Was this somebody at Topps idea of a practical joke?

[The-Cardfather]

This has to be the strangest thing printed on the back of a baseball card that I've ever come across.

I was examining the back of a 1996 Topps Stadium Club, Extreme Players insert card. The back of the card explains the rules for a contest and how to mail-in for the Extreme Winners cards. However, what I found about midway down the card has me scratching my head.

Can anyone shed any light on this (other than it was someone's idea of a practical joke)?

[swarmee]

It's due to Canada's lottery/gambling rules, and their contention that baseball cards being won or pack inserted randomly could be considered a type of lottery. So instead of being fully random (game of chance), they require this type of question to be answered to move the contest into a game of skill for legal reasons.
Do some Google searches. You're not the first one to ask.

[ALR-bishop]

Dupe

[ALR-bishop]

Same reason a lot of contests here have a "no purchase necessary to win" in small print

[SMPEP]

But there's no correct answer.

The beginning is easy: 96/6 = 16

But then the equation reads 16 + 64 x 3 =

Which could be either:

(16+64) x 3 which would equal 210

OR

16 + (64x3) which would equal 208


So how can it be a game of skill ... if they set it up that there is no "correct" answer?

[swarmee]

There is a correct answer. Mathematical formulas have an implicit order even without parentheses. You may remember learning "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" as a kid.

https://www.mnemonic-device.com/arit...-aunt-sally-2/

Using this order of equations, there is a single right answer. These types of questions also pop up on my Facebook feed too often, under the heading of "84% of Americans Can't Solve This!".

[lowpopper]

208

[frankhardy]

Has anybody ever tried to win anything without purchasing? (no purchase necessary to win)

[1952boyntoncollector]

My friend got back a letter once that said 'your submission was picked and no purchase necessary but you did the math wrong so we had to give the prize to someone else'

[pokerplyr80]

Hopefully the average Canadian retains more of the knowledge from elementary school math class than the average American.

But yes 208 is the correct answer. And 240 would be the answer without the order of operations. Not 210.

[swarmee]

I saw a post on the Blowout boards a couple of months ago where the No Purchase Necessary winner got a couple of Marvel autographed cards for free, totalled around $500.
Upper Deck also comped some people gold coins in their NPN sweepstakes when they released the 2017 Grandeur Coins Hockey release. 1/66 seems like a really good odds for just sending in postcards.

2017 GRANDEUR HOCKEY COINS ODDS
This pack contains (1) Upper Deck Grandeur Hockey coin. Randomly inserted into these specially marked packs are the following coins: Base Set coin (#’d to 5,000), High Relief parallel (#’d to 1,000), Frosted parallel (#’d to 500), and Gold parallel (#’d to 100). No individual coin is guaranteed to exist within an individual pack, box or case.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter the Sweepstakes or win a Gold Collectible Coin. To enter without purchase, hand print your name, e-mail, complete mailing address with zip code or postal code, date of birth, and day/evening telephone numbers with area code and mail to: 2017 Grandeur Collectible Coin Product Sweepstakes, COMC Consignment 4311 Canada Way Burnaby, BC V5G 4J9 Canada. Upon receipt, your name will be entered into the Sweepstakes. Must be age of majority and at least 18+ years of age or over to enter. Failure to comply with the Terms and Conditions will result in a disqualification of your entry. Math skill-testing question required for legal residents of Canada only. 2,000 gold coins available (diminishing as awarded during sweepstakes period), and 34 gold coins available for no-purchase necessary entries; each gold coin is a single 0.25 oz. gold coin. (Approximate retail value is $346USD based on multiple factors including gold market price, fabrication costs, and player demand). Odds of getting a gold coin are 1:66, or if mail in entry, depends on number of eligible entries received (but no worse than 1:66). Start date for promotion: April 5, 2017 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (“PST”); End date for promotion: November 5, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. PST. For details about gold coins and full contest rules, go to www.grandeurcoins.com.Open to legal residents of the United States and Canada, except for residents of Florida, New York, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Same reason a lot of contests here have a "no purchase necessary to win" in small print

That's right; I had this issue pop up at work recently with a client who wanted to run a contest. if you require a purchase it becomes an illegal lottery.

[jchcollins]

That’s hilarious.


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