My wife thinks I'm crazy

WACoinGuy · February 23, 2003 2:03PM

I came up with the idea that a fun thing to do would be to buy a half roll of cheap, low grade buffalo nickels and spend them in normal circulation. My hope is that I'll either make a collector's day, or maybe get someone new interested in the hobby. My wife (and some non-coin collecting friends) think this is a silly idea. They argue that many retailers won't recognize (and hence won't accept) these coins, if they do they'll just send them to the bank (I counter that eventually someone will get it), and it's pointless anyway because I'll never know if my experiment worked or not. What'd you think, crazy idea or a good way to "give back" to the hobby?

mbbiker · February 23, 2003 2:05PM

Do it!!! its fun, another thing i like to do is spend, kennedy halfs, SBA's, ikes, and $2 bills as well as a few buffalos and tons of wheaties.

LucyBop · February 23, 2003 2:05PM

I think it's a super cool idea Daddy-o!!!!!

coindaughter · February 23, 2003 2:06PM

Go for it! What fun! At the least, you might strike up a conversation with a clerk. Why not?

WACoinGuy · February 23, 2003 2:08PM

I actually have done the $2 bill thing once. I got a stack of 100 from the bank and passed them out as tips. Some people really loved them (it helped that they were nice, crisp bills). Believe it or not, I used one at a Taco Bell for a purchase that was something like $1.50, and got $3.50 back in change!

jd4science · February 23, 2003 2:09PM

As the others say, do it! You never know who will find it, and you might find out who got it. If someone notices, they might give it to their son or daughter, and a colllector is born.

Justin

WACoinGuy · February 23, 2003 2:13PM

Glad to see I'm not the only one that thinks this way. Next time I visit my dealer, I'll have to see if he has some low grade buffalo nickels to sell...

RKKay · February 23, 2003 2:25PM

You might be able to pick up some on eBay. I talk to classes at my kids' school about coins and bought a bunch of lower grade Buffaloes on eBay to give out.

SarasotaFrank · February 23, 2003 2:26PM

I think my wife is great.

I know my ex-wive is crazy.

Dog97 · February 23, 2003 3:12PM

It's a good idea.

wingedliberty · February 23, 2003 7:41PM

Its an excellent idea. I am not surprised that those not in the hobby , just simply don't get it.

Brian.

agfox · February 23, 2003 8:10PM

What I'm surprised that people don't get is Sac dollars. I spend them often trying to circulate them, they've been out 4 years now, almost 5, and I still get people that won't take them because they've never seen them.

Bah.

But you're idea sounds fun, maybe they can't argue with history.

CharlieB · February 23, 2003 9:06PM

<< <i>Do it!!! its fun, another thing i like to do is spend, kennedy halfs, SBA's, ikes, and $2 bills....... >>

Do it. Sounds like we are all cut from the same piece of cloth
because I frequently spend combinations of the above. Some of
the young people working at the fast foods have never seen
SBA's before so I get a kick out of reassuring them that it is legit.

Blade · February 23, 2003 9:19PM

Great idea. My Dad is a classic hoarder and has several cigar boxes full of Buffalo nickels - all dates, mostly 30's. When visiting him recently, my wife and I went "fishing" through his collection. He has one entire cigar box filled (it must weigh 10 pounds) with NO DATE Buffalos! So, since these have basically no numismatic value, I think I'll see if we can spend these. It would at least be a conversation starter.

Morganluver · February 23, 2003 9:22PM

That's a great idea, very unselfish and a great way to promote the hobby. I remember saving my money as a kid and getting rolls at the bank to try to find older coins. It was very exciting and surely started me on the road to where I am today...lost LOL. 40 years later I'm still looking through rolls, but hardly ever find anything worth keeping, so maybe some of those Buffs will find their way down to FLA. Thank you for your generous efforts.

nwcs · February 23, 2003 9:24PM

You can use vending machines. Eventually it gets recirculated. I've also spent lots of Kennedy halves and SBA/Sacs. I haven't done classic stuff, though. But I may spend some beat up wheats. Leave them in a take a penny/leave a penny dish.

Baley · February 23, 2003 9:41PM

wacoinguy, I do it too! I love spending the occasional mercury dime, buffalo nickel, and indian cent, along with lots of wheaties, for exactly the reasons as you!

remember when you were a kid and would make a "find" out of circulation?? It's what got me started.

as for wives thinking we're crazy, that just goes with collecting... mine thinks I'm nuts for dropping four hundred dollars on a worn out 195 year old dime!

let em laugh i say!

