A Contest For Tots: Win Prizes for Helping Kids
You know what’s great? Helping others. This time of the year is the perfect time to help the less fortunate, because there are a lot of kids out there that might not be able to have a good *insert religious or secular holiday here* this year. That’s where Toys For Tots and ToyBender come in. If you donate a toy(s) to Toys For Tots, you’ll have the chance to win some fabulous prizes!
While this contest originally started out as part of my master plan to seed G.I. Joes through Toys For Tots in order to get kids interested in the Joe team, I’ll accept contest entries that aren’t a G.I. Joe toy. You’ll just earn my respect and an evil cackle if you do decide to donate a Joe toy. (You’ll earn a severe frowning if you donate The Corps toys, though.)
Grand Prize: The Grand Prize winner will get to pick from two packages, due to the fact that I realize that not every collector collects both G.I. Joe and Star Wars items. So here are the choices:
Prize Pack 1: Cobra Desert Assault and Cobra Winter Assault internet exclusive packs provided by Brian’s Toys, Cobra H.I.S.S. tank with tank commander*, one 50 dollar credit at Big Bad Toy Store, two 10 dollar gift certificates to 80sTees.com.
OR
Prize Pack 2: Sideshow Bespin Luke provided by Sideshow Collectibles, one 50 dollar credit at Big Bad Toy Store, two ten dollar gift certificates to 80stees.com, a Darth Vader Lithograph*, three Order 66 two figure packs*.
2nd Place Prize:
The Second Place prize winner will get the sloppy seconds of the prize pack that the Grand prize winner didn’t want, except you only get one 10 dollar gift certificate to 80stees.com. Not bad for second place!
3rd and 4th Place Winners:
Third and Fourth place contest winners will each get one 10 dollar gift certificate to 80stees.com and a randomly selected single carded Joe figure provided by Brian’s Toys.
To “prove” that you donated a toy and what consists of your contest entry, send me a picture of you putting a toy (or toys) into a Toys for Tots drop off box via this email address: winbigprizeswinbigmoney@gmail.com. You can find drop off locations here or you can call your local Toys For Tots representative.
More Deets: Images sent to me may (and probably will be) used on ToyBender.com. If you are camera shy, wear a mask or take a picture of a friend/relative putting the toy in, we won’t know the difference. Last date for submissions is 12/31/08. I encourage you to donate many toys to Toys For Tots, but only one entry per person, please. Winner will be selected at random. A impartial, third party representative (who will be revealed after the contest is over) will be responsible for picking the winners. Winner will be announced as soon as I receive back the winning pick from the third party. My relatives are not eligible, employees of 451 Press are likewise ineligible. Kurt Cobain was mostly unintelligible. If you live in Canada, I may be willing to accept a submission if you provide the details of a comparable, legitimate charity. This applies to Canada only, I apologize if you live elsewhere.
Edit: Remember, all submissions must go to winbigprizeswinbigmoney@gmail.com. Entry must consist of a picture of you (or a stand-in if you’re shy) donating an item, your name and address. You can either attach the picture or link to the picture.
I’d like to send out a special thank you to my sponsors. Please visit them and perhaps buy the items you want to donate to Toys For Tots from them. I’ll be posting some highlights of their wonderful goods in the following days, to make your purchasing easier. I’m just full of all kinds of loving goodness.
Sponsor Links:
80sTees.com
Big Bad Toy Store
Brian’s Toys
Sideshow Collectibles
*Item donated by me.
**My eternal gratitude goes out to krpykrwly for the contest logo!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:20 pm
What?! 451Press employees ineligible?! Come on Paul!!
Ah well - as long as it gets more people donating toys, it’s well worth it!
December 1st, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Great Contest!! Don’t know if I have any Joes, but I can probably find some cool things to drop off….
December 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Randi, technically writers of 451 aren’t employees of the company. We’re freelance contributers. Employees would be Kim or Steve.
XeQUae, don’t have any? They only take new unopened toys so you should buy some!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:10 am
This contest is so awesome, it’s stupid.
I guess my Superman Kryptonite Smash and Justice League Unlimited Batman Motorcyle have finally found a home. In a Toys For Tots donation box.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 am
me and my friends are going to go on a cobra commander/duke buying spree and give the battle of joe and cobra to the kids. We have all ready collecte 20 figures combined.
I’ll send you the picture when we give the donation to the marines at the mall.
We were doing this anyway and the contest is just bonus.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 am
Awesome soldier. Each friend can enter, so if you do that give me the info of each person.
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I’m down with this. As is my Dad.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:19 am
Word.
http://photographreak.livejournal.com/34057.html
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’ve actually recruited my entire health care clinic for this cause now, (military clinic), and the picture will probably be of us handing over the Marines at the mall a ton of gi joes.
