I've been entering contests and sweepstakes for several years. It's true you really can't win if you don't enter and someone has to win.

If you are sensible and careful, entering legitimate contests and sweepstakes is fun. There is that moment when I enter a sweepstakes that I can see myself winning the prize.

And yes, thanks to generous sponsors, I have the opportunity to win some great prizes — cash, cars, vacations, computers, televisions, Beanie Babies and software. Sponsors who offer sweepstakes and contests know that these contests are great promotional and marketing tools, and consumers are the ones to benefit.

Before you start, you will want to read the information in Sweepstakes: What to Know Before You Enter to Win. The site published by The Direct Marketing Association provides valuable, detailed information about legal sweepstakes and lotteries, and detailed resources for consumers who do encounter problems with sweepstakes and prize promotions.

Sweepstaking as a hobby is not new; it's been around since the Great Depression. But, the ease with which you can enter sweepstakes and the tools for organizing your hobby have grown tremendously with the internet.

Are you ready to get started? Here are a few of my favorite online sweepstakes sites.

Huronline is my favorite. The site is divided simply into very useable categories. The sweepstakes are categorized by frequency of entry and type of sweepstakes or contest. The first page I visit is the "new" sweepstakes page. In my experience, Huronline is always up-to-date and easy to navigate.

Sweepstakesonline is my next stop when entering sweepstakes. Sweepstakesonline divides entries between sweepstakes (drawings) and contests (a game where you have to do something to enter — such as submit a recipe, write a poem, or answer trivia). It has sharp, professional graphics.

You can also find links based on type of prize or frequency of entry. Sweepstakesonline was recently been redesigned and it is even more easy to navigate. Currently undergoing a Beta test after its redesign, Sweepstakesonline now asks for registration at the site and offers visitors the opportunity to earn SweepPoints and SweepRewards.

If you are serious about entering sweepsakes, Winning Ways Online Sweepstakes Newsletter is the best resource I have seen. Unlike Huronline and Sweepstakesonline it is more like a traditional paper-based sweepstakes newsletter with the benefit of web delivery.

Its strong point is the listing of mail-in sweepstakes organized by due date. It has separate listings for second chance drawings, online entries and contests. This is a subscription newsletter, but the site itself and the sample newsletter are great resources. If you are new to sweepstaking, take a look at the how-to articles. I like this site.

Rags to Riches is a subscription paper sweepstakes newsletter with a web presence. This is a well-organized site featuring on-line sweepstakes.

Bibliomania is a unique site in that it focuses on sweepstakes and contests relating to books. Not strictly a sweepstakes web site, Bibliomania is a Pennsylvania-based local television program about books that happens to have some really nice sweepstakes links on its site. Look for Bibliomania's Very Own Contest. When available, it will give you the chance to win an autographed book.

The popularity of this hobby is evidenced in the web-sites devoted to it in several on-line communities. One is About.com's sweepstakes page (formerly The Mining Company), entitled Contests and Sweepstakes at About.com. Well organized and presented, this site has links and information about the hobby.

Some of the traditional paper-based sweepstakes newsletters that have been around long before the internet can now be ordered online. Playle's Sweepstakes Weekly can now be delivered via e-mail and has a sample newsletter online. You can also request a trial subscription to Contest Newsletter online.

Its not a link site but yes, the big guns of sweepstaking, Publisher's Clearing House and American Family Publishers are as close as cyberspace. Publisher's Clearing House provides internet-only sweepstakes and a chance to enter their primary sweepstakes and order magazines. American Family's site is mostly informational — you can find rules, FAQ's, tips and winners lists. It's worth a visit.

Good luck! Have fun and enter sweepstakes sensibly. Don't forget, you can't win if you don't enter!