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Balance Game (1984)

The original Balance Game from 1984 was played for a large prize.

A large scale and five small prizes were shown. Each small prize had a bowl filled with Barker Silver Dollars equal to the price of the prize. The contestant is asked, once item at a time, to load a side of the scale with coins until the scale balanced and the contestant wins, or they use up all five small prizes without balancing and loses. The contestant was given five Barker Silver Dollars to load a side of a scale if it were five dollars or less away from a perfect balance.

An ambitious attempt at a unique game that had just too much going against it to survive long-term. The concept of balancing things on a giant scale was revisited in a different game with the same name over 20 years later.

A colorful stage backdrop featuring the title 'BALANCE GAME' in bold yellow letters, with a scale and empty bowls positioned on either side.
57th pricing game to debut
S12, April 9 1984 – S13, December 3 1985
Likely created by Frank Wayne
FAQ
S12, Apr 9 1984
Two women stand next to a cart filled with luggage, showcasing the prizes for a game of Balance Game on the set of 'The Price is Right'.

Belinda can win a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark  and luggage worth $4,686…

Colorful set design for the 1984 Balance Game, featuring a prominent title and large dollar signs on either side.

…if she measures up to the brand-new pricing game, Balance Game!

Two prize displays featuring red and black pedestal stands with bowls on top, one displaying a prize covered by a white cloth.

The right dollar sign wall is wheeled away to reveal the small prizes. The left wall is never moved during the game, thus concealing the turntable throughout play.

A game show model stands beside a display featuring five small prizes labeled 'Hair Setter,' 'Shorts,' 'Cosmetics,' 'Sweeper,' and 'Recorder.' Each prize is accompanied by a bowl filled with Barker Silver Dollars.

Here are the five small prizes Belinda will use in this game, plus bowls in front of each prize filled with Barker Silver Dollars equal to the price of the prize the bowl is in front.

A close-up of a Barker Silver Dollar from the game show 'The Price is Right' held in a person's hand, with a blurred background.

If Belinda can balance the scale by placing an even number of coins on both sides of the scale, she wins. Here is a close-up of an actual Barker Silver Dollar.

A male host assists a female contestant in the Balance Game, with a large colorful backdrop and a balance scale prominently displayed.

Belinda is given five Silver Dollars. She can use them to balance the scale if one side is five dollars or less away from the other.

A contestant in a beige outfit prepares to choose items from a colorful display of five small prizes labeled 'Hair Setter,' 'Shorts,' 'Cosmetics,' 'Sweeper,' and 'Recorder' during the Balance Game.

Belinda first chooses the sweeper.

A person holding a red object prepares to place it in a scale during the Balance Game, with a host speaking into a microphone beside them. The game board prominently displays the title 'BALANCE GAME' in bold lettering.

Janice pours the coins into the bowl on the right side of the scale…

A hand holding a box with the price tag showing , set against a colorful background.

…and we find that the sweeper is $44.

A game show contestant in a beige jumpsuit stands next to a colorful display of prizes, including a hair setter, shorts, cosmetics, a sweeper, and a recorder, during the Balance Game segment.

Belinda next picks the cosmetics, which Janice pours into the left side bowl.

displayed prominently on a prize container during the Balance Game.

The cosmetics are $74. She has a difference of $30.

Two numbered boxes showing prices and on a game show set.

Belinda’s next choice is the hair setter, which Janice pours the coins in with the sweeper’s. It is $44, making the right side total of $84 and leaving a $10 difference.

The 'Balance Game' display featuring the game title in bold red letters, with price tags of and on the left, and and on the right, along with bowls for placing coins.

After Belinda chose the shorts and its coins were poured in with the cosmetics’, things weren’t looking good at all. With a $100 total on the left side of the scale, and a $84 total on the right, she had a $16 difference…and a VERY expensive-looking recorder was all that was left to pick.

A contestant is pouring coins into a bowl on a scale during the Balance Game, with price labels of and visible on the side.

Janice poured in the recorder coins, and the right side came down with a thud.

A hand is shown touching a vertical display with three price tags, reading 0, , and , against a colorful background from The Price is Right.

No wonder. The recorder was $100, leaving a whopping $84 difference between the two sides. Belinda’s five Silver Dollars were DEFINITELY not going to save her!

A woman with short red hair is speaking in front of a colorful backdrop related to a game show.

At least she came out with all five small prizes she used and a Barker Dollar as a token of her appearance on the show.

S13, Dec 17 1984
Two men standing on stage during a game show, one wearing glasses and a white shirt, the other in a gray suit with a striped tie, festive decorations in the background.

Lynwood is about to perform a Christmas Week feat.

and price tags displayed on colorful cards, associated with the Balance Game.

He has the purifier and the iron on the right side of the scale at $40 and $60…

and price tags displayed on a transparent board.

…and he has the vacuum and the thermometer on left side at $80 and $20. Both sides equal $100!

Close-up of the Balance Game display showing the word 'WIN' illuminated in lights against a red background.

Lynwood balances the scale perfectly, and “WIN” is shown in flashing lights!

S13, Mar 28 1985
A contestant in a blue uniform stands next to a host in a black suit and striped shirt, both smiling while participating in the game show Balance Game.

Emil, of the United States Air Force, is not going to fool around with this game!

A hand holding a sign displaying the price , positioned in front of a colorful backdrop.

He places the socket set on the right side at $44.

prize displayed in a clear box against a colorful background.

He then places the waffler on the left side at $40. He has a $4 difference.

A contestant stands in front of the Balance Game display, with a large red sign reading 'BALANCE GAME' and two transparent bowls on either side of a scale. The bowl on the right displays a price of .

He then puts four of the Barker Silver Dollars he was given on the left side…

Contestant and host interacting in front of the 'Balance Game' set featuring a large scale and vibrant backdrop.

and he wins with only two items!

S34, Feb 6 2006
A host stands with a contestant next to the Balance Game setup, featuring a scale and small prizes displayed on a podium.

After the original Balance Game’s retirement, we wouldn’t see the name or Barker Silver Dollars again until the debut of the NEW Balance Game in 2006.

There are several reasons the original Balance Game was retired:

• a complicated set of rules that took too long to explain

• Bob having to over-explain the game to get the contestants and audience to understand it better

• the game taking a lot of time to play

• it was not too fun or exciting for the audience

Balance Game ’84 was played for a little over a year until it was retired in late 1985 alongside On the Nose, Trader Bob and Walk of Fame. Its legacy lives on with a totally new game with the same name that debuted in 2006.

  • Tip the scales back to 1984 in the Tiny Timeline
  • See how Balance Game weighs up against other games involving coins like Penny Ante, Vend-O-Price, Telephone Game, and… well… Balance Game (2006)
  • Collect up to five Barker Dollars at the Golden-Road FAQ page on Balance Game
  • Return to “Golden Game Gallery“

Page by Alfonzo