‘The Price is Right’ for Central City man

Wearing a vibrant blue T-shirt with the words 'Drew is priceless' across his chest, Thomas Hagedorn sat in a Hollywood, Calif., television studio hoping he'd hear his name called.

When that call came — 'Thomas Hagedorn, come on down' — a dream was fulfilled.

'Oh my gosh, I clapped my hands together, put my head back and thought, 'Oh, wow,' ' said Hagedorn, 57, of Central City, who appeared last week on the long-running game show 'The Price is Right.'

'I actually only kind of heard 'Hagedorn' because it's so loud in the studio,' he said, adding his sister Terry Hagedorn and girlfriend Julie McKay also were in the audience that day and screaming with excitement. 'I looked at the stage and they had a great big cue card with my name on it flashing around. It was really cool.'

Hagedorn came on down and was a winning bidder, earning him a chance to go on stage, meet host Drew Carey and play the classic game Cliff Hangers — with its signature yodeling mountain climber — for a chance to win a showcase worth about $12,000.'

'I was actually really nervous when I was down with the four bidders, more so than when I went up on stage,' said Hagedorn, who gave a shoutout to Iowa while being interviewed by Carey. 'There were like eight cameras on stage, all pointed at you. I blocked it out completely and said, 'I'm gonna win.''

And that's exactly what he did.

On the way to winning a home gym, infrared sauna beverage center and blender, among other prizes, Hagedorn was only $8 off on guessing the price of three products. For every dollar you're off, the mountain climber goes up one step on the mountain.

'You get $25 to work with,' said Hagedorn.

Hagedorn didn't need anywhere close to that. He was off by $4 on the first item and $1 on the second item.

'Drew said I had $20 to work with on the last item and I grabbed the mic and said, 'I really gotta miss it, huh?' '

He didn't, coming within $3 of the final product price and securing the win.

The prizes are nice, Hagedorn said, but 'I was more psyched about meeting Rachel.'

Rachel is Rachel Reynolds, one of the woman on the show who presents prize packages and helps run the games.

As a showcase winner, Hagedorn later had a chance to spin the big wheel along with two other contestants for a chance at advancing to the Showcase Showdown at the end of the show.

'That wheel is heavy,' said Hagedorn. 'I could not believe how heavy it is.'

He was the last of three contestants to spin in an attempt to get closest to $1. The first spun twice for a total of 90 cents, the second went bust and Hagedorn then spun twice for a total of 80 cents, just shy of what he needed.

His run on the show was over.

'I just shook Drew's hand, gave him a hug and said, 'Thank you very much,'' Hagedorn said. 'I'm still pumped about it.'

Hagedorn's episode aired on CBS last Wednesday and he said he took the day off from work at Hawkeye Ready-Mix Inc. in Hiawatha so he could watch.

He said his prizes were to be shipped out after the show aired.

He and some family members and close friends celebrated over the weekend with a Price is Right party.

Hagedorn said this was his second attempt at getting on 'The Price is Right' — he attended a taping a few years ago — and he considers it an honor to have been chosen.

'People think you just show up and it's all by chance,' said Hagedorn. 'It's actually a four-hour process where they do background checks and interviews and then decide who is going to get in and have a chance at being called.

'It was a big honor. It has nothing to do with the prizes. It was the honor of getting on the show.'