You do not have to sit back and watch someone else win these big prizes because you do not know how to go about entering or because you figure you don't have a chance, or because you've never won anything in your life. PLAYLE'S SWEEPSTAKES WEEKLY will give you all the information about sweepstakes currently in progress so you can enter and win! But first, let's take a look at basic sweepstakes information if you are a beginner.
Following Official Rules
It cannot be stressed too much that it is important to follow the OFFICIAL
RULES for the sweepstakes you are entering. Each sweepstakes has its own set
of rules to be followed or you may be disqualified. The best way to tell you
how to do this is to list the actual rules of a real sweepstakes, then take you
step-by-step through them.
On an official entry blank or on a 3" x 5" piece of paper, print your name, address and zip code and the name and address of your dealer (if any).
If you have the official entry blank, fine--use it. If you don't, a 3" x 5" piece of paper is perfectly acceptable. It should be plain paper, not ruled. You can buy 3" x 5" paper in your discount stationery store (make sure it is exactly 3x5), or you can order from us. You can use this same size in most sweepstakes. The rules state PRINT your name, and it means just that. Do not use script. Make it LEGIBLE! Include your zip code, and the name and address of your dealer if asked for.
With each entry, send 2 empty (brand name) packages or the "(brand name of product)" printed on a 3" x 5" piece of paper. Enter as often as you wish, but each entry must be mailed in a separate envelope. Entries must be postmarked by (date) and received by (date).
This rule is about the "qualifier" that you have to enclose with your entry. As it states, you can send in EITHER the empty product package, or the product name printed by you on a separate 3" x 5" piece of paper. Hand-printed qualifiers are perfectly acceptable to use. You DO NOT need to purchase the product in order to win. If the rules state to print them on a SEPARATE piece of paper, do so. Do not put them on the same 3" x 5" piece of paper that you used for your name and address. The "Enter as often as you wish" statement is the one we like to see. With that rule, we can submit as many entries as desired. Just make sure that each entry is mailed in a separate envelope. About the closing date for the sweepstakes: many will give two dates, one for the postmark deadline, and one for the received deadline. However, some sweepstakes give just one closing date, so determine whether it's to be a postmark deadline or a received-by deadline. Don't wait until midnight to deposit them and expect them to be postmarked with that day's date. Check the pickup times on the mailbox, or check with your local postmaster so you will know by what time you have to deposit your mail to get that day's postmark.
Winners will be determined by a random drawing, conducted by an independent judging organization whose decisions are final.
Most sponsors leave the conduct of sweepstakes--the drawing of the winners--to independent companies who specialize in this. These companies, usually called judging agencies, are specialists in this field, experienced and equipped to handle large volumes of mail. More about how winners are chosen later.
Local, state and federal taxes, if any, are the responsibility of the winner.
This rule is self-explanatory. It simply means that you, and not the sponsors, must pay the taxes, if any.
Sweepstakes open to residents of the United States 18 years of age or older. Employees and their families of the sponsoring company, its advertising agency, and judging organization are not eligible. Void wherever prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. NO PURCHASE REQUIRED.
This rule is pretty well standard in most sweepstakes, except for the age restriction of 18 years. U.S. residents include U.S. Possessions, and military using APOs/FPOs. These rules closed with the stipulation NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. This is the regulation. If you had to purchase their product, it would be more of a lottery than a sweepstakes and would be illegal.
After you have completed your entries but prior to stuffing and sealing, DOUBLE CHECK each and every item on the rules, making sure you have followed them exactly. There will always be a certain percentage of entries received that will be disqualified because of the violation of one or more rules. Don't let this happen to your entries.
Having told you to follow the rules carefully, I want to tell you to use a little common sense also, and don't be TOO picky! Judges are NOT going to go over your entries with a magnifying glass looking to disqualify you! If you fail to dot an i or cross a t, if you don't include a Q mark or quotation marks, if your envelope or 3" x 5" is a fraction of an inch off...they are not going to toss it out! Pay attention to the major, important things, such as closing dates, age, state, or other restrictions, whether you are supposed to include a store name, whether they are asking for a postcard or envelope entry, whether a qualifier is needed, and if your name & address is LEGIBLE! Make sure you have the address of the sweeps itself, and not the address of the Winner's List.