Baley · February 23, 2003 9:43PM

oh, one more thing, I've found that vending machines and tip jars are the best way to spend obsolete coins, because cashiers do sometimes give ya grief over it and that kind of spoils the fun.

Bear · February 23, 2003 11:28PM

My wife doesnt think Im crazy........................................................................she knows for sure!!

coinguy1 · February 23, 2003 11:35PM

WACoinGuy,

Your wife may or may not be correct about your being crazy, but that is a separate matter, entirely.

I think it's a great idea and have occasionally distributed similar coins into circulation. Think of the thrill you might be providing a current or potential (young or old) coin collector.

smprfi · February 23, 2003 11:42PM

Do it. I do the same thing with low grade mercury dimes.

danglen · February 24, 2003 12:43AM

<< <i> My wife thinks I'm crazy >>

And your point is?????????

DDR · February 24, 2003 2:51AM

No you're not crazy, I've done it myself, mostly with no-date or partial date Buffalo nickels. Like someone mentioned before usually I spend them in vending machines or tip jars.

shortdj · February 24, 2003 5:40AM

I've actually come REALLLY close to doing this, but I was limited for cash at the show I was at and saw a dealer selling the no date rolls of Buff's for $12......I had to weigh between getting a '92 silver proof set and the no date buff's........I chose the '92 silver proof set.......maybe next time...... Is $12 a good price for a roll of no date Buff's from a dealer?

WACoinGuy · February 24, 2003 5:43AM

That's actually a question I have too -- I've been looking around on E-Bay and the no date rolls seem to be going for about $12 and the with date rolls going for about $20. Add another $4 or so for S&H and you're looking at 40-60 cents per nickel. I figured I'd check out a local dealer sometime this week to see if I can do any better...

Thenewguy · February 24, 2003 8:05AM

<< <i>What I'm surprised that people don't get is Sac dollars. I spend them often trying to circulate them, they've been out 4 years now, almost 5, and I still get people that won't take them because they've never seen them. >>

??
They came out in 2000 and it is second month of 2003, just over 3 years not almost 5.

What I have done 2 years in a row now is for haloween I make up candy bags. I then take a dozen or so Buffalo's in around fine, a Franklin in around fine, some unc wheat cents and a few misc other older coins and randomly put them in the candybags(in 2x2's) and then mix the bags with coins in with the ones without and then hand them out. That way even I dont know what kids get them and which dont. My hope is that with them in 2x2's the ones that get them, or their parents at least, will realize they are a collectable coin and not just spend it. and maybe, just maybe, I will be responsible for at least one kid getting interested in coin collecting.
TNG

airplanenut · February 24, 2003 8:09AM

Great idea! But regardless, I'm sure you still are crazy

Draco · February 24, 2003 9:05AM

From time to time, I'll grab a handfull of silver coins from my "junk" bag of pre 1965 stuff and spend it. Out of the dozens of times I've done this, only once did a cashier notice that something just wasn't right (It was a merc dime). I'd like to believe that someone received these coins back as change and took the time to not only notice, but pick them out and keep them as well. Who knows. . .maybe I'm responsible for a few new collectors out there

WACoinGuy · March 8, 2003 12:47PM

Here's an update -- rather than buying a half roll, I went ahead and bought two lots of buffalo nickels on E-Bay (120 coins for $62 including shipping). I figured I'd go through these coins, resell some of the better date or better quality coins on E-Bay, and end up spending the rest. I figure this will give me a lot of practice with grading coins, since I'll have a large sample of buffalos that are advertised as ranging from AG-XF. Plus, it should be fun trying to pick out the better coins and dividing them into lots to resell on E-Bay. My goal (which may be agressive) is to end up selling enough coins to cover the money I spent and still have some left over to spend in normal change. No matter what, though, I'm sure I'm going to have more than $60 worth of fun and education just going through the whole process.

Oh yeah, now my wife thinks I'm crazier than ever.

Joshiah · March 8, 2003 1:50PM

do it do it do it I'm a cashier/money handler where I work and I love to get old coins and when some tells me that grandma has tons of these at home I start drooling. I haven't had the opportunity to go see an old coin collection but I've had some interseting conversations with people because of it. Right on way to go keep up the good work you little experiment will definiately start at least one coin collection. By the way waitresses keep all there coins and turn them in as rolls most of the time around here so leaveing them with a tip is an excellent idea.

WACoinGuy · March 8, 2003 2:02PM

Well, if you're in the Seattle area, be on the lookout for some Buffalos in circulation in the next few weeks...

ursabear · March 8, 2003 2:05PM

I think it is a great thing to do. Very cool. I do it with Mercs and Buffs, and 2002-2003 Sacs.

My wife thinks I'm crazy

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