The Friday File: When Bob Barker began hosting “The Price is Right” in 1972, contestants generally bid 5% to 10% below the market price. That remained the case through the early 1980s. From then through 2010, bid quality progressively deteriorated and by 2010 the median bid was a surprising 25% below the actual retail price! Since then, bids have stabilized between -20% and -25%. Come on down and bid up!