Entry Blanks, Postal Cards, & Postcards
In some sweepstakes rules, they specify you can use a postcard or postal card
for your entry. If so, take advantage of these, since they are a lot cheaper
to mail than an envelope. There are certain size and weight restrictions on
these: POSTAL CARDS. A postal card is a card supplied by the Postal Service,
with a postage stamp of the First-Class card rate printed on it. It measures
3-1/2" high and 5-1/2" long. POSTCARD: A postcard is any privately printed
picture postcard or message card. You can even make your own with any blank
white or light color card. You have to buy a First-Class card rate postage
stamp at the post office, and affix it in the upper right-hand corner on the
address side. There are certain restrictions on postcards. The card stock
must be of approximately the same quality and weight of a postal card (at least
0.007 thick and not more than 0.0095 thick.) It must be rectangular in shape.
It must not be smaller than 3-1/2" x 5", nor larger than 41/4" x 6". It is
possible to mail larger cards, but not at the postcard rate.
Postal regulations allow you to place a sticker on these if desired, such as an address sticker. You can either use one side of the card for the address, and one side for the message, or you may put both the address and the message on one side of the card. If you do this, you should divide them with a vertical line, and not use more than one-half for your message. The right side for the address and postage, the left side for your message. The address should run parallel to the longest side of your card. See your local postmaster if you need further regulations or clarification.
When rules do allow postcards, and do not specify a size, I like to use picture postcards. These are larger and more colorful than plain cards. I feel it makes my entries "stand out from the rest", and perhaps stand a better chance of being drawn, especially in local sweeps.
You may see some rules, usually from a smaller sponsor or inexperienced judging agency, that ask for a 3" x 5" "postcard." Well, that is one rule that cannot be legally followed, at least as far as the Postal Service is concerned! 3" x 5" postcards are too small to be mailed by themselves! I have heard reports of a few of them getting through to their destination, but most of them will be returned by the Postal Service as "non-mailable." If a sweepstakes rule asks for these, I recommend you use a 3" x 5" plain card, and send it inside an envelope.
Qualifiers
A qualifier, in sweepstakes terminology, is the box top, label, UPC code, or
other proof of purchase that you usually have to enclose with your entries to
"qualify" for winning. Some sweepstakes do not require any qualifier. In the
sweepstakes that do, it can usually be a plain piece of paper or card, usually
3" x 5", on which you have printed the product name, name of the sweepstakes,
or whatever else the particular rules require. Many people think they must
enclose the actual label or purchase the sponsor's product in order to have a
better chance of winning. One of the most frequently asked questions is, "Can
you really win by writing the sponsor's name on a 3" x 5" piece of plain
paper?" Let me say right now in the most certain of terms! Yes, you can win
with plain paper!! You do not need to purchase the sponsor's product in order
to win!!! In fact, Federal and U.S. Postal Service laws prohibit sweepstakes
from requiring that you purchase the product. This would be a lottery and
against regulations. I can verify this myself as I have won many prizes with
plain paper qualifiers. In fact, I almost exclusively use plain paper
qualifiers, rarely using the actual proof of purchase. Many, many people have
reported in PLAYLE'S SWEEPSTAKES WEEKLY that they have won prizes at ALL LEVELS
with plain paper qualifiers.
This doesn't necessarily mean that I never purchase the sponsor's product. If I have need of the commodity, I may buy it, unless it's something like an automobile and I'm currently not in the market for one! After all, the sponsors are giving away prizes to sell more of their products, and I feel that usually it won't hurt anyone to buy one can of a certain brand of beans, one box of soap, a six-pack of a particular soft drink, or whatever.
