That is so funny! I’m quite sure you drew a crowd at the Coinstar machine. That must have been heavy dragging that container down there.

A local bank has a great coin counting machine that WAS free to anyone to use. Now you must have an account. I took my Tupperware container of coins and other coin stashes before the rule change. It only came to about $35, but it was almost all pennies.

Kind of fun though. We have Coinstar in our grocery stores.

So whatever happened to the sleeping bags?

Oh that was a whole 'nother saga. We did take them to the laundromat. Took 4 of those big machines to wash them all.

I posted them on Buy Nothing, with pics and dsecriptions. Lightweight, normal, temp-rated. Standard, cocoon. Adult or junior. And then all of the colors and linings. I had to create a spreadsheet to keep track of who wanted what, and what day and time they would pick it up. Most people only wanted one? I had two left and put them out front on a table with a sign that said "free." DH was worried that when they were gone, people would think the table was free.

All in all, I do love Buy Nothing. My family has learned to watch for that look in my eye that says "this should go on Buy Nothing!"

PS I didn't know but my DH was saving quarters in particular, so that was why it was a lot more $ that I would have thought for the volume.

Ha! My major bank got rid of the self service coin counting machine that was wonderful. Told me coins had to be rolled up. DH’s business used a smaller regional bank. They welcome our coins with open arms - no rolling required and no fee. No wonder there’s a penny shortage.

Isn't our currency "legal tender for our debts public and private?" I was kinda mad I couldn't just hand it to the bank.

Wow! Sort of like hitting a mini-lottery (if you exclude the lost earnings part of the story).

Yes, it felt that way.

What a great surprise. I take our coins to the credit union once every couple years but never came close to that much cashola!

Next time try waiting 12+ years. 🙄

I wonder how much that container weighed. The last time we deposited coins into the Coinstar at my local supermarket I was disappointed that it didn't offer an Amazon gift card. I think we ended up with one from Home Depot. What was odd though is that they didn't even offer a gift card for the grocery store where the machine was located. Maybe the offers vary.

That is funny. When DD was home from college earlier this spring, I told her if she took our stash of coins to the coinstar (there is one in a local grocery store), she could keep the money. Ours were in two large mason jars, so not quite the level of the Mtn Stash. I figured it might be $50? I forget the exact amount now, but it was over $100. She was very happy!

I remember one time, pre-electronics days, when we were transferring a large amount of money -- let's just say like $30k -- from one bank to another in person. So DH requested a bank check and they wanted to charge him for it. He refused to pay the charge and said, ok then just give it to me in cash. Of course they waived the fee!

When he was a young'un, he started collecting steel pennies. During the war, the copper was too valuable so they minted zinc-coated steel pennies in 1943. I have no idea how many we have or how much they're worth. Maybe someday we'll figure it out.

Yes, it spits out the 1943 pennies

My DH also has a thing about coins in containers. When I got him to take his own dang coins in I was dismayed the bank wouldn't take them!!! I got DH to bother with a lot of NAGGING about how we are in the middle of a coin shortage--there were signs EVERYWHERE asking for change!! Good to FINALLY know how/why we were short!! All because MEN horde and Banks cant be bothered!! Thank goodness the grocery store and it's machine is more accommodating.

We had a lot of coins to deal with after Dad passed away, so we went to different branches and found one that had a coin counter for free. Each bank/branch seems to have their own policy on it.

This is a great story.

So … what are you going to buy??

My suggestion is an inflatable water park for adults only. I’d serve light appetizers and copious amounts of wine and other cocktails for the annual Mtn Water Party. It would be epic. You’d be a legend in your town. People would be begging to be invited to the next one.

(Hopefully it goes without saying that I’d be invited, as it was my idea.)

SueB,

I am embarrassed to say, because it was uncomfortable to carry by the handles, I wanted to put in something that would distribute the weight more. I grabbed a plastic laundry basket. The handle broke. Not one of my smarter ideas.

As we were driving over, we both tried to guess how much was there. Our guesses were both utterly stupid, like around $50. I told DS he could have half. I reneged.

You can estimate the value of coins by weight (assuming a certain distribution among coin values as a given).

Jilly, Just letting it ride on Amazon. So far, a baby crib sheet (returned), a striped shower curtain (in limbo) and a new toilet flapper. Yup, livin' it up.

OK, I’ll ask. What is a toilet flapper?

A NEW TOILET FLAPPER.

You have this unexpected windfall and you got a toilet part!

We need to have a meeting. Soon.

I would show you a pic, but I found it disturbing. You are just gonna have to look it up.

Off to look.

Tonight, when DH gets home: ”Why are there bounce houses and toilet flappers in our Amazon searches?”

