Im HORRIBLE... But funny. :)

[Skippy SH13]

I'm HORRIBLE... But funny.

Today, I brought about $80 in clad coins (cleaned up) from metal detecting, in my bag, so I could get over to the bank and roll them and cash them in.

I'm just not going to have time to do it, but I still plan (immediately following work) on going to the coin shop this afternoon to pick up some Silver Eagles and large cents.

I was sitting here lamenting that I wasn't going to be able to convert them to something more spendable, and a BRILLIANT, but HORRIBLE idea popped into my head.

I took my bags over to the vending machine, and I put in four quarters. I pushed the "X" button on the change return, and out popped a $1 gold dollar.

Yeah... I did that.

I put in $64 in about 8 minutes and pushed the X everytime I hit a buck.

I KNOW I can count out $60 in $ coins and they'll take them at the coin shop (heck, 5 of them are Susan B's!)... Doing that with quarters and dimes? Nah.

I'll finish up the rest of the dimes and nickels (about $15 worth) at lunch. In the meantime, I have three nice stacks of gold dollars on my desk.

A couple of things...

1) I PITY the person who comes in thinking to buy a candy bar with a $20 and they get back $19 in quarters. (That's horrible, but funny, too!)
2) What in the world with the vending guy think? "What the?... " when there's a full box of quarters, but no product missing. And all the quarters look like they've been sitting at the bottom of a well for a decade!

Better than a coin star, in my book. Doesn't take 10.9%.

I have guilt, but I also have $64 in dollar coins!

[Edit] Update. Finished the dimes and nickels in another machine. I now no longer have guilt. The first machine ate $0.50. So... the vendor made a little money, and I didn't waste gasoline driving to the bank. Win-win.

Came out at exactly $75 (minus the reject pile which I'll spend in the cafeteria on a soda tomorrow morning).

Skippy.

 

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[Sandbagger]

Sorry, but I do not see the "funny" aspect. I guess that your sense of humour is different from mine.

PS - you did get the "I'm HORRIBLE" part right!

 

[cudamark]

In the olden days (did I really say that?) you would have gotten your own coins back again. Interesting that the new vending machines use a different method. They'll eventually learn that it might not be the best design, should it become a problem.

 

[Skippy SH13]

Sorry, but I do not see the "funny" aspect. I guess that your sense of humour is different from mine.

PS - you did get the "I'm HORRIBLE" part right!

Could be.. American humor is definitely different. I'm going out on a limb, suggesting you might not be American, based on your use of the British/UK spelling "humour" instead of our spelling "humor". Could also be a typo, and you're draped in an American Flag right now. LOL

Regardless, I thought it was funny, because while putting in the quarters, I kept thinking that it was something you'd see on Seinfeld. How to "unmake" change. I can see Kramer standing there changing up his bag of nickels and dimes to dollars. Only in my pretend episode, he was doing it with about $300.

In the end, it's all STILL going to go to the bank to be counted in a coin machine. Only instead of wasting gasoline to drive over, now, it gets rolled into a visit by the Vending Machine guy (who has bags of the stuff already in route). Really, it was all about saving the world from Carbon emissions. I was VERY green by converting at the vending machine instead of driving to the bank. I'm a model citizen, in fact. LOL!

Cheers!

-Skippy

 

[Skippy SH13]

In the olden days (did I really say that?) you would have gotten your own coins back again. Interesting that the new vending machines use a different method. They'll eventually learn that it might not be the best design, should it become a problem.

Yep, I kept thinking to myself. "wow, Self. I could see people coming in and 'trading' a quarter until they get the year they want!"

I can see the purpose in the design (MUCH simpler). I can also see that the vendor might not actually have to do ANYTHING, other than pour the quarters into the other bucket when the door is open. Most people use bills, and change is probably always needed. In fact, I may have just HELPED the vendor. LOL

And as a reminder, the coins were CLEANED (Vinegar and salt). They may not be pretty and shiney, but they're certainly spendable.

-Skippy.

 

[SusanMN]

There is no need to roll clad, or stuff it in a vending machine for that matter. Check with your local bank, most have self service coin counting machines these days, and 99% of your clad will go through just fine. Another alternative is coin star machines, although they charge a fee if you take the money in cash. If you choose one of their many gift cards, you get the full amount.

 

[kingskid1611]

Love the story and oh what a plan.