You may wonder if you would increase your chances by using real qualifiers although you know it is possible to use plain qualifiers. Stop wondering! The answer is no. Thousands and thousands of entries are received in these big sweepstakes. The judging organizations probably won't even open the entries unless they are drawn as winners.
Do you need a good source to purchase 3" x 5" and 3-1/2" x 5" pieces of plain paper and cards? The cards you find in local stores may be lined, which shouldn't be used for sweepstakes. Your cards should be unlined on both sides. You may be able to buy 3 x 5's at your local store, but probably not 3-1/2 x 5's. Wherever you buy yours, be sure they measure EXACTLY what they are supposed to, or at least within 1/16" tolerance. Some "scratch pads" or "memo pads" that claim to be 3" x 5" actually might be 1/4" or more off. You can buy 3" x 5" and 3-1/2" x 5" papers, and plain unlined cards, cut to the right specifications, and made from 20 pound paper and quality card stock directly from us.
All About Envelopes
While prizes at all levels have been awarded to entries sent in small as well
as large envelopes, I prefer using the large #10 business size, 4-1/8" x 9-1/2.
With the larger envelope size, the more envelope there is to "draw to." The
#10 size has more volume than the regular #6-3/4 size. Therefore, I feel that
you have a better chance of having a winning envelope drawn if it is larger
rather than smaller.
Evidently some people have sent in entries with envelopes larger than size #10, because many sweeps rules now state to use envelopes no larger than size #10. Some even specify to use size #10 only. I suppose if they don't specify the size, you could send your entries in size #11 or #12, or even larger. However, I recommend that you don't, at least not in the large national sweeps. If your entry goes through any kind of mail handling equipment at the judging agency, anything larger than a #10 might cause jams or other problems. In smaller local or regional sweeps, larger envelopes probably won't cause trouble because mail handling equipment probably will not be used.
Many people prefer to use colored envelopes rather than plain white. Some people feel that perhaps a colored envelope would be more likely to get drawn from a drum, or from a mailbag or whatever, especially in local sweeps. Some people believe it doesn't make any difference, especially if the person selecting winners is blindfolded! Personally, I like to use them if for no other reason than to relieve boredom! It gets monotonous addressing plain white envelopes. I would much rather be addressing colored and decorated envelopes of all kinds! I feel that I stick to entering sweeps more, and enjoy it more, by using colored envelopes. And anything that keep me entering sweeps is a big plus...because persistence is an important key to winning!
Whatever you believe, it is possible to buy colored #10 business size envelopes. However, you probably won't find them in your local stores. We have a variety of pastel and super-bright colors, and yes... even white!
Different Types Of Sweepstakes
MULTIPLE CHOICE
One type of sweepstakes that you will come across is what I call the multiple
choice, or combination entry type sweepstakes. The "Pick the Winner" type
sweepstakes would fall in this category, too. In regular sweepstakes, the
winners are drawn from ALL the entries submitted. In this type however, the
winners are drawn from only the CORRECT entries submitted. There will usually
be thousands of correct entries, and this type isn't any more difficult than
the others. For instance, you may have to pick the winner of the World Series
or the winner of a championship football game or a beauty contest. You may
have to select the right answer from 4 or 5 listed. The effect of this type of
sweepstakes will be to reduce the size of the pool that the winners will
finally be drawn from. The way to enter this type is to use the old saying,
"Don't put all your eggs in ONE basket." Put some in EVERY basket. Make sure
that you have SOME entries in that winning pool. If it's the football or
baseball type, wait until close to the deadline, when the teams are
considerably narrowed down to four or six. Then send in some for EACH TEAM.
If you have four or five choices, enter some for EACH choice. If you think you
know which is the right choice, or the winning team, or whatever, go ahead and
enter more with your favorite choice. But just be sure that you enter SOME of
the other choices, too.
