For the fans who traveled across the country and slept on the sidewalk outside CBS Television City, this was their day -- the day of Bob Barker's last
"The Price Is Right" show.
The silver-haired icon, who has hosted the game show for 35 years, plans to officially begin his retirement Thursday.
Philip Barrett, 24, of Tampa, Fla., had camped outside the studios since Saturday to see Barker tape his last show Wednesday afternoon.
"This is the chance of a lifetime," he said.
Die-hard fans from across the country huddled in sleeping bags for days to say goodbye to Barker. CBS sends out more tickets than its 325-seat studio can accommodate, so fans who wanted a seat needed to get in line early.
Melanie Zepeda Velez, 32, traveled from Alberta, Canada. "I'm here because I need to kiss Bob," she said.
Fans hoped for a chance to bid on prizes, but mostly they came to bid farewell.
Barker's long run on the show has inspired fan traditions. Most female contestants kiss him on the cheek. Members of the military wear their uniforms. There is also the 83-year-old Barker's trademark signoff -- "Have your pets spayed and neutered" -- a tribute to his favorite cause and now a fan mantra.
Barrett had to hear Barker say it one last time. "I get teary-eyed just thinking about it," he said.
Exuberant fans have always been part of "The Price Is Right," which selects about 12 audience members in each show to play for prizes ranging from a grandfather clock to lavish vacations and car packages.
Fans passed their time in line talking game strategy and discussing rumors that Barker's last show would feature a rare million-dollar prize or that every audience member would be given a car.
But they'd already won the real prize: the last chance to see their favorite host at work.
"I'd rather win a couch from Bob Barker than a million dollars from Howie Mandel," host of NBC's "Deal or No Deal," said Mark Dub, a NASA engineer who flew from Houston for the final show. "He's part of American culture."
Barker's final show is slated to air on June 15. His replacement has yet to be announced.
