Birthday coin dilemma....
Bochiman
Posts: 25,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
My son's birthday is coming up early next month. For the last few years, I have self-slabbed coins to be part of the giveaway bag to his friends that attend (note: why didn't we ever have giveaway bags when i was growing up!?!).
One year, since most of the kids were born in 2002, I slabbed 2002 dated quarters. I had all 5 from the year and different kids got different ones.
One year, I did the Lincoln Cents (new design).
Last year, I did the current year's Sacagawea (2010 - 3 sisters)
(edited as I had 2 items reversed)
No 2011 dated ones available in change that I have seen, so I can't really do current year. Haven't seen the ATB quarters around here very much either, so that is out.
NOT giving out silver
NOT giving out proof sets
Would still like to do self-slabbed coins as some of the kids really do like them, but I admit to being at a loss for ideas right now (remember, this is largely 9 year old kids, with some a little younger, and some a little older).
Thoughts? Ideas? Would like to keep it as "pocket change" largely. I could do wheat cents maybe.....they just wouldn't be UNC
One year, since most of the kids were born in 2002, I slabbed 2002 dated quarters. I had all 5 from the year and different kids got different ones.
One year, I did the Lincoln Cents (new design).
Last year, I did the current year's Sacagawea (2010 - 3 sisters)
(edited as I had 2 items reversed)
No 2011 dated ones available in change that I have seen, so I can't really do current year. Haven't seen the ATB quarters around here very much either, so that is out.
NOT giving out silver
NOT giving out proof sets
Would still like to do self-slabbed coins as some of the kids really do like them, but I admit to being at a loss for ideas right now (remember, this is largely 9 year old kids, with some a little younger, and some a little older).
Thoughts? Ideas? Would like to keep it as "pocket change" largely. I could do wheat cents maybe.....they just wouldn't be UNC
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
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Comments
Who knows, it could get them hooked
How about the four different designs of the 2009 cent?
<< <i>How about some 1902 coins? I made up a 100 year set for a nephew a few years back with a Morgan/ASE. >>
A fine idea for one special kid, or kids who are smart enough to appreciate such generosity, but a bit too expensive for mere party favors, considering the attention span of many of today's 8- to 10-year-olds.
Well, in the till at work last night, to my surprise, I found a 2010-P Franklin Pierce dollar and a 2010-D Sac dollar with the "Haudenosaunee/Great Law of Peace" reverse. This was the first I've personally seen of the new Sac dollars with a different reverse and the edge dating. I've not kept abreast of current issues (obviously), so I've forgotten even what these series are to be called? Maybe some of them could be a candidate. With $1.00 face value they get a bit more respect from the uninitiated than a smaller denomination would. Plus there's the whole "golden" thing. (It cracks me up to hear adults who ought to know better calling them "gold" dollars.)
With an edge date like on the 2010 Sac (or whatever they call these new ones), your self-slabbing might conceal the fact that it's not dated 2011.
I've always given out Darkside coins at my daughter's birthday parties. (She's nine, now, so pretty close in age to your son.) These were fully attributed in 2x2s, with some cool designs and shapes. I put 'em all in a small wooden treasure chest and let each kid pick a couple of coins.
Wheaties are good, too, for something "older". I gave those out to trick-or-treaters one year (again, in labeled 2x2s), but made sure to give out candy too, 'cause I got a few weird looks. Of course one kid (who "got it"- smart lad) saw the coin, shouted "A 1920 WHEAT CENT!" and began to swap candy for cents with the kids who didn't "get it".
<< <i>Buffalo nickels would be super cool! Even a self slabbed 2005 BU bison would be cool.
How about the four different designs of the 2009 cent? >>
I thought about buffs, right after I posted....it is a thought.....just don't have that many and not sure I could find enough non-problem ones (even lower grade) locally. I need ~25-30 for this.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
<< <i>
<< <i>Buffalo nickels would be super cool! Even a self slabbed 2005 BU bison would be cool.
How about the four different designs of the 2009 cent? >>
I thought about buffs, right after I posted....it is a thought.....just don't have that many and not sure I could find enough non-problem ones (even lower grade) locally. I need ~25-30 for this. >>
30 coins @ $6/ea is still cheaper that Chuck E Cheeses!
whatever old (key word) coins
you have laying around
you can put in a 2x2, perhaps grade for them
ie
indian cents, buffalos, mercurys, franklins, ?morgans, etc
just coins they have never seen in circulation
they probably don't mind if they are cleaned, damaged, AT
George Washington (or other Presidential) dollars. I know where you can get some...cheap!