LUCKY NUMBER SWEEPS
In this type of sweeps, winning numbers have already been pre-selected, usually
by computer. You receive a piece of advertising mail, perhaps wanting you to
subscribe to magazines such as in Publisher's Clearing House. Or maybe the
sweeps with the lucky number is advertised in your Sunday Newspaper
supplements. To win your prize, you have to send in your numbered entry to see
if it was pre-selected. As in other types of sweepstakes, you still don't have
to make a purchase to enter this type of sweeps, but since official entry forms
are required, you are restricted to the quantity of forms you can find. There
may or may not be a SECOND CHANCE DRAWING to award unclaimed prizes. Second
Chance drawings will be explained a little later on.
MATCH & WIN SWEEPS
This sweeps is similar to Lucky Number Sweeps. In this type, you may find an
entry actually enclosed with the product itself. It might be a picture, or
number, or something else that you have to take into your participating store
to see if you actually have a winner. Second Chance Drawings are sometimes
offered on this type of sweeps also. Your chances of winning in a SECOND
CHANCE DRAWING might be better in a Match & Win than in other types,
because many people will not make the effort to follow through to see if they
actually have a winning entry.
INSTANT WIN SWEEPS
In this variation of the match-&-win, you do not need to take your entry or
game piece somewhere to see if you win. You know instantly if you win. The
game pieces are usually packed inside the product package. The sponsor's idea,
of course, is to sell more of his product, as you won't know if you win unless
you buy his product and look for the instant winner. There has to be an
alternate means of entry without requiring a purchase, such as with a 3" x 5",
or the opportunity to write in for a free game piece. This type of sweeps
might also have a SECOND CHANCE DRAWING.
SECOND CHANCE DRAWING SWEEPSTAKES
In the Lucky Number sweeps, Match & Win, Instant Win, and similar, the
sponsor may or may not award the unclaimed prizes. If they do not, they must
clearly state that the unclaimed prizes will not be awarded. Many sponsors,
much to their credit, will award all prizes whether claimed or not. They award
all unclaimed prizes in a "Second Chance Drawing", and usually allow you to
send in a plain paper entry. At a later date they will have a drawing to award
unclaimed prizes. Don't ignore this type of sweeps! Even though millions of
game pieces are distributed, the odds that all prizes will be claimed are
small. I feel that your chances of winning in a second chance drawing are
especially good in the lucky number or match & win type, because more effort is required to see
if you are a winner than in the instant-win sweeps, so fewer prizes will be
claimed.
CENTS-OFF COUPONS SWEEPS (also sweeps using refund and rebate offers.)
This type of sweeps seems to be gaining in popularity. Anything that catches
on like this has to be popular with the consumer, or it would die out. Perhaps
the product sponsor has discovered they sell more of their product by this type
of sweeps. You've all seen those "cents-off" coupons that have been around for
years. Clip the coupon, take it to the store, and when you buy the product you
get 25 or 50 cents off, or whatever. Someone got the idea to use these in
conjunction with a sweepstakes. They made a place on the coupon for you to
print your name and address! Now, when you redeem the coupon, you are
automatically entered in the sweepstakes! However, they always give you an
alternate means of entry if you don't want to redeem the coupon, such as on a
3" x 5". A word of caution when entering this type of sweeps. The closing date
for you to redeem the coupon on your automatic entry might be a different date
than the closing date for the sweeps. Pay close attention to this.
800 AND 900 TELEPHONE SWEEPSTAKES
The latest type of sweepstakes to hit the market allows you to enter via your
telephone. You may or may not be able to enter them by mail as an alternate
entry method. Some are by phone only. Most of the phone sweeps have 900
numbers, in which a charge is added to your telephone bill. However, more and
more telephone sweeps are using 800 numbers, which are toll-free numbers
costing you nothing. With the 900 sweeps, some of them are sponsored by
longtime established well-known companies. However, some of them appear to be
sponsored by a company with no product to sell. The sponsor seems to only be
in business to generate income from large numbers of phone calls. So be wary,
and read the fine print to see how much it is costing you to phone. If you can
also enter by mail, I would do it.