And I will point at Mtn.

What a great story. I was half waiting to hear about your husband's random collection of heirloom coins thrown in. Phew!

So that's why you have a $762 gift card. I did read your other thread. :)

What a great story

It's what counts for an adventure on a hazy summer day around here.

I was half waiting to hear about your husband's random collection of heirloom coins thrown in

Ok, well now the story gets a tad longer.

So, over the many times I told DH to get rid of the coins, he never told me there was anything special about them (,your honor). When he came home and saw the empty container, he kind of gulped.

So first he said --- what about all the foreign coins in there. No worries I proudly said! DS was concerned about that too. But the machine doesn't want them, so they get spit out. (i wish they were not saving those either, but whaddya gonna do? I always loved BritishAir's "change for good" program ... before you land on an international flight, they hand out little envelopes for you to donate any foreign currency you dont want (it usually not possible to convert foreign coins anyway) and it goes to Unicef IIRC,

Then he said "there could have been valuable coins in there." BAER. Well then why didn't you touch them for 12 years. And define *valuable*. I mean really.

Then he said that he was planning to go through them to create set of quarters (one from each state) for each of the kids. Luckily DS was there and gently said "But Dad, I wouldn't really want that"and I chimed in "... and if he doesn't, the girls sure don't." That was when he fessed up about the bait bucket with another stash of coins and we all gleefully went back to the store for round 2. The machine malfunctioned and would not give a gift card, so the store manager gave DH the cash, and then we called Coinstar and they sent us a check to refund the 12% they charge (over 60 bucks).

You broke Coinstar!!!

DH refused to carry change in his pockets because it ruined the lines of his pants, doncha know. He was a very smart dresser! I still have quite a collection of coins I need to take somewhere. I think they removed the Coinstar when they remodeled our grocery.

Too funny. It reminds me of my FIL who was in his early 20's during the depression and was a do it yourself kind of guy. Never threw out a screw, nail, washer etc. They went in a barrel. Many years later that barrel was full and it was not possible to move it. I imagine it is still in my husband's childhood home.

LOL, Trapped!

OMG, not only is this thread a hoot to read through, but you helped me realize that my DH is not the only guy who saves change forever! Who would have thunk (LOL)?!?!

I am blown away by the actual amount of your hub’s collection, though, Mtn. Wow! But, thank you for this thread as you’ve inspired me to haul both of my DH’s collections down to our local grocery store’s Coinstar. I could definitely put an Amazon gift card to good use! Although I don’t think I need a toilet flapper (LOL)!

Add me to the list who has a DH with a jar of coins! He did cash them in when we moved. Almost $200. Now he's started another jar.

I was just checking out at Target, had a small cash purchase and asked the young cashier if I could use exact change. She laughed while I dug it out and said her grandparents give her mason jars full of change whenever she visits! Since my two grandsons are arriving from NY at the end of the month, I tried to picture DD and SIL's faces if I suggested the kids should fly home with coin jars stashed in their luggage.

But I think there might be a Coinstar in a grocery about 45 min from here. That river town also has some cute restaurants, so thanks, mtn, I'll tuck this activity idea away. (We have jars of change from my parents, DH, the change fairy???)

It's funny how for some reason this is a guy thing!

My Dad saved coins, esp quarters, and always knew when we took a few. My DH saves change too in a jar in his closet. It's a guy thing, yes, but why do I know what a toilet flapper is LOL

Love your story, mtn.

Imagine if you spilled that collection in the parking lot.

We’ve got a few jars around here, one is from the late 1960s with masking tape over the glass mayo jar and a slot my father made in the metal lid. It began as a fund to bring someone home for Christmas.

Years ago I got some of those papers for rolling copins. But it was such a tedious job that I soon found an excuse to quit.

One year I gave one of the jars of coins to a Salvation Army bell ringer’s bucket. I have no idea what the amount might have been. Mayo jar, 3/4 filled with assorted coins.

Yes I know what a toilet flapper is too.

DH saves quarters in the ball jar

change in ”Green Fees” (hate the jar)

and large bills in ”stash” container that is a repurposed wet wipes 🤷🏼‍♀️ without the label

I personalized it w/my P-touch. These are relegated to a spot in his ”office”

Totally a guy thing. And the end of an era. Even DH is an Apple Pay convert..

We used to keep our coins in a big heavy glass vase that flowers came from the florist in. When filled it usually was around $120. I would pay my son 10% to roll them for me. I never use cash any more so the accumulation is slow now.

