Make that 'last prize'. · 1:14pm Oct 24th, 2014
Maybe I'm being oddly old-fashioned about this, as in 'my attitudes may be as much as two years past'. Maybe it's a failing in me instead of the product. But I can't get past the thought that a dry erase board should not wobble back and forth like a 1930s sound effects thunder sheet.
The noise it makes while doing so isn't particularly dramatic.
So yes, I burned off the Fathead coupon. The results arrived today.
The board itself, other than being composed of 90% jello, is about three-quarters the width of a normal paper sheet. It has to be peeled away from a larger piece of plastic, which gives the whole thing room for three pony stickers (Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow) and the show's logo. There is a long list of things which the product will and will not stick to. No markers are included. I am cautioned that I should allow thirty days after painting any surface before applying it to that area.
Once again, the full retail on this was $19.95. Plus shipping. I paid $5.00. No shipping cost.
I'm tempted to visit my local dollar stores and see if I overpaid by 500%.
My first-and-only temptation on what to do with this thing was 'Hold a contest'. Ask for -- 'verse writings! Art! More art! Mostly art! Trope submissions! And still more art! Best entry wins their very own MLP:FIM Dry Erase Board! I'll pay shipping and mail it anywhere in the world, anywhere at all, because I'll have gained all those fun submissions and the winner will have -- well, won't they have something? Yes... something. Something truly special somethinglike in its somethingness. But then I realized that offering this as a prize was the best way to turn a prospective best-case two entries into zero.
Even if I was in a cheating mood, I can't return it to any store for merchandise credit. Exclusive Fathead Product, y'know.
I could send it to someone I hate, but they'd only send it back. With an extra coupon.
...
...art-and-stuff contest idea really won't work, right?
*stares at product for a while*
*glances at nearby McDonald's Monopoly piece, which is Medium Fries*
I hate this stupid game.
I dunno, I think a contest would work. Mostly because the prize would be bragging rights, and the dry erase board can be mounted over the fireplace as a trophy :-P
Estee you are a true gem in the pony blogosphere
Yeah, you're not thinking of this the right way. The true prize is GLORY, HONOR, STREET CRED! The dry erase board is just a physical token, which is ennobled by the contest in which it is won to be something far more than the mere object, and so the lower the object the greater the gain.
Clearly, this is actually a mislabeled stress toy that happens to be compatible with dry-erase markers. At least, that's how I'd use it.
Also, I might use that contest as an excuse to try writing in your universe. Emphasis on "might." I'm weirdly uncomfortable with playing in your sandbox.
2553012
I can get lint.
Just bought a medium drink, large fries and a Big Mac
Got two "Free Medium Fries" tickets
An art contest sounds interesting - maybe get some character and cover art ideas?
2553113
Lint of triumph.
2553116
Odds of a winning Medium Fries piece are -- *checks* -- one in nine, and they're the most common prize. (Those odds are per food package, BTW.) So for a single visit, you did well and for those of us who wind up going for the full entry slate, the Medium Fries pile up to the ceiling.
I really wish they'd swap the low-odds food prize from fries to smoothies. People seldom die from excess smoothies.
The main barrier to putting up an art contest, other than Horrible Prize, would be the fear of Zero Entries.
2553130
You do realize that's a story title?
2553137
Clearly so.
I was thinking of quoting Hamlet when I wrote that, but decided against the wisdom of using him as a role model :P
Make it a story contest, with the winner getting an overpriced underbuilt MLP dry erase board with stickers, signed by you, and I am sure I and at least 10 other people would enter, as long as the word count lower limit wasn't too hi.
It's clearly not a dry erase board, it's a dry erase sheet. According to your assessment, a bunch of cutout, laminated drawings of the ponies in question (on at least printer quality paper) would be vastly more satisfying.