Today is the day good luck everyone

I'm going crazy! Where are the results?

I was out on errands until this afternoon. We'll be doing and posting the drawing this evening.

Watching with bated breath, Dave!

greene said: I bought one ticket - just one. I am hopeful.

I bought 189 tickets. I've purchased large qantities before and never win. (Interesting.... 😉😉😉)

The same members keep winning. For the amount of time I spent taking pictures of new and old species I could work 4 extra hours and just buy the products. 😊.

I'm happy for the winners. That's really exciting for them. ❤️❤️... but I'm putting far more time and effort into it than what it's worth.

I see several new winners each time in the raffles and like Dave said, there are some names that I have never heard because I just don't hang in the same forums as others. I don't know what the odds of winning are, but it is always just the luck of the draw.

blue23rose said:I see several new winners each time in the raffles and like Dave said, there are some names that I have never heard because I just don't hang in the same forums as others. I don't know what the odds of winning are, but it is always just the luck of the draw.

Some apparently have luck on their side because they win over and over. 😄

Congrats to those who have achieved this miracle. 😀😀👍🏻👍🏻

SpringGreenThumb said:I bought 290 tickets. I've purchased large qantities before and never win. (Interesting.... 😉😉😉)

I'm not sure if you're implying something with your "Interesting..." comment, probably not, but just in case you are, I am happy to share with you the source code to the program that I use to generate the winners. It is 100% computationally driven with a random algorithm.

As I'm thinking about it, I'm going to go ahead and publish it for full disclosure. Hopefully it'll put anyone's mind at rest in case they wonder how the winners are revealed.

Also, you bought 189 tickets, not 290.

Here it is, the code for our drawing. I am sure there are several programmers around here who wouldn't mind taking a look and seeing exactly how these drawings are conducted.

http://garden.org/drawing_code...

I never thought anything amiss, Dave, despite being an unlucky soul. I have great faith in you, and I'm sure not going to read code ever again in my lifetime!

dave said:Also, you bought 189 tickets, not 290.

You are correct. I got my number confused. That's still a lot of tickets and contributions. 😉. Right?

No. The only thing I am implying is that the odds cannot ever be in my favor for the raffle and it would make more sense for me to just place an order from the company participating that to play the raffle.

Isn't that why the companies are hoping for? To get folks to browse their products?
Nothing wrong with that.

It's nothing bad. I say that because It's just a matter of numbers and demographics. If I spend 32 hours taking photos of new species for the plant data base for a probable one in 10,000 chance to win a plant then it's likely I could spend 10 years playing the raffle every month and that comes to a lot of hours and wages.

However I can labor for wages for less that a half day and make enough money to just buy the product from the company.

Now if 189 tickets are not enough to even put me on the map then that means there are some very very very high rollers in the stakes that likely have 10 times more that the amount of tickets I could ever earn. I just don't have time to compete with that and those odds are not attractive.

Interesting right? Yes.

So mathematically why would I not just order the plants and never be disappointed?

Let those who have enough time to be the high rollers just have their stakes since they earn it. Right?

Then they are happy, I am happy, and the company who wants to sell their products are happy. Right?

So if you just want to have fun... Play the raffle... but don't get your hopes up to the point that it matters whether or not you win. Right?

If you are serious about plants. Buy them.

@dave. I just gave you my acorns. Good luck!

And I'll be happy to share acorns with anyone who wants them for the next raffle. I won't be needing them.

@SpringGreenThumb I won in the last raffle with no where NEAR 189 tickets. There have been people that have won with 1 ticket. Just buy a few, test your luck, and call it good. It's not meant to be a "I put infinite time and effort into this" type of thing. I wish you luck in future raffles!

Or wish you luck in choosing the best vendor for your plant needs, if you're buying your own

I know that some folks really hate the way I think when I express my thoughts.

@dave

I think more in terms of logic, numbers, and facts and I should probably keep it to myself because alot of folks have strong feelings when I talk about the facts I'm looking at on just about any subject.



But being aware of the stats around me helps me make wiser decisions. Nothing wrong with that right?

If it makes more sense for me to give my acorns to another and just buy my plants...
I can do that without offending others... I hope. And maybe others will choose to do the same.

Nothing wrong with increasing someone else's chance to win.

