Counting change... advice please!

[RickinNYC]

Hey fellow DIS board folks!

My partner and I have a TON of change lying around the apartment and I'd love to take the time to roll everything up into nice little coin rolls. Anyone have any idea where I can pick up a coin counter and roller? Either in store or online is fine.

 

[Nebsky]

Sharper Image, Brookstone have those things..

 

[bigbabyblues]

No idea where to buy one, but check with your bank first. Mine counts the change for free and will exchange it for bills if needed also, as long as you have an account there. I wouldn't want to roll all that change if I didn't have to!

Steph

 

[paladin]

Same with me - my bank does it for free - I just bring in my change jar (before it gets too heavy!) and they count it for me (and while I have an account with them - they have never asked for proof)

 

[InSearchForDisney]

I take my change to the bank too! I think it's the easiest way to do it!

 

[mad4themouse]

Commerce Bank has several branch offices in NYC. You can take your change there and have it counted for free...and you don't even have to have an account with Commerce.

 

[jeleebeene]

I have seen coin counters at Walmart - usually in the stationary/office section.

Our bank won't count change, they will only accept it in rolls. Seems strange to me, as they could be had by someone by not having the correct amount in a roll. Their loss, I guess.

 

[Jaci]

We use the coin star machine in the grocery store. You just dump the change in, it counts it, keeps a percentage and give you a receipt. Then I take the receipt to the customer service line at the store and they give me cash.

HTH

 

[Tinkerbutt]

Coin star charges! Don't go there...but I LOVE Commerce Bank...and you don't have to have an account. On those coin counter things....I've had a couple and they usually don't work to well.

 

[patsal]

I never use Coin Star since it charges. I have a coin sorter (my bank will not do it for me) that I picked up at BJ's, it is quick and dos the double rolls so I can keep dumping until I have $35.00 to wrap. I let the coins pile up once and had a ton of $$, but it was at on of work even with the sorter, now I dump and roll once per month and switch out for bills that I keep in another jar.

 

[bartleby1]

I've owned a few of those coin sorters and maybe I just bought the wrong ones, but mine were more trouble than they were worth. Maybe they sell better ones now but I was not impressed with the ones I had. Unless you know someone who had a specific brand that worked well, I wouldn't waste my money on one.

I never thought to check with my bank to see if they would count it for me though! I'll have to look into that.

Last year, my 3 year old helped me sort, count and roll by hand over $300 in change! She thought it was fun, but I wasn't as amused with it as she was, lol!

 

[jstbcuz94]

I think it is fun to count our spare change. We use it just for something fun or like now it will go toward WDW.

But I like to see how much I get in a certain amount of time. IT really adds up. SOmetimes we go to the casino with it.. other times we just keep saving.

YOu never know how much will be there. ALways a surprise!!!!

 

[Jaklackus]

Originally posted by jeleebeene
I have seen coin counters at Walmart - usually in the stationary/office section.

Our bank won't count change, they will only accept it in rolls. Seems strange to me, as they could be had by someone by not having the correct amount in a roll. Their loss, I guess.

Loose change is difficult for branches to handle...vaults aren't as big as you think, and even the walk in vaults are comprised of smaller mini-vaults I have never seen money lined up along the walls like you see on TV..and I used to handle millions of dollars a day. Bagged coin is heavy and is something that branches need to ship out which costs money...rolled coin is something that can be distributed to business customers and be used by tellers as needed...even if a coin roll is short..in the whole scheme of things it doesn't matter...less expensive to lose 20 cents here and there than it is to pay brinks to haul away bags and bags of pennies. Coin counters are just another piece of equipment to maintain and repair which adds to overall expenses....it's a great customer service tool, and a way to bring in new accounts especially for children..but depending on the bank's focus...a it might be more profitable for the tellers and platform people to talk up loans, investing and CDS with as many customers as possible instead of waiting for a coin counter to sort through $100 worth of pennies and nickels for one customer. Sorry guys...banks like to maximize profits..but more than likely they will be more than happy to give you some empty coin tubes if you ask nicely..but they'll be the flat kind..not the nice ones that have one end already formed and ready to go.

 

[Tina26]

How much does coinstar charge? I recently sent my teenage son into they grocery store with my change to use coinstar and I had no idea that they charge to use it

 

[SamSam]

Check with your bank! My bank does not accept rolled coins; but they will use a coin machine 'free' (for clients). Every bank is different, so you need to check with your own bank.

 

[mep319]

Coinstar usually charges 10% which I find incredibly high. I've never had luck w/ the home coin counters they are junk! DD loves to count counts too but as much as it is learning experience for her...it is a pain for me! I too love Commerece and even though you don't have to be a customer to use it...I did open an account for DD!

 

[barbeml]

I actually enjoy counting the change (and all those $1 bills I stash for F&W).

A few years ago I found a cheap coin sorting system at BJs. Four (nickel, dime, quarter, penny) hard plastic stand-up funnel-topped "sleeves." They have markers so you can just pour the coins in without counting them. Also came with assorted coin wrappers (I get more free from my bank), which you slip in once the sleeve is filled with coins, then slide the whole thing out and tuck in the ends. (Not sure I described that well).

Anyway, it is very "low-tech" but that means it doesn't break!

Barbe

 

[JerzeeGirl4Disney]

My coinstar in A&P charges .07 for every dollar, but that amount goes to the Childrens Cancer Fund for that particular machine so I dont mind paying it when I'm there. Otherwise I go to commerce bank who has the "penny arcade" they even have a smaller one for kids so they can easily reach the counter and sort their own change into the machines. My girls love it, then we take their cash and bring it to the Disney store for Disney Dollars. They save their Disney Dollars for our next trip to Disney for their souveniers and anything else they feel like buying...it works out great!

 

[RickinNYC]

Thanks for all the tips! I was planning on methodically counting out my change and was dreading it. I found out a local Commerce Bank has one of those nifty machines. Only problem now is dragging all that change on a subway!