Bargain Hunter (1981) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Contents
• How to Set Up the Game
• How to Play the Game
• How to Win the Game

Object

Be the first player to complete your shopping list and owe nothing on your charge account.

Contents

• Plastic credit card machine (to be assembled) with spinner
• Gameboard
• 4 plastic pawns
• 4 plastic credit cards
• A pad of shopping lists
• Deck of 54 cards
• Paper money
• Label sheet

How to Set Up the Game

1. Open up the gameboard on a flat surface so it's accessible to all players.

2. Place assembled credit card machine on the big red Bargain Hunter space in the center of the gameboard (see inside box cover for how to assemble credit card machine).

3. Separate the 17 brown Bargain-Finder cards from the rest of the card deck, shuffle them and place them facedown on the Bargain-Finder Cards space on the gameboard.

4. Separate the 17 pink Events cards from the rest of card deck, shuffle them and place them facedown on the Events Cards space on the gameboard.

5. Sort out the 20 Store cards and separate them into 5 piles of 4 cards each, in the following manner: 4 dark green Department Store cards; 4 purple Department Store cards; 4 blue Furniture Store cards; 4 light green Furniture Store cards; and 4 yellow Pet Shop cards. Place each pile faceup (so its top item list is visible) on its matching color and store label on the gameboard.

6. Choose a pawn to move. Every player does the same. Place pawns on the light green Payday space on the gameboard.

7. Pick a Plasticard, a plastic credit card that matches the color of your pawn. Every player does the same.

8. Every player is given a shopping list. There are two lists on one side of a sheet. Cut sheets in half and give one to each player. Every player needs a pen or pencil (not included) to check off purchased items on their shopping list.

9. THE MONEY: every player is given $1,000 at the start of the game: one $500 bill, three $100 bills, two $50 bills, three $20 bills, two $10 bills and four $5 bills.

How to Play the Game

1. Everyone spins the spinner on the plastic credit card machine. Whoever spins the highest number is the banker. The banker is responsible for collecting money, giving out money and making change.

2. The banker plays first. Play proceeds clockwise, to the left.

3. On your turn, spin the spinner and move your pawn the number of spaces the spinner arrow indicates. Then you may take advantage of the landed on space.

4. HOW TO MOVE: here are the how-to's of moving your pawn:

   A. Always move your pawn the full count shown on the spinner.

   B. Always move your pawn clockwise around the outside of the path unless otherwise directed by a space or a card.

   C. To shop in any of the 5 stores, you must enter a store through its ENTRANCE SPACE (the brown space labeled with its store name). Then move your pawn counter-clockwise around the loop path of the store by spinner count.

   D. You always leave a store through the pink Exit space that says "Go Back to any Space in This Store Or Draw An Events Card".

   E. Once you leave a store, you must continue to move your pawn clockwise around the board on the outside path.

   F. More than one pawn can be on the same space at the same time on the outside path and on the inside store paths.

5. THE FACEUP PRICE CARDS: the 5 faceup card piles on the gameboard list the items and their prices available in each store.

6. HOW TO BUY AN ITEM: when you land on an item space on a store path (for example, the TOASTER space in the Department Store), you may purchase the item. To do so, do the following.

How to Win the Game

Be the first player to buy all 19 items on your shopping list and owe nothing on your charge account and you win the game.