How Many Entries To Submit?
It is known that top prizes have been won with just a single entry. However,
the beauty of most of today's sweepstakes is that you can enter as many times
as you wish. That is the way in which you increase your odds of winning. This
number depends on how much time you have for preparing your entries, how much
you wish to spend for postage, and how big the prizes are. I know there are
people who only send 1 to 5 entries per sweeps, and enter practically every
sweeps they find. Speaking for myself, I usually average about 10 to 20
entries in sweepstakes of a short (a few weeks) duration. In sweepstakes of 2
or 3 month's duration, I might mail an entry daily. There are a few sweepstakes
that may state in the rules, "only one entry per person (or family, or
address)." Go ahead and send in your one entry. Your odds won't be as good as
in a sweeps without this rule because you can't submit multiple entries.
But your chances are still as good as anyone else's! In
one sweeps I entered, I slipped up by not reading the sweepstakes rules
completely. They had stated "only one entry per family." However, I didn't
see that rule, so I mailed in about 50 entries. Each person that entered was
to receive a recipe booklet and money-off coupons. The judging agency (or
sponsor) evidently did not keep very close track of how many entries were
received from one family because I soon received 50 recipe books and 50 sets
of money-off coupons! Each one was mailed separately! But don't count on this
happening every time.
Some persons deliberately break this rule and send in multiple entries, usually mailing them on different days. They reason that it would be hard to keep track to know if a person sent in more than one entry. Well, this may be true, but if your entry was picked for a major prize and if the rules stated only one entry allowed, you would be disqualified if other entries from you were discovered. I have read stories about this happening. The best way is to always follow the rules.
When To Mail Your Entries
Get in the habit of mailing entries every day. The best method is to get
to-gether all your entries for the month, or for a two-week or a one-week
period. Make as many piles of letters as there are mailing days in whatever
mailing period you choose. Now take your entries and start distributing them
into the different piles. The object is to distribute your entries over the
life of the sweep-stakes. If the closing date is two months away, you may well
want to submit one or more every day. If it's a smaller sweepstakes, one every
other day, and so on. The object is to get your entries into as many different
mailbags as you can. Pay attention to any closing dates that will come during
the month. Make sure all your entries will be mailed before the deadline, but
send them in up to and including the LAST day. Make sure you know whether the
closing date is a "postmarked by" or a "received by."
I like to send in extra entries at the BEGINNING of a sweeps...the sooner the better after it is first introduced. Why? Because in many sweepstakes, the method of selecting winners is to take some entries from each full mailbag, or from each day's mail. Right at first there isn't going to be very many entries, because not very many people are aware that the sweeps has started yet. The entry blanks have not yet received wide distribution, and notice about the sweeps has not yet appeared in the widely circulated monthly newsletters. (Later on I'll tell you about the advantages of subscribing to a weekly sweepstakes newsletter.) Therefore, if you send more entries early in a sweeps, your chances of being selected should be higher.
Many how-to books and newsletter editors have expressed their opinion that toward the end of a sweepstakes is the best time to enter. They reason that entries must taper off towards the end after everyone has forgotten about it. However, this may not be true, because if a lot of dedicated sweepstakers wait until the end, then THAT is the time when there would be a lot of entries!
When you finish sorting your entries into different piles for all the days, bundle each one with a rubber band, then write the date on the top envelope where the stamp goes. You will now have a bundle for every day! Make sure you mail a bundle every day. If you live in a town where the mail is picked up at different times of the day, vary the time of your mailings. One day, mail it in the morning, then the next day in the afternoon, etc.
Shortcuts And Tips
1. Postage stamps in rolls are the easiest to apply. However, I prefer to use
the large, colorful commemorative stamps which I buy in sheets and then tear
into long strips. Some people like to use the new self-adhesive postage
stamps.
2. Do one operation at a time to build up speed. If you switch back and forth, first addressing, then making qualifiers, then stuffing, you lose time.