 

[Skippy SH13]

There is no need to roll clad, or stuff it in a vending machine for that matter. Check with your local bank, most have self service coin counting machines these days, and 99% of your clad will go through just fine. Another alternative is coin star machines, although they charge a fee if you take the money in cash. If you choose one of their many gift cards, you get the full amount.

I did check my local banks. No coin counter, though they do provide free rolls to customers to roll their own.

As for coinstar, I don't EVER intend to play 11% for them to simply count my money. I'd rather roll it. I've considered the gift cards, too, but this money was earmarked.

Thanks for all the great ideas, though!

-Skippy

 

[choppadude]

This reminded me of something that happened at work a few years back. I was at the vending machine getting a cup of coffee when a fellow worker came in and approached the change machine to break a dollar bill. A couple seconds later the guy say to me, this change machine gave me back $1.50 for $1! Wow I said, wonder if it would do it again, he pulls out another $1 and sure enough he gets back $1.50! He spends every dollar bill he has and then says to me, "I'm running across the street to the bank to get more ones!"
I knew it was a wrong thing to do so I can honestly say that I kept my bills in my pocket, but I must confess that it felt a little good to see someone getting back at "The man" LOL!
I left to return to my work area but seen the guy at the time clock line later that day and he said he emptied it right out and showed me his lunch box full of quarters! said he made over $50!

 

[Escape]

I can imagine the karma one might get from participating in this type of scheme. Don't be surprised when you find a Ten dollar Bill in your wallet held together by scotch tape that someone passed off to you.

 

[Escape]

Refering to making good change from old change. Not to the unarmed robbery.

 

[Dr. Witty]

I can imagine the karma one might get from participating in this type of scheme. Don't be surprised when you find a Ten dollar Bill in your wallet held together by scotch tape that someone passed off to you.

It's still 10 dollars.

 

[Escape]

Exactly! No such a horrible act at all.

 

[bigfoot1]

I give my daughter 10% to roll all mine.I tumble them 1st.win win what ever money I give her for rolling she would have gotten out of me somehow anyways..last year between my wife and I we had about $375.00.

 

[Dr. Witty]

I like Skippy's idea. Call it Gambling without (mostly) the guilt. Call it a way to promote sweeping change to the vending machine industry.Call it evil (you're intitled to your opinion,) but in the end is all still just money. Personally I'd rather see more of the dollar coins in circulation, and who doesn't like lookng at an old coin as it comes out of a machine? If I got 19 dollars in quarters from a 1.00 purchase of a can of coke, it would serve me right!

 

[fuzzy535]

whats crazy now while down town at the cleveland clinic the vending machine actually use paypal now aand debt cards....how long till change is phased out all together?

 

[cudamark]

It's getting real close in some cases. At one location I know of, a drink machine will take $1 bills ONLY.....no change, plastic, or other denomination of bills.

 

[huntsman53]

I don't see anything bad in putting 4 Quarters in a vending machine, hitting the "X" button for change return and getting a $1 dollar coin back. While one could forgive a fluke if someone put 4 Quarters in a vending machine and got $1.50 back, doing this over and over and making $50 or so off the guy or gal that services the vending machine is unforgiveable. As I see it, the folks that service the vending machines has a route in which they service all of the vending machines on their' route. Most of these folks make very little money per hour and most get paid a commission on the sales of candy bars, sodas, or whatever they stock in the machines. They do their best to get businesses to let them install machines at their' locations and if they are allowed and the vending machines are profitable, then theses folks make more money. If the newer installed vending machines are not profitable or businesses have them remove vending machines that were in place, then they lose money. As far as I know, the person that services the vending machines have to make up the difference for the losses in vending machines from their' already meager wages. So tell me, is this fair or not or funny or not.


Frank

 

[s.c.shooter]

Gift cards? To where?

 

[CaptEsteban]

This reminded me of something that happened at work a few years back. I was at the vending machine getting a cup of coffee when a fellow worker came in and approached the change machine to break a dollar bill. A couple seconds later the guy say to me, this change machine gave me back $1.50 for $1! Wow I said, wonder if it would do it again, he pulls out another $1 and sure enough he gets back $1.50! He spends every dollar bill he has and then says to me, "I'm running across the street to the bank to get more ones!"
I knew it was a wrong thing to do so I can honestly say that I kept my bills in my pocket, but I must confess that it felt a little good to see someone getting back at "The man" LOL!
I left to return to my work area but seen the guy at the time clock line later that day and he said he emptied it right out and

showed me his lunch box full of quarters! said he made over $50!

In MY opinion,,, you have to work to make $50 , not steal.