JamesAcclaims said:@SpringGreenThumb I won in the last raffle with no where NEAR 189 tickets. There have been people that have won with 1 ticket. Just buy a few, test your luck, and call it good. It's not meant to be a "I put infinite time and effort into this" type of thing. I wish you luck in future raffles!

Or wish you luck in choosing the best vendor for your plant needs, if you're buying your own

I agree. You see, the whole reason why I purchased that many tickets was to test the waters...

I want to have some insight as to what my odds are. I have seen people ask about what the odds and chances are, And it is what it is... A raffle.

Now anyone who is wondering in the future can look and see how many tickets will give you a good chance of not winning. 189.



That doesn't mean a one in a million win can't happen... but very unlikely. 😉

(As Dave pointed out. I only bought a measly 189 tickets not 290) 😂😂


The thing that sparked my attention was that in a previous raffle Dave advised participants to throw everything they had at the raffle.... (Interesting). Why?

I assumed it is because he can see how many Acorns the repeated winners are casting into the lot... and he knew others would have to put in MANY more if they hope to compete. Otherwise you end up like Barbalee. Rife with anticipation for something you have less than .01% chance of obtaining. Why not just buy and then all your hope and anticipation can be waiting for your box to arrive in the mail. It's a guaranteed win for your time and effort.. 👍🏻

@SpringGreenThumb, Thanks for the Congratulations!

I'm a member who has won in the Not A Raffle Raffle a few times over the years. I don't enter the raffles with expectations of winning but rather just for the fun of it and I've won by purchasing anywhere from 5 to 50 or so tickets. I don't think I've ever had enough acorns in my stash at one time to buy a couple hundred tickets.

I update data information and add photos to the database when I can; not to earn acorns but because I enjoy trying to help our database grow and be the best it can be and I'd continue to do so even if we didn't have acorns and raffles. Most of the time I've accepted the prizes I've won but a couple of times I defaulted to the next name in line when I wasn't interested in a particular prize or if I had so much going on that I didn't have time for another plant.

I've purchased plants from a few of the vendors who so generously donate to our Not A Raffle Raffles and will continue to do. Every vendor I've bought from provided quality plants and has shown exemplary customer service.

Well said Lin, and I totally agree. Contributing to NGA is a joy in the experience of sharing, and watching the site grow.

plantladylin said:@SpringGreenThumb, Thanks for the Congratulations!

I'm a member who has won in the Not A Raffle Raffle a few times over the years. I don't enter the raffles with expectations of winning but rather just for the fun of it and I've won by purchasing anywhere from 5 to 50 or so tickets. I don't think I've ever had enough acorns in my stash at one time to buy a couple hundred tickets.

I update data information and add photos to the database when I can; not to earn acorns but because I enjoy trying to help our database grow and be the best it can be and I'd continue to do so even if we didn't have acorns and raffles. Most of the time I've accepted the prizes I've won but a couple of times I defaulted to the next name in line when I wasn't interested in a particular prize or if I had so much going on that I didn't have time for another plant.

I've purchased plants from a few of the vendors who so generously donate to our Not A Raffle Raffles and will continue to do. Every vendor I've bought from provided quality plants and has shown exemplary customer service.

I see you have been here since 2010.

That's wonderful! This is not a rant. I intended to post my acorn purchases and talk about statistics even if I had won. (hours per win). I intend to finish my 2 1/2 acre gardens in 48 months. There is no room for six years of raffle in my set time frame.

I don't hang out here just for something to do. I pack more information in my posts when I do participate because I don't have all day to say it.

I will possibly do like you to a small degree... but I will not go out of my way to do it anymore.😉 It's not because I'm a bad sport. I'm not.

I'm a working mother of 17 children. (2 sets of twins). My youngest is still an infant. I don't have time for unproductiveness at this point in my life. 😊😊😊

Obviously I have literally made it a way of life to accomplish far more is less time than the average woman will ever accomplish in her lifetime.... and I'm goal specific. (That behavior is not something most folks are used to.) so they can easily misperceive my actions.

All the venders have products I would be interested in and their prices are reasonable. I especially like the tulip prices. They are lower than most plant brokers and such a large variety.

Lin nailed it....and for that you get acorns. Enjoy!

Besides, you know the old saying about putting all your eggs in one basket...