[jojobinks]

Manufacturer: Undisclosed
Retailer(s): ABCGiftsAndAwards.com
Average Price: Varies
Member Review by: jojobinks

We have been looking for a home game trophy for a while. The bracelets that are readily available are of the medical ID type, or are just plain junk. I’ve been to some tournaments where “Live Strong”-type bracelets are awarded, but we wanted something flashier. We want something nice, and a little gaudy; it should be a trophy we can show off. We’ve even gone down the fake-bling road, using poker-related pendants with chains. Even these look cheap and junky.

ABC’s trophies do well for the criteria we set up. They range from super-gaudy (Big Slick) to plain (Cracked Ice), but any one you choose is pretty efficient for the dollar.

Price

Big Slick pedestal trophy $64.95

Updated Clear Backdrop set $44.95

Clear Cracked Ice set $20.95

Billboard Plaque trophy $16.95

Looks

The billboard plaque trophy, while the most affordable, is my favorite. It’s simple but unique. I’m a bit put off by the standard trophy with the guy on top bowling (or hitting a volleyball, or whatever). This thing has a cool look to it, and the color printing on the plaque is hot, in my opinion. Of course, it sports the quad aces, which isn’t as strong a hand as on the other trophies, as we’ll see, but a pretty strong hand nonetheless, I hear.

The second least expensive award is the cracked ice. They’re basic, get-it-done-type trophies. Check the link and pics; what you see is what you get with these.

Next up the price scale is the clear backdrop set. The clear backdrop set has more of the traditional trophy look. It features a royal flush (see, stronger than quads!) not once but twice (cheater)! The base is faux marble (not to be confused with faux clay), but topped with real marble, and topped with the golden hand. The clear backdrop is cool, but the entire look is a bit gaudy, I think. At $21 for a set, these are certainly reasonable.

Finally, there’s big slick. This thing goes beyond gaudy into the ridiculous, in a way that is absolutely awesome. The base and plaque are huge, and it features a big silvery hand (holding the royal flush, of course) with gold-colored fingernails. This is a pricey trophy, but seriously, short of an expensive bracelet, I don’t know what else you might want. It’s big, chunky, clunky, and funny as hell!

Reviewers Comments

I’m not sure I’ll ever be a regular purchaser of these or any other trophies. I like to pump up the “importance” of my events, but people just aren’t very willing to put in money for this sort of stuff. That being said, if I were to go the trophy route, ABC seems to have the niche locked up. Most of the items would be good for a traveling trophy like the "Stanley Cup", where the winner must bring it back to the next event.