When my mom died, there were 4 sets of state quarters (one gold plated). She eagerly awaited each release to get uncirculated ones from the bank and collected them for my kids (I only have 2) who could not care less. I think she ordered the gold ones from QVC. The were worth 25 cents each...the bank even took the gold ones. The teller bought them from me for her grandson (who also probably is not interested).

Quite the discovery! Our grocercy store used to have a coin machine so I'll have dh check the next time he goes.

Two coin stories. Remember the large 1 or 2 gallon glass jugs of rootbeer that A&W sold? Once we emptied it that's where we put our pennies. It was almost full and I decided to lug it to the store but instead I dropped the jug and it shattered into pieces. I put all of it except the large shards of glass in a container with a note that said, "You can have these if you get the glass out." One of the boys took it. :)

DGS is collecting old coins now & last Christmas I knew he'd be getting some as gifts but I had no idea what type of coins he liked & decided to let his parents handle that. A few days before Christmas I found an old, rusted penny in the driveway. I didn't wash it, and put it in an envelope addressed for DGS to be opened on Christmas day. Inside was a note I wrote saying, "I found an old penny in the driveway, it's yours." It gave him a good laugh.

great story, MTN!!!! And learned more than I hope I’ll need to know.

That is a hilarious story…I lol’ed picturing y’all all going back to the machine and promptly breaking it! You can do a lot of damage with $762 on Prime Days!

Ahem. Not that I know anyone who saves coins….. but I can say categorically that this behavior is not necessarily a ”guy” thing.

We used to have semi-regular coin wrapping session here. No one seems to carry cash much now, so not so much now, but DH would turn on the TV and either manually count them out or use the sorter we got him as a gift. He would take the rolled coins to the bank and put half in each son's savings account. My younger son likes coins and gadgets, so he got drawn in to help. Later, he would do the rolling for us. Which reminds me -- he took home a jar of coins to roll for me. They were from my sister's house and I forgot about them with her surgery and PT and everything else. I need to ask him about those. He might have needed wrappers....

Great stories.

DH is also a coin saver, or I should say tosser because he just tosses in his junk drawer. I put a clear plastic container that has a lid in the next drawer down, so now he can toss in there. Luckily, he doesn't collect as much change as he used to.

Previously, he would toss in a basket, along with his keys and wallet. I'd have to clean out the basket now and then. Found a heavy duty plastic container with a lid and finger grips. Took two to the bank with DGS when they were going to DisneyWorld for a family honeymoon. It was over $600. That was not the first time I'd taken change buckets to a machine. Publix used to have one, not sure our new ones do. Need to check that out.

I do not miss rolling coins.

My SO had a 5 gallon water bottle (the type that goes on a water cooler) full of change--everything but quarters, which were needed.

I once rolled a bunch of change, and I had these boxes that fit the rolls perfectly, and the boxes were small but very heavy, I had to carry them to the bank in a backpack. When I hoisted one of these onto the counter at the bank, the teller jumped, I don't know if he thought they were explosives or what. He tried to play it off, but he did say "Oh...it's change" which must've meant he thought it was something else at first.

OMG Pal, that is too funny!

We were having this conversation with our houseguests last night, and I forgot to add a detail that had us howling with laughter. On the Coinstar site, they include this list of "unacceptable items." In case you were unsure. It starts pretty normal, and then immediately veers off. I can only guess that this list is based on lived experience...

Unacceptable Items for Coinstar Machines

1943 US pennies, acorns, alcohol wipes, animal crackers, animal or human teeth, bandages, batteries, beads, bells, belt clips, bent coins, bolts, bottle caps, broken glass, bullets, buttons, candy, candy wrappers, cardboard, cat litter, chains, clay, commemorative coins, confetti, contact lenses, cotton balls, cotton swabs, crayons, cuff links, damaged coins, dirt, dirty coins, dog food, drill bits, ear plugs, earthworms, Eisenhower silver dollars, erasers, feathers, finger nails, flash drives, foam objects, foreign coins, fossils, french fries, fruit snacks, glitter, gold fish, grass, guitar picks, gum , gum wrappers, gummy worms/bears, hair clips, hay, jar lids, jewelry, key chains, keys, lint, marbles, matches, miniature dice, mints, mud, nails, name tags, nuts/bolts, paper clips, pen caps, pencils, pills, pine cone parts, pins, pipe cleaners, Play-Doh, playing cards, POGs, pop can tabs, popsicle sticks, quilt squares, ribbons, rocks, rubber bands, rubber lid seals, sand, screw driver bits, screws, SD cards, seeds, shells, soap, soda, springs, stickers, tape, tie tacks, tire caps, tissues, tokens, tooth picks, tree bark, twigs/sticks, vegetables, wall hooks, washers, watch bands, wheat, wires, yarn