16 Weird Prizes from Weird Contests
Contests have always been a way for people to win something exciting, whether it’s cash, a car, or a trip to somewhere warm. But not every prize makes sense.
Some contests hand out rewards that leave winners scratching their heads, wondering what they’re supposed to do with their new… whatever it is. From live animals to bizarre experiences, the world of contest prizes has seen it all.
Let’s take a look at some of the strangest prizes people have actually won from real competitions.
A town in Alaska
Back in 2003, a radio station in Alaska gave away an entire town as a prize. The winner received the deed to Chicken, Alaska, a remote place with a handful of buildings and almost no people.
The town had a gift shop, a bar, and not much else. Winning property sounds great until you realize maintaining a whole town in the middle of nowhere takes serious work and money.
The winner had to figure out what to do with a place most people had never heard of.
A lifetime supply of bacon
One contest winner walked away with enough bacon to last them forever, or at least as long as their freezer could handle. The company offered bacon deliveries for the rest of the winner’s life, which sounds amazing for about five minutes.
After that, the reality sets in that storing and eating that much bacon becomes a full-time commitment. Friends and family probably got real tired of bacon-themed dinners pretty quickly.
A plastic surgery package
A British radio station once gave away a complete plastic surgery makeover as a prize. The winner could choose whatever procedures they wanted, from nose jobs to tummy tucks.
While some people dream of this kind of prize, others found it uncomfortable that a contest basically said someone needed to change their appearance. The winner had to decide if they actually wanted to go under the knife or if they’d rather just have the cash instead.
A haunted doll collection
An online contest once offered a collection of supposedly haunted dolls as the grand prize. The dolls came with certificates of authenticity and stories about their creepy histories.
Most people enter contests hoping for something useful, not a bunch of porcelain faces staring at them from across the room. The winner probably had to explain to friends why they now owned objects that could star in a horror movie.
A year’s worth of toenail clippings from a celebrity
This prize came from a shock-value contest that wanted attention more than anything else. A morning radio show offered celebrity toenail clippings collected over a year, sealed in a fancy jar.
Why anyone would want this remains a mystery that even the winner couldn’t explain. The whole thing was gross, weird, and probably the most useless prize ever handed out.
A trip to watch paint dry
A paint company created a contest where the prize was traveling to watch their new fast-drying paint actually dry. The winner got a plane ticket, hotel stay, and front-row seat to a wall getting painted.
After the paint was applied, everyone just stood there watching it dry for hours. The company got publicity, but the winner got an experience they’d never be able to explain at parties without sounding ridiculous.
A funeral service package
A funeral home once sponsored a contest with a prepaid funeral as the prize. The winner received a full burial package, including casket, service, and plot.
While practical for some, most people don’t want to think about their own funeral, especially right after winning something. It’s the kind of prize that makes you wonder if you should feel lucky or deeply uncomfortable.
A llama
A farm supply company gave away a live llama to one lucky contest winner. The animal came with no supplies, no training, and no instructions on what to do with it.
Unless the winner already had a farm and experience with livestock, they suddenly had a very large, very confused pet. Llamas need space, food, and proper care, which most apartment dwellers can’t exactly provide.
A year of free colonoscopies
A medical center ran a contest offering a year of free colonoscopy procedures. The prize included multiple appointments and follow-ups for the winner.
Health screenings are important, but they’re not exactly the kind of prize people dream about when they enter a drawing. The winner got top-notch preventive care but probably wished for something more exciting.
A toilet made of gold
A plumbing company held a contest where the grand prize was a fully functional toilet plated in 24-karat gold. The toilet worked perfectly fine, but installing it meant ripping out the old one and explaining to guests why the bathroom looked like a palace.
The winner had the shiniest bathroom in town and a story that never got old at dinner parties.
A transparent coffin
A coffin manufacturer gave away a see-through casket as a promotional prize. The clear coffin was made of thick acrylic and let people see inside from all angles.
Most winners of strange prizes can at least display them or use them somehow, but a transparent coffin just sits in storage, waiting for the day nobody wants to think about. The winner probably kept it in the garage and tried not to make eye contact with it.
A trained raccoon
One bizarre contest offered a domesticated raccoon as the prize, complete with basic training and a care manual. Raccoons are wild animals at heart, even when raised by humans, and they can cause all kinds of chaos in a house.
The winner had to deal with a creature that looked cute but had a talent for getting into everything and making messes. Most people quickly realized why raccoons don’t make good house pets.
A tanning bed shaped like a coffin
A tanning salon gave away a custom tanning bed designed to look exactly like a vampire’s coffin. The bed opened up to reveal tanning lights inside, combining Gothic style with questionable health choices.
The winner needed a lot of space to store it and had to explain to everyone why they owned furniture that belonged in a Dracula movie. It was functional but incredibly weird to have sitting in your house.
A shed packed with old yogurt that’s gone bad
A dairy firm ran a competition – someone snagged a garden shed packed with nearly expired yogurt. That stuff wasn’t spoiled yet, although it wouldn’t last much longer.
They got seven days flat to finish off – or hand out – the entire stash of containers before rotting kicked in. Not really a reward… more like beating the clock.
A skilled person who swallows swords can come to your house
A single fun group gave away a close-up sword swallower act right inside the champ’s home. Instead of a stage, the pro came straight to the house – guests either freaked out or stared wide-eyed.
Winning meant bragging rights plus puzzled folks next door wondering what on earth happened. Honestly, most wouldn’t sign up again for that kind of gut-churning show.
A year of free grass cutting for your neighbor’s lawn
A lawn care business held a giveaway – prize was 12 months of no-cost yard work – but the catch? Winner couldn’t claim it for their own grass and had to hand it off to someone nearby instead.
That meant scoring something cool… yet getting zero personal gain from it. Picking who’d actually receive the help brought stress – who among the neighbors would get lucky?
Suddenly, folks were wondering why they didn’t make the cut. What started as fun ended up stirring mild drama across the block.
So this is what matters now
Odd giveaway prizes prove just how wild brands can get trying to stand out. The crazier the item, the more folks chat about it – perfect for whoever’s running the show.
People who snag these bizarre wins usually walk away with tales way stickier than money could buy, especially when they’ve got to explain their new golden toilet or creepy doll set.
It shows that chasing a strange prize might matter more than the thing you actually win, while also proving not every gift needs to be useful.
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