Not that many of you know me... yet. However, another one of my hobbies is online sweepstaking. While scouting out new sweeps for today, I spotted a few that may interest some of you (abbrev. details below). Simply add the link to your favorites and enter once a day (or whatever the allowed frequency of entry is). The winner could be you!

Garmin GPS Giveaway Sweepstakes
http://www.backpacker.com/gps/giveaway/0,8122,,00.html
Open to: US & Can
Age: 18+
Frequency: Daily entry
Ending date: 4/30/2004
Prize: Garmin GPSMAP 60C (ARV $482).

Lafuma Sleeping Bag Sweepstakes
http://www.backpacker.com/gear/sleepingbags/giveaway/1,8125,,00.html
Open to: US & Can
Age: 18+
Frequency: Daily entry
Ending date: 4/30/2004
Prize: Lufuma Warm'n Light 1 Kilo Down sleeping bag (ARV $160).

Bennett Marine Video - Win a Magellan GPS
http://bennettmarine.com/mailinglist.html
US
18+
One Time Entry
Ends 5/31/2004
*newsletter sign uprequired
Prize: Magellan SporTrak Color GPS unit (ARV $229).

Overtons - Super Summer Sweepstakes
http://overtons.com/sweepstakes/form.html
US
18+
Daily Entry
Ends 8/31/2004
PRIZES:
Grand Prize: Mastercraft boat.
First Prize: Pontoon boat.
Second Prize: Horizon boat.
Third Prize: His & Hers golf carts.
Fourth Prize: Modular docking system.
Fifth Prize: Sea Doo.
Sixth Prize: Trampoline.
Seventh Prizes (6): Magellan GPS.
Eight Prizes (10): Wakeboard.
Ninth Prizes (5): Sportsstuff Duo Patriot.
Tenth Prizes (10): Sunglasses.

Meade/Space Holding Corp. - Reach for the Stars Sweepstakes
http://www.space.com/php/promo/meade/meade_contest.php
US (void NY & FL)
18+
One Time Entry
Ends 4/23/2004
PRIZES:
Grand Prize: Meade 12" LX 200 GPS SMT Telescope with UHTC, Starry Night Pro Version 4.5.2 Astronomy Software, and Eyes on Mars DVD (ARV $4,275).
First Prize: Meade ETX 125 AT Telescope with UHTC and Starry Night Pro Version 4.5.2 Astronomy Software (ARV $1,280).
Second Prizes (3): Meade Eyepiece Set and Starry Night Pro Version 4.5.2 Astronomy Software (ARV $800).
Third Prizes (3): Meade 9 x 63 Roof Prism Binocular and Atlas of the Sky DVD (ARV $119).

See America's National Parks Sweepstakes
http://www.nationalparks.org/sweepstakes/entry_form.asp
US
18+
Daily Entry
Ends 7/6/2004
*short survey required.
PRIZES: Grand Prizes (5):
#1: Yellowstone NP Package - 5-day/4-night trip for four; Choice of a four hour Charter Fishing trip or "Circle of Fire" interpretive bus tour for four; Car rental; Kodak digicam package; Year's subscription to Time Magazine; National Park pass for a year; $200 Discovery Channel Store GC (ARV $5,630).
#2: Yosemite NP Package - 3-day/2-night trip for four; Car rental; Kodak digicam package; Year's subscription to Time Magazine; National Park pass for a year; $200 Discovery Channel Store GC (ARV $8,650).
#3: Grand Canyon Package - 3-day/2-night trip for four; Bus tours and other activities; Car rental; Kodak digicam package; Year's subscription to Time Magazine; National Park pass for a year; $200 Discovery Channel Store GC (ARV $4,317).
#4: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Package - 5-day/4-night stay aboard houseboat 59 XL Discovery for four; Car rental; Kodak digicam package; Year's subscription to Time Magazine; National Park pass for a year; $200 Discovery Channel Store GC (ARV $8,671).
5: New Orleans Jazz NHP, LA Package - 8-day/7-night river cruise for four with meals included; Car rental; Kodak digicam package; Year's subscription to Time Magazine; National Park pass for a year; $200 Discovery Channel Store GC (ARV $15,612).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AtlantaGal,

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Originally posted by AtlantaGal:
Simply add the link to your favorites and enter once a day. The winner could be you!