This is awesome Paul, I’m trying to find an organization to match us one for one right now as well.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
[...] If you think you’ve seen cool T-shirts and you haven’t been to 80sTees.com, you’re a damned fool. Let’s take a look at some of the awesome found on 80sTees.com, a generous sponsor to the Joes for Tots contest. [...]
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I’ve already donated a lot of my troop builders and Cobra Legions boxed set just BEFORE this contest began. Oh well, that means more toy hunting for kids who need them! The wife is going to love this. Great idea Paul.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am just so amped right now. I found an organization to match my clinic 1 for 1 on donations. Comic Book Revolution in Puyallup, Wa.
This is also upon finding out from the local Marines here that they are expecting to need 3 times as many toys as they ever had, with the current economic crunch.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Holy crap, Soldier.
I’m going to be donating as well, but I guess I can’t win. LAME!
December 4th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
From reading your blog I’ve thought of you as somewhat clever but kind of self centered. However, after having read about your contest I’m beginning to believe your massive nogin might also house a massive intellect. Good idea Paul. Your folks might have even listed you on their “things to be thankful list” that is if you hadn’t been raised by labrador retrievers. Hope your contest really catches on and this can become an annual event.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:01 am
[...] Also in contest news, it was featured as a news item on both Raving Toy Maniac and Toy News International. [...]
December 8th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Well, I just donated a mess of Joes to Toys for Tots, but I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t see this contest. Sadness.
Sam
December 9th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Sam, what’s one more joe for all that stuff? Hell, just buy a thing of Playdoh and dump it in! THINK OF THE PRIZES!
December 9th, 2008 at 9:01 am
[...] by Paul You know what’s awesome? Brian’sToys.com. Not only did they help sponsor the Joes for Tots contest, but they’ve got a lot of great toys. Plus, they’re from Wisconsin and I have some sort [...]
December 9th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Ah, you’re right Paul. But I can’t bring myself to give a kid Play-Doh when there are Joes to be had! Mayhaps I shall go back to TRU and donate some more!
Sam
December 10th, 2008 at 2:28 am
I seriously need to bring a camera along when I go to TRU.
December 10th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
[...] Go here for full details! [...]
December 11th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
K. I did it. I donated anyway, but the chance to win prizes is neat.
Even if I don’t win, some kid’s gonna have a shiny new toy to play with.
December 13th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
[...] Well folks, Christmas is almost upon us and that feeling of joy that the season brings has reached my household at a fevered pitch. I thought I’d take a moment to post the long delayed image of all the awesome prizes you can win with ToyBender’s Joes for Tots contest: [...]
December 13th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
[...] Remember to enter the big contest if you donate to Toys For Tots this year! Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Toy Bender. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones on December 13th, 2008 Link to this Entry Email This Entry [...]
December 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
[...] can find the Cylon over on Big Bad Toy Store, one of the sponsers of the Joes for Tots contest. Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Toy Bender. It’s Free! « Back Home Posted in [...]
December 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
[...] stuff and they were both generous and super nice to donate two fifty dollar gift credits to the big Toys for Tot contest. Let’s take a look at some of the cool stuff I’ve found on their [...]
December 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
So what if we are donating more toys than the prizes combined are worth?
December 16th, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] snap a photo of yourself doing it and enter a contest that is being run by my friend Paul over at Toy Bender and you could win a great [...]
December 16th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
hrdwrkngXsoldier… then you are awesome person that is rewarded in the afterlife?
December 17th, 2008 at 9:00 am
[...] Cobra Troopa by Paul Sideshow Toys (who generously donated to this year’s Toys For Tots contest) has announced their newest 12″ G.I. Joe figure, the Cobra trooper and it is bad [...]
December 20th, 2008 at 8:01 am
[...] Spotlight: Sideshow Toys by Paul Have you gotten in your contest entry for the Toys For Tots contest? Why the hell not? You better get on that, Mister or you’re going to miss the chance to win [...]
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Okay, I sent you some pictures, we donated over 200 toys, almost 100 of them being GI JOE brand, and a retail money value of almost $10,000. feel free to post the pictures. and our story. In my book Joes for Tots was a success.
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Woot! Yeah, I’ll be sure to post more info. I’ll probably send questions to you in the coming days.
December 26th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
[...] Hope you gave to Toys For Tots this year. If you haven’t sent an entry in yet for the contest, you better do it soon. Last day for submissions is 12/31/08. After that the winners will be chosen and fantastic prizes [...]
December 30th, 2008 at 9:00 am
[...] Remember if you want some of this: [...]