3. If you have children or older folks around, put them all to work! Even small children can lick stamps and stuff envelopes. Older children can print your name and address on entry blanks, deposit entries in the mailbox, etc. You will find that most of them will love doing it. Your children will have a lot of fun making a scrapbook out of your prize winnings. Save one entry blank or rules as printed in a newsletter. Then, when you win, it can be put in a scrapbook, together with your letter of congratulations.
4. To save time, use abbreviations in YOUR name and address (but NOT in the name and address of the sweepstakes). EXAMPLE: R. L. Smith instead of Raymond LeRoy Smith; 2813 E. 19th instead of 2813 East Nineteenth Street; Phila., PA instead of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Be sure to include your zip code.)
5. When sealing envelopes in quantity, spread out a dozen or more at a time with the flaps up. Wet a sponge and moisten all the flaps at the same time, then immediately close and seal. The more you do this, the faster you'll become. You can purchase a small envelope moistener quite cheaply in a stationery supply store. This is a tube that holds water with a small sponge-like material on the end. You simply fill the reservoir and press the spongy end along the flaps. Some people get around the bother with sealing by using self-seal envelopes that do not require moistening.
6. Buy yourself a clipboard so you can address envelopes, make qualifiers, or stick on stamps while sitting in an easy chair watching TV or listening to the radio. You can even enter sweepstakes while a passenger on long car trips!
7. Try to have a small corner of one room or a desk or small shelf for keeping all your sweepstakes material and supplies in one place. Be organized. Have a notebook to put your sweepstakes newsletters in. Punch holes in them and insert them in the notebook. Save large boxes in which envelopes come. You may also be able to borrow letter-size trays from your local postmaster. When everything is bundled and ready to go, keep them in the boxes or trays, and take out just one bundle each day. Use good ball point pens and felt markers. They will make it easier for you.
8. To save time, use labels or a rubber stamp for your return address on the envelope.
9. In some sweepstakes, you will find different box numbers listed as the sponsor's address in different publications. This is the way the sponsor "keys" his mail to find out which advertisement is best. When you find a sweepstakes like this, mail several entries to EACH box number.
10. Above all, be PERSISTENT. Enter most, if not ALL, the current sweepstakes and enter them consistently. Then you should WIN CONSISTENTLY. You won't win ALL the time, but conversely, the same odds say that you won't lose all the time.
Sweepstakes Judging Organizations
Judging agencies handle everything involved with sweepstakes. There are many
judging agencies. Some large ones administer several hundred sweepstakes each
year! Some sweepstakes are created by the clients, while many are created by
the judging organization itself, then sold to the client. Each sweepstakes has
its own set of rules which quite often make it unlike any other sweepstakes. A
judging agency, among many other things, keeps abreast of ever-changing laws in
all the states. They want to make sure they comply with the laws in the
various states.
Keep in mind that there are MANY different judging agencies that administer sweepstakes, and each may employ different procedures, standards, and criteria. If their key employees are changed from time to time, their internal procedures may change. For instance, one agency might allow rubber stamps and address labels to be used on the entry blanks when rules say to "print" your name and address. Other agencies may disqualify these. Play it safe and always follow rules exactly.
How Random Drawn Sweeps Are Chosen
Most sweepstakes are the random-drawn type. There are as many different
methods of random drawing as there are judging agencies. In some, the entries
received are put in a giant rotating drum. The winning entries are then drawn,
usually by someone who is blindfolded. The first one drawn is the grand prize
winner, the second drawn is the second place winner, etc.
In the case where hundreds of thousands of entries are received, it wouldn't be practical to put ALL of them in a drum. Instead, they take a portion of entries received every day or a portion from each full mailbag and these are then put into the drum for the final drawing. This is the reason we urge you to mail entries every day, in an attempt to get at least SOME entries into the final drawing.
Entries are usually not opened until after the drawing as it would be more expensive to open ALL entries before the drawing. If an entry is then found to have violated the rules or if the postmark is too late, it will be thrown out and another entry drawn until a correct one is found and all prizes awarded.
