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Trader Bob was a pricing game on the American television game show The Price Is Right. Played from April 29, 1980 through November 19, 1985, it was played for a prize worth more than $1,000 and used small prizes. It was also one of five retired games (alongside the original Balance Game, Finish Line, Give or Keep, and Shower Game) in which the contestant would win something regardless of the game's outcome. Gameplay The contestant was shown a small prize, which served as their "base prize", but was not shown its price. They were then shown a pair of small prizes. The contestant had to "trade up" by selecting the prize which was more expensive than their base prize. The rejected item's price was revealed, while the kept item was placed next to the base prize. This process was repeated with two additional pairs of small prizes, for which the contestant would have to choose the prize which was more expensive than their previous selection. Once all three choices were made, the prices of the selected prizes were revealed one at a time, starting with the base prize. If all four chosen items were priced in ascending order, the contestant won the large prize. Regardless of the outcome of the game, the contestant won the last small prize to have its price revealed before the game ended-this was the fourth and final small prize in the trading sequence if the contestant also won the large prize, and the first small prize picked incorrectly if the contestant lost. This made the base prize and the "correct" items in the first two pairs impossible to win. Ultimately, the simplified goal of Trader Bob was to pick the more expensive item in each of the three pairs of prizes. In this way, the game had the same goal as Give or Keep and Finish Line. However, in Give or Keep and Finish Line, a contestant could win even by making an incorrect choice along the way, depending on the prices used. History Trader Bob was created by producer Phil Wayne. Its set was styled like a log cabin housing a general store, with a large wooden barrel sitting at the front and the set decorated with shelves housing items often found at such a store. Smaller wooden barrels were wheeled out to display each small prize. Trader Bob was the second pricing game bearing a titular reference to former host Bob Barker, and premiered exactly one week after Barker's Bargain Bar's debut on April 22. The game was known as "Trade Up" on the 1980s UK version of the show. Retirement Trader Bob's structure allowed no room for error. This resulted in a low win-loss ratio and played a large role in its eventual retirement. Step Up, which premiered February 7, 2002, provides similar gameplay, but with the 4 main prizes and offers a cash bonus. Additionally, the contestant could bail out any time after each cash bonus is offered.
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