Indian pennies.
Merc dimes.
Kennedy halves (many kids have never seen a half dollar).
Andrew Johnson
Special Order Period January 27 - March 3, 2011
Public Release Date February 17, 2011
Whatever you are, be a good one. ---- Abraham Lincoln
As I had mentioned in a posted reponse to someone higher in the thread, I will be doing 25-30 of these. As such, it isn't as easy as "a 1902 morgan" or something like that. Also, I am just a poor 'ol boy and won't do silver (no mercs, no morgans, no older halves, etc). I also figure that, if they get interested in collecting, then that is something they can grow into (or, like I have already done with one of them that HAS grown into collecting coins a bit since last year, I don't have a problem salting 1 or 2 silvers to get them to learn and such).
I also want to try to make things the same (denomination at least) so that kids don't feel slighted. Supposed to be fun, so I don't want someone getting their feelings hurt because they got a wheat cent but their friend got a prez buck.
I'm not just going for "current" (ie...what is circulating right now) but what denotes the year of the party/the year of birth/some location/etc).
So, current thoughts, thanks to the posts, of what I think I could do (given the self-slabbing sizes I have available and coins available):
Wheat cents
Buffalo nickels (if I can get 25-30 non-problem ones at a low price sometime in the next 2 weeks)
BU 2001 Kennedy Half dollars (I bought a bag a few years back and still have quite a few...don't think I have 2002, but if I do, that would certainly do it)
Darkside are somewhat interesting (and cheap enough) but for many, I don't have the right slab sizes and I like the idea of self-slabs for this...protection and harder to lose than a 2x2
I have plenty of Ikes, and thought of that, but I don't have enough of the right size slabs.So, like I mentioned just above, I really want to do a self-slab on these, and not a 2x2. As such, I am limiting myself on some options. The first year I did this, it was quarters and some of the kids (spurred on by the older ones) wanted to take them straight to the vending machines where we were. Luckily I had them taped up. I honestly don't care if they went home and opened them up for the quarters and spent them, but I did not want them doing that right there.
So, I have self-slabs for dimes/nickels/cents/small dollars/halves but as Rob mentioned and understood, these are party favors....I want to keep the cost low.
I also don't want problem coins because I find that they can impact how one may view collecting, and get turned off. It happened to me a long time ago, so I try to stay away from that now.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
I'm not sure what the big deal is about the self-slabs as that would seem to add to the expense and not much benefit. Flips or 2x2s are fine for circulated old coins and would lower the overall cost of the project.
<< <i>I vote for old (Buffalo nickels, wheat cents, V-nickels etc.) or interesting foreign coins. Those choices lessen the chance of the coins being spent. Some kind of game might make it more interesting, with a few nicer coins going to the game winner. It might be a game that they already play (like Wii or other video games).
I'm not sure what the big deal is about the self-slabs as that would seem to add to the expense and not much benefit. Flips or 2x2s are fine for circulated old coins and would lower the overall cost of the project. >>
What the big deal is? Well, I think that the self-slabs look better/classier than a 2x2. I want these to be something that the kids WANT to keep and look at (and some of them have told me that they still have the ones from a couple of years ago, and their parents tell me they keep it like a little treasure). I don't think 2x2s would be quite the same. Those are fine if the kid is already into collecting coins, but this is a party favor/gift and I want it to look nice. Sorry if that is hard to understand.
As for adding to the expense....I already have these and, in the quantity I purchased, they are less than $0.50 each. The biggest "expense" are the hours that I put into each one...talking to my son about what we should put on the label (we do a front and back....one year had spiderman theme on the back because he was into spiderman and wanted it).
Here is a quick look at one of the stacks from last year as I got them ready to go.....
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
<< <i>I like the Kennedy idea. FWIW. >>
It's up there in the top 3 so far.....I have 2001 and 2004 BU from the mint. Just not any quantity of the 2002 (I spent an hour checking where I keep "loose" change
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
With all that, I am a big fan of giving coins as party favors or door prizes, and have done it many times. So good luck with this year's gift.
<< <i>How about Ike dollars? That is what the tooth ferry leaves for my kids. >>
You go to a birthday party for someone else and expect a gift? Wow. The things people are teaching their kids because they are too afraid to say no. Of course we've done them, too. When the expectations have already been set, it's tough to fight them.
Anyway, I also like the 1911 Wheats in RD idea.