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Bargain Game

A quick game, played for two prizes.

Two prizes are shown, along with two “bargain” prices below their actual retail price. The host asks which bargain price is the “bigger bargain”, i.e. which has a greater difference between the false price and real price. If the contestant chooses correctly, they win both prizes!

Bargain Game was known as “Barker’s Bargain Bar” for over 25 years. When Drew took over, the game initially retained its name as a tribute to the former host. Eventually it was decided it was awkward to have Drew hosting a game with Bob Barker’s name in the title, and the game was officially renamed “Bargain Game”.

Under both names, Bargain Game has been one of the show’s most frequently played two-prize games. It’s very rare to for a week or two go by without seeing it.

Two models stand next to displays for 'Bargain Game', featuring images of Spain and Thailand, with pricing tags of $8985 and $7910.
44th pricing game to debut
S8, April 22 1980 – Present
Creator Unknown
Strategy
Stats
FAQ
S8, Apr 22 1980
A contestant shakes hands with the host on the set of The Price is Right game show, featuring colorful backgrounds and a prominent logo.

Bob shakes Jerry’s hand, and congratulates him on making Price is Right history…

Two prizes displayed on a game show stage, featuring a hot dog cart on the left and a cycle boat on the right, with two hostesses presenting them.

…and becoming the first to play Barker’s Bargain Bar! Where EVERY prize is offered at a bargain price!

A hot dog cart displayed on a stage, with a price tag of 95. Contestants and a host are engaging in the game 'Bargain Game'.

This hot dog cart is marked at $1595…

A contestant presents a bright yellow Dynafoil at the Bargain Game on stage, marked with a bargain price of 70.

…and this cycle boat at $1770. Both of these are bargain prices, marked below their actual ones.

A contestant named Jerry listens as the host explains the game rules on the set of The Price is Right, featuring colorful backgrounds.

But which is the bigger bargain? That’s for Jerry to decide.

An African American contestant in a plaid blazer interacts with the host on a game show stage decorated in vibrant colors.

Jerry thinks the cycle boat is the bigger bargain.

A game show host presents a yellow hot dog cart with a price tag of 95, while a female model looks on, and an audience member stands nearby.

So, naturally, Bob starts by revealing the price of the hot dog cart. Bargain price, $1595…

95 price display from the game show, indicating the actual price of a prize.

…actual price, $1895, for a difference of…

0 displayed on a game board for a pricing game.

…$300. The cycle boat needs to be a bigger bargain than that.

A contestant stands beside a yellow Dynafoil boat, which has a bargain price of 70 displayed.

Cycle boat, priced to sell at $1770, but its actual price is…

70 displayed on a game show price sign.

…$2270, which making it a bargain of…

0 price tag displayed in a game show setting.

…$500! Jerry wins both prizes!

A contestant smiles while participating in the Bargain Game on a television game show.

Hot dog! He’s a happy winner!

S8, Jun 20 1980 and S8, Jun 26 1980

The clear sign proved to be very hard to read, so a flashing orange light was added behind it to illuminate it.

S10, Feb 2 1982
Logo of Barker's Bargain Bar from a game show, featuring bold golden letters on a colorful background.

The flashing effect was quickly done away with, and the translucent orange light simply became part of the game’s look.

S10, Jun 1 1982
Image of a game show set featuring a sign reading 'NEW YORK' with a depiction of the Statue of Liberty. A female contestant in a red dress stands beside the sign, which displays a bargain price of 70.

An oddity: the twin podiums limited the size of the prizes the game could offer. Traditional trip skins couldn’t be used, and smaller ones had to be commissioned.

S11, Jan 12 1983
A scene from the Bargain Game on The Price is Right featuring a host presenting two prizes with two models in pink dresses, one prize costing 0, the other 8, set against a colorful stage backdrop.

Yikes! The game lost power during the prize descriptions.

A model turns the displays in Barker's Bargain Bar by hand during a power outage.

Fortunately, in emergencies the models can override the motorized reveal and turn the prices by hand.

S14, Nov 14 1985
A contestant stands next to a motorcycle showcased on a pedestal with a price tag of 98, set against a colorful backdrop.

Another glitch saw both prizes with their actual prizes revealed at the outset instead of their bargain prices.

A host interviews two female contestants during the Bargain Game segment on The Price is Right, set against a backdrop of colorful stage decorations.

“I say we give it to him!” Janice, Dian, and Bob all agree the only thing to do is award both prizes automatically!

S14, Jan 10 1986
A close-up view of a bright, illuminated game show set featuring decorative lights and an orange background.

Where’s the sign?

A male host gestures while speaking into a microphone, with a prop in the background resembling a chair.

