Well, looks like I missed another one. From the voting thread, there's some good ones.
One of the reasons I'm somewhat hesitant to enter these contests is the requirement that the bulk of the materials be purchased during the course of the contest. That, and the fact that it need be purchased at full retail and not second hand or discount.
I don't know about you, but I tend to collect items for a project over time and often have enough material on hand for several projects at any given time. The saber I just finished was less than 1/4 new material, and even those pieces were bought at a thrift shop. Further, the sump drain hose I used was part of a prepackaged length I purchased in 2002! Finally, some of the materials I use, I aquire for no cost at all.
I can understand the money limitations set on some contests, and the subsequent need to verify those limits, but typically it just puts someone like me out of the running from the git-go.