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Mystery Price was a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Played from September 26, 1973 (aired on November 29) through February 21, 1974, it was usually played for a prize package consisting of two or three prizes, and also used four smaller prizes during gameplay.

Gameplay

The prize package was announced, and the price of one of the prizes (usually the least expensive) was the "mystery price", which was concealed on the game board.

The contestant was then shown four small prizes, one at a time, and asked to bid on each one. If the contestant's bid for a prize was at or below its price, the contestant won the prize, and the amount of the bid was added to their "credit" in the game's bank screen; if the contestant's bid was higher than the price of the prize, they lost that small prize and their bid was not placed in the bank. The goal was to bid as close to the price without going over, in order to build up the most credit.

After all four small prizes were bid on, the mystery price was revealed. If the contestant had at least as much credit in the bank as the mystery price, they won the prize package. If not, they still kept any small prizes won during bidding.

Retirement

Mystery Price was retired after five months due to its complicated and confusing rules. Despite this, the game had a favorable win-loss record of 11-6.^{[citation needed]}

Mystery Price was also featured, both on the cover and as a playable game, in the 1974 Second Edition home game; the pricing game's retirement very quickly made the board game outdated in that respect.

External links

• First playing of Mystery Price
• Mystery Price played for a car (January 21, 1974)
• Another playing of Mystery Price (taped January 1974)