Bob is utterly distraught that the sign is missing. “It’s supposed to say ‘Barker’s Bargain Bar’ up there! I can’t go on!”

A television game show host, dressed in a suit, is speaking into a microphone while looking down, with a colorful backdrop featuring pink and green panels.

Bob melodramatically sits down on the door frame, ignoring Janice’s warnings to watch out…

A hand reaching for a ping pong ball on a vibrant green surface, with sparks and light effects illustrating a motion.

…and Bob has broken a bulb cleanly from its socket.

S20, Mar 19 1992
A contestant on a game show, holding up a finger while smiling at the host who is holding a microphone.

Bob got more than he bargained for with Brian, who recited Bob’s rules spiel before Bob could.

S23, Feb 7 1995
A model acts like she is pressing a button to reveal the price in Barker's Bargain Bar.

The models liked to act as though they were pushing a button to reveal the price, but it was purely ornamental–the reveal was controlled offscreen.

S29, Dec 13 2000
A scene from Barker's Bargain Bar game show featuring a contestant sitting in a chair on the left and a model presenting a large clock on the right, with price tags displayed for both.

The clear neon sign was done away with, and the game got a solid sign in the mid 90’s. Janice and Kathleen are taking it easy on their final day.

S36, Oct 15 2007
A colorful sign displaying the text 'Barker's Bargain Bar' on a game show set, with decorative lights and a vibrant background.

Due to its name, this game was never played on the Davidson or Kennedy versions. When Bob retired in 2007, Barker’s Bargain Bar remained with its name intact, intended as a tribute to the former host.

Contestant Greg stands on stage during the Bargain Game segment of The Price is Right, with host Drew Carey beside him against a colorful game show backdrop.

Drew even liked to joke that it was “named after the founder of The Price is Right in 1872, Ezekiel Barker”.

S37, Apr 16 2009
Drew Carey and Bob Barker smiling and laughing together on the set of The Price is Right.

However, after a year, the game was placed on hold to help Drew out of Bob’s shadow. The studio remained “The Bob Barker Studio”, but the game underwent a redesign.

S40, April 10 2012
Two models display prizes for the Bargain Game on a game show set, with a red tag showing the game title and two prices beneath each prize.

Guess who’s back for the 40th Season? Now rechristened the “Bargain Game”, with a sleek new set.

Contestant smiling while standing next to the Bargain Game display featuring a price tag of 00.

The trilons are now completely manual, making the game easy to wheel out in a pinch.

S46, April 10 2017
A scene from the Bargain Game on The Price is Right, featuring a host and a female contestant excitedly discussing prizes, with two large display screens showcasing locations and their associated prices.

The game can now be played for anything, including the now-standard trip screens…

S51, Sep 19 2022
A game show scene featuring two cars on either side with their prices displayed. A female host, wearing a sparkly blue outfit, stands beside one car, and a male host claps next to the other car. A sign in the background reads 'BARGAIN GAME'.

…or even cars!

S41, Oct 5 2012
A contestant and the host engage in conversation on the set of a game show, with a prominent sign displaying 'the price is right' in the background.

Kenny was one of Drew’s more memorable Bargain Game players. Which is a bigger bargain, a 3D TV at $2149, or a gas grill at $3299?

Audience members enthusiastically cheer and participate during a game segment on a television show.

“The whole world says TV, right?”

A contestant in a yellow shirt passionately discusses their choice on the game show, holding a microphone with a name tag visible.

“My name is Kenny, I’ve been making wrong decisions my whole life. I’m going with the grill.”

A contestant enthusiastically gestures while participating in the Bargain Game on a colorful game show set.

Kenny was right! During the break, Drew quipped, “Kenny, I don’t think you make all the wrong decisions…I think you just make a lot of decisions.”

S52, Jan 24 2024 (primetime)
Contestant Terrance smiles broadly while participating in the game show 'The Price is Right', with the show's logo visible in the background.

What is Terrence smiling about? Well, he’s a motorcycle enthusiast…

Contestants celebrate during the Bargain Game on The Price is Right, featuring a jet ski and a motorcycle with their respective prices displayed.

…and one of the prizes in this playing of Bargain Game was a new Harley! Needless to say, he won!

S53, Sep 30 2024
Two contestants stand next to prize displays in the Bargain Game, showcasing the bargain prices of 00 and ,424 against a colorful background.

Two five-star getaways to Santorini, Greece and Bali, Indonesia are on the line! Santorini is a $3,000 bargain, but is that Bali trip REALLY going to be priced at more than $3,000 off?

Two contestants excitedly present bargain prices of 00 and ,424 in the Bargain Game.

Yep! Over $35,000 in trips won with just one decision! $7,000 remains the largest “discount” ever offered.