1980 - Present
Barker's Bargain Bar is an extremly simple game that sees frequent play to this date, and due to its relatively quick game play, is often used to make up for longer games earlier in the show. In Barker's Bargain Bar, two prizes are shown, both with bargain prices. The contestant must determine which prize is the bigger bargain to win. If the contestant chooses right, s/he wins both prizes.
While Barker's Bargain Bar is a favorite among TPiR fans with its glitzy setup and peppy theme music, the prizes are often cheap throwaways that most contestants wouldn't want. The game was recently played for a crib and a carousel horse. On rare occassions the game is played for two trips, but usually the contestant can only hope that at most one of the prizes might be nice.
As time went on, the bargains have gotten bigger. Towards the beginning of the game's run, the bigger bargain would be $400-$600 less than the ARP; nowadays, the bargain can run up to $1,000 lower than the ARP.
Barker's Bargain Bar is by far the most alliterative pricing game ever played. It was also the first pricing game to use Bob's name. Iroinically, the next pricing game introduced also used his name: Trader Bob. Barker's Markers is the third and final game that uses Bob's name.
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| This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot of the Barker's Bargain Bar sign from its first playing in 1980. They rarely show this sign up-close. | Look at this glitzy set! That's a riding lawn mower and a desk she's playing for. Much nicer than the standard cheap fare. |
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| She thinks the desk is the bigger bargain. The lawn mower is bargain priced at $885... | ...and the ARP was $1285, making it a $400 bargain. |
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| Now the moment of truth. Bargain price on the desk, $825. | ARP of the desk...$1525... |
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| ...which makes a bargain of $700! She wins both prizes! Wasn't that simple? |