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I already have a couple of links that I visit once-a-day (Save the Rainforest (2), Feed the Children, Breast Cancer Research, Save-a-Pet, etc.), so I could add this to it. Who knows, maybe I could win something for a change. I'll be sure to use my throw-away email addy, tho.
What have you won in your Sweepstaking?

Yes, I recommend using a spam addy for any online contests. Just be sure to check it before dumping your messages tho. Many notifications of prize wins DO come through email.

I've won silly things like tshirts on up to major things like a 2003 Hummer H2.

Overall my wins are down for 2004 so far, but I have won close to 2K in cash & prizes to date this year. It should pick back up soon. March was a horrible month for me.

Warning: It's an addictive hobby

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Originally posted by AtlantaGal:
2003 Hummer H2

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Surely, you jest?
Dang - I may have to put Honey-Do to work Sweepin'.

I kid you not. It was my biggest win ever and was incredibly exciting.

Sounds like she needs to take us caching instead of us taking her caching since she's been finding such things.

I was wondering, don't you have to sign up for those things with your physical address and phone number? If and when you do, do you get piles of junkmail and telemarketers?
BTW - sounds too good to be true but this isn't the 1st time I've heard of people winning so much. I wanna try.

Interesting, the garmin Sweepstakes says "One entry per email address per day". Since I have an unlimited number of email addresses. I could create say 20 of them just for this and have a program run once a day to fill out the form 20 times, once for each of the 20 email addresses.

Don't know if it is worth the trouble since they are only giving away one GPS.

RedWing, yes you do have to include real information in those fields. I recommend using a cell phone for phone field (telemarketing machinery cannot effectively dial a cell number for some reason) and some people I know use their work mailing address. I have no real problems with calls or tons of physical junk mail and I enter 1000s of these things in a month. I do get quite a bit of junk email, but I have an email account specifically for sweeps/contests/freebies that's online based, so it's a small price to pay.

Allen, Most sweepstakes can detect macros for mass entry and will disqualify you. So I wouldn't recommend wasting your time with that. Sometimes the rules also state once per email/household. I didn't read these rules since I only enter once with one email. If once per household was not stated, then entering for others in your home with alternate emails would be fair game, but I would still recommend only entering once for yourself regardless the amount of email addys you have.

Thanks, Gal. Meanwhile, I found a very informative site at epinions.

How to win with Online Sweepstakes

Daddy needs a plasma screen. No Whammies, No Whammies!

LMAO @ Daddy needs a plasma! AG nees one too

I added a few more to my original post that I have either entered or am currently entering. Good luck all.

quote:

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Originally posted by AtlantaGal:
Allen, Most sweepstakes can detect macros for mass entry and will disqualify you. ....
...but I would still recommend only entering once for yourself regardless the amount of email addys you have.

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I have as many email addresses as I want (advantage of running my own domain). If I did it, it wouldn't be a simple macro, I can write programs that would be hard for a regular form to tell it wasn't a person. Just ask gossamyrrh about the AJC vote page.

But I don't think a single GPS is worth the effort, now if the prize was a Hummer.

Allen, I'm not doubting your technical expertise at all. Was just trying to spare you the wasted effort

Do check out RedWing's link above. It's an excellent resource! Those sweeps websites mentioned are what I use as well, and that overview basically provides the basic info/faq any person considering sweeping should know. It even covers automated entry disqualification.

Anyway, I only posted these for fun. It is an enjoyable hobby when you win free things. I love it

I would never use a program written by someone else, would be afraid they didn't know as much as I do about avoiding traps. Also you pretty much have to tailor the program for each form. Using a program that is suppose to work for any form is a sure fire way to get caught. However if they were serious about preventing programs from filling out the form then they would do like yahoo, hotmail and others do, where they show a image and tell you to enter the numbers/letters in the image. Any of the other methods can be programmed around.

Now I would like one of the Meade Telescopes and since it is a one time entry there is no advantage to writing a program for it.

Thanks for pointing that one out.

I think your odds of winning just went down as alot of GGA'rs are now signing up for stuff.

Kenneth

That's quite alright Kenneth. I'm from the school where I believe there are plenty of prizes and sweeps offered to go around to anyone who wants to join in the madness

I've only been doing this since mid-2002. It takes a lot of patience and persistance to win, and there are months that are a complete bust. Most people give up if they don't get instant gratification of a win within a month or two anyway.

Besides I'd be happy if I saw threads where people from here won one of these. It gives me motivtion to stick with it when the dry months come.

Have fun!

Added a new one to the OP above. Nice trips for cachers