I love mailing lists. Ok, I love good mailing lists. Chocolate makers and chocolatiers tend to have some nice mailing lists and one of my favorites is Godiva. They aren't my number one choice for chocolate, but they are great at letting you try their new products when they come out. Well, this Friday, September 29th, they are celebrating their "new" Gold Collection and true to form they are giving us a chance to try their new goodies for free.

Last week Lauren Young with Business Week was kind enough to let me know that she had an article up on the reinvention of the Gold Collection. I won't go into the depth she does in her article (which is a good read with some company history, the scoop on the new look and flavors and some amusing reader comments) but what I want to go into is the goodness that they are sharing with us.

First off, if you stop in on Friday or Saturday you can get free samples. On top of that they are having a contest that can win you a year worth of Godiva chocolate. I know that Godiva isn't everybody's favorite, but even those who don't love them aren't likely to turn down that much free chocolate. And the odds aren't nearly as long as you might think. They are giving away a year of chocolate to ten winners - PER BOUTIQUE! I know it sounds crazy but that is what the mailing says (and who knows, it could be wrong). If it is right then I like those odds a lot. And even if you can't get in to a boutique on Friday or Saturday you can enter online. The online sweepstakes looks like it is separate from the one referenced in the mailing and there are only 10 winners so it would seem to thin your odds a LOT compared to the in store odds. But it gives you a shot. And don't worry that you'll miss out on free chocolate if you can't make it in. They are having free samples of the Gold Collection from 9/29 - 10/1, 10/6 - 10/8, and 11/10 - 11/12. That's a lot of opportunities for some free chocolate.

Now the last thing I need to do is nudge people to think about these little mailing lists. Not only do you get the lowdown on the free chocolate events and the news about contests and new products but now and then you get some extra free stuff that only those on the mailing list get. Earlier this year I got a free Chocolixir and this time around I got a little certificate for a free four-piece Gold Collection Ballotin. Some of these mailing lists really pay off.