Affidavits And Investigations
If the prize that you win is a large one, the sponsor or judging organization
may make an investigation and/or have you fill out an affidavit and have it
notarized. This investigation could be done through a telephone call, personal
interview, or more often, by filling out necessary forms received in the
mail.
The purpose of this investigation is simply to ascertain that you followed the rules, were eligible to enter, and aren't related to the sponsor, his advertising agency or judging organization. Maybe the rules stated the entrant must be over 21, be a woman, a pet owner or some other stipulated qualification. The investigation will make sure you fully complied and are eligible under the rules.
Expenses In Sweepstakes
You should keep track of expenses you incur in entering sweepstakes. These may
be deductible on your income taxes IF you win a prize. They are not deductible
if you do not win. Some of the expenses incurred entering sweepstakes are
postage, stationery supplies, (envelopes, pens, plain papers and cards, address
stickers, rubber stamps, ink pads, etc.) and subscriptions to sweepstakes
newsletters. When you buy postage, ask the Postal Clerk to give you a receipt.
Do the same for any postal cards or stamped envelopes that you purchase for
sweepstakes. However, the burden will be on you to show that you used the
postage for entering sweepstakes and not for your own personal use paying
bills, writing letters, etc. You should keep all receipts and cancelled checks
and/or charge card records for all your sweepstakes purchases.
You cannot deduct the cost of a product that you may have purchased to obtain the label or box top if the product would be useful to you. This would be considered as a personal expense. But remember, as I have stated earlier, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO PURCHASE THE PRODUCTS in order to win the prizes. The "alternate means of entering" such as on plain paper will win just as easily.
Sweepstakes Publications
You will probably want to subscribe to a newsletter devoted to sweepstakes,
such as Playle's Sweepstakes Weekly. It will provide you with rules and
information about sweepstakes currently in progress. You won't find out about
ALL of them otherwise, be-
cause you won't come across ALL the entry blanks in your store, or read ALL the magazines that sweepstakes may be advertised in. The average person doesn't realize that there may be as many as over 100 sweepstakes in progress at any given time!
Not only will a good newsletter provide you with sweepstakes you wouldn't otherwise find out about, it will summarize the rules, emphasizing certain requirements or restrictions that you might not otherwise notice or understand in all the fine print.
Playle's Sweepstakes Weekly
For many years the only newsletters available were monthlies, sent out once a
month, sometimes by 2nd or 3rd class mail. The publishers of PLAYLE'S
SWEEPSTAKES WEEKLY thought there must be a better way to advise sweepstakers
than once a month. They read where over 50% of the entries were received the
last two weeks of a sweeps. Since one method of selecting winners is to take
some entries from each full mailbag, or from each day's mail, they reasoned
that you would have a better chance of winning if you could send your entries
at the BEGINNING of a sweeps, when it is first introduced.
By the time a monthly newsletter reaches you, most of the sweeps will already have been in progress for some time. With PLAYLE'S SWEEPSTAKES WEEKLY, you get all the information on new sweeps by FIRST CLASS MAIL, while the sweeps are still NEW!
By now you should have all the information you need to enter sweepstakes intelligently. So get busy and start entering. You won't win in every sweepstakes, but if you enter consistently, you should win prizes consistently. All your wins will NOT be big prizes, but there is still a thrill of winning and knowing that you may win the "big one," while the smaller prizes keep coming in. Even figuring today's postage rates, if you send in 10 to 25 entries, it's a pretty good investment risk, considering that the top prize may very well be worth $25,000 or $50,000 or more! Even if the postage rates go up, which they have a habit of doing from time to time like everything else, don't let that keep you from entering. It may very well be the best time to enter as the general public, for a while after rates are increased, may not send in as many entries, increasing your chances to win!
Good luck! And remember, ANYONE CAN WIN SWEEPSTAKES!
Content © Playle's Sweepstakes Weekly, 1995 - 2009.