The introduction of the WLP Online Store has rather skewed things, regarding the now over a year long WLP 500 promotion.
To remind you, here's the rules:
The person whose order goes through the system as #500 gets his or her entire order FREE, shipping and all; payment is refunded, no matter how large the order. (This is only good for retail orders, not wholesale.)
That means, if the order is for only one comic, then the prize is worth about $10 counting shipping. If the order is for one of everything, the prize is worth close to a grand.
RESTRICTIONS: Does not apply retroactively to orders not yet shipped. Free merchandise is limited to the specific merchandise ordered in the order processed as #500 (for example, if you send in mail orders in three envelopes, only the stuff ordered in one envelope is free, should you win). Orders for adult merchandise without signed age statements included will not be shipped and will not advance the order count. Orders for T-shirts with no size specified will not be shipped and will not advance the counter until sizes are supplied. All orders must have payment included at time of receipt. Returned checks incur a $25 bounced check fee. WLP will either issue a check to the winner for the amount of their order or else return their original payment, undeposited. Overseas orders are eligible, but international S&H charges are not covered in the prize, only the price of the merchandise and basic S&H within the United States. Donations to any of WLP's web comics do not count as orders and will not be refunded as part of the prize.
Now, the thing is, according to the WLP Store, the most recent order is #501. However, there are still several as-yet unpaid orders prior to #500, and #501 is disqualified for not having sent along an age statement with their order.
As things stand as I type- Friday evening, October 13, 2006- the fourth order to arrive here paid and with age statement (if applicable) will be the winner of the WLP 500.
This may be an order already placed through the WLP Store, or one using the printable order form or an order from one of WLP's print comics. The only determining factor is which order comes in -fourth- to my mailbox.
Last chance, folks- get those orders in!!