount.

Apart from that I have won innumerable lotteries. I haven't collected any money from any of them but I must be owed a billion dollars at least-just from the Netherlands alone.

I also won a CD as a door prize which had some neat tunes. The only one I can remember now was Let's Get Drunk and Break Bottles in the Alley.

[BillChin]

I won a teddy bear dressed in a kilt and cap.

I won a Civil War book and an old time silver dollar.

It was a very long time before I won anything, so for those who have never won, your luck may change as well.

[falkbeer]

the book giveaway thread was nice. so i started this thread. what things have you folks won?

the best thing i ever won was the guess the number of jelly beans in the jar contest. i know i won the jelly beans and the jar but i have no clue what the prize was. having my name in the bulletin as the winner (smartest person in the world) was my real prize.

A traditional russian saltceller in wood from Radio Moscow 1987. At that time I owned a Sony short wave radio, and I used to listen to everything: BBC world service, Voice of America and Radio Moscow. Great fun! I participated in a contest and won a prize. I was pretty sure that my name ended up in the KGB files as a friend to the Soviet Union...

[amar]

Years ago, I took part in a competition at the Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye, west coast of Scotland, and sure enough, I won a bottle of their single malt whisky, incidently it even was sent to me on my birthday (which incidently I have again in 7days, so, feel free to send me presents).

[SteveShaw]

I won two thousand quid's-worth of Thomas Cook travel vouchers in a competition in a trade union magazine that I couldn't even remember entering. It got us to Oz to see our relatives! I won £93.75 last week in the local school's 100 Club draw. I won a huge plastic water butt from the Western Morning News. I've won some terrible bottles of wine at quiz nights as well as one or two glass paperweights. Our team won the annual Bude Lifeboat Day quiz in August and I now have a huge and ugly shiny cup proudly displayed on the landing. I once won one of those ashtrays that spins round when you press the top at a Polish ballroom dance (in Rochdale, not Poland).

[djm]

a huge plastic water butt

The mind wanders to images it should never be introduced to ....

djm

[SteveShaw]

Flippin' 'eck. You bleddy new-worlders and your butts! Why choose a word for arses that's already taken up for large water-containing receptacles when you have so many others to choose from! Derriere! Rear! Bum! Botty! Situpon! Ass!