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Loose change value by volume

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by gmille58, Dec 28, 2015.

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  1. gmille58

    gmille58 Low-Roller

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    The other day I took all of the change from the tray in my truck and put it into the 5 gallon water bottle that we store it in and noticed that it was over half full and was curious how much was in there. I searched online and found several discussions where they had values from $5-$14 per pound and around $800-$2500 for a full container. This is mixed change that we have gathered for the last couple of years.

    When I was in college I dealt poker and we used real quarters instead of chips for the rake, and I would take home between $5 and $10 every night for my emergency fund. A crown royal bag from a 750ml bottle was right around $300 for just quarters, but I didn't save the nickles dimes or pennies. I dont have anything personal to reference for how the distribution of mixed change would affect the total value.

    Anyone else save change like this, and have data for the value?
     
  2. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    I think there would be too much variant by weight for each of the different coins. You know, 1 lb of pennies won't be the same as 1 lb of quarters.

    We toss all our change into one of those old Luxor obelisk drink containers. I take it in when it's close to full and always was getting around $100 each time. I didn't think anything had changed, but I started to get more like $125-130 and my husband confessed he used to steal quarters out of the container to buy the newspaper in the morning. The quarters make a difference.
     
  3. gmille58

    gmille58 Low-Roller

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    The threads that I read were going into all types of assumed distribution of the coins. One of them commented that dimes and quarters were about the same per weight and volume.

    Roughly how big is the container that you use? If you are consistently getting approximately the same amount per volume, that would be a good tool for guesstimating!
     
  4. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    Between apps and putting most everything else on reward credit cards, we just get so little change these days.
     
  5. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    The last time a Fremont Street rubby asked me for spare change, I told him, "There's no such thing."
     
  6. LV2GAMBLE

    LV2GAMBLE Certified LOW Roller

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    With the use of debit cards we've found that we have little amounts of change to save. We have a jar on one of the nightstands and throw all of our change into it. When it gets full I take it to work or the bank and cash it in where it promptly goes into my 'vacation club' account (aka Vegas fund!)
    Even when we are in LV we save all of our change and bring home to add to the jar. The jar isn't that big but when I have cashed it in I think I came up with something around $70 or so. I suppose it all adds up over time.
     
  7. meliphilus

    meliphilus Low-Roller

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    I put change in gallon storage bags. When on a flat surface with 1 1/2 in of coin throughout the value is about $200. YMMV.
     
  8. mdee

    mdee VIP Whale

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    I have a Plastic see thru Mop Bucket strictly for Change. When it gets a little
    over half full it is around $800.00. Yes, I'm a Mop Bucket is Half Full kind of Guy!
     
  9. Franken Dean

    Franken Dean Newbie

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    My best guessing trick. I weigh entire coin lot or container of coins. The give the container a good coin mixing.

    You then take out 10% of the total weight. You count the 10% of coins and then times by 10 to get a approximation.

    for example-if your coins weigh 40 pounds. You take out 4 pounds and count. If you count $35.00, then you have approximately $350. This is a good approximation unless your container has a small opening and only the small coins drop in your 10% sample.
     
  10. ardee

    ardee It's only money.

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    Same here, except we use a plastic football from Fitzgerald's. Full up it usually is worth $200-225. I read the newspaper online, so there isn't any degradation in value going on. ;)
     
  11. meliphilus

    meliphilus Low-Roller

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    Also, on the humorous side, when I hand a half gallon of coin to the teller I advise him/her if the count doesn't sound right then I will ask for a second opinion.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2015
  12. Dutch34

    Dutch34 High-Roller

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    This doesn't answer your question, but I'm a change hoarder. I have a 'fishbowl' from Mario's / Blue Lou's from the old days on the South Side in Pittsburgh....you'd get a fishbowl full of beer (IC Light!) and get to keep the fishbowl. Anyway, that's my change jar and we empty it each year prior to a Vegas trip. Usually nets us $250 or $300. The quarters are key, but what I also started doing was keeping the .50 pieces from playing blackjack ($25 pays $37.50; $75 pays $112.50, etc). Sounds stupid as you usually tip those to the dealer or give them as part of tips to the cocktail staff, but I stash them (still tip, but usually $2-$3 to $5, depending on service) and those puppies add up quick. One trip I came home with over $20 in .50 pieces. Sure, I lost several thousand doing so, but dammit, the jar filled up! Goes back to my days in college when you needed quarters for laundry and the change machine / RA never had quarters. Kids ask me for change nowadays...I'll give them a $20 before I'll give up my quarters. This past trip, we used the change money for adult entertainment purposes....had a blast. YMMV.:wink2:
     
  13. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    We generate almost zero change. We used to, but not anymore. Everything goes on the charge card. In fact, I had to go to the bank last week to buy dimes and nickels for my wife and her bowling league kitties.
     
  14. FullPay

    FullPay When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro

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    Odd coincidence, we rolled my change jar this morning. Random pocket change, 3 pints yielded about $130, 90 dollars which was quarters. So about 40 bucks per pint or 320 dollars per gallon in mixed change.
     
  15. jfn111

    jfn111 Low-Roller

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    I have 2 sacks for change, one for quarters and one for the rest. I would also cash them in prior to a Vegas trip and have $300-$400 bucks.
    Now that I quit smoking I rarely have change to add to the bags. (Of course I'm saving $15 bucks per day).
     
  16. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    P.S. Props to the OP for knowing "loose" from "lose." That gets butchered here about as often as advice/advise. Kudos!!
     
  17. BlacklabberMike

    BlacklabberMike MIA

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    i have a jar that is about 1 litre... when filled with whatever mixed change i throw in after work, it amounts to $110-125 each time, so you can extrapolate from there.

    and fwiw... my bank has a change counting machine you dump the coins in and it counts it out and prints out a voucher.
    no fee like coinstar as long as you have an active account at the bank.
     
  18. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    Coincidentally, I just did my yearly change run to the bank. A two quart jar, mostly full, was $121 and change. I don't like to carry around any more weight/bulk than I need to so almost daily I'll empty it out in to the jar.
     
  19. sciesla

    sciesla Low-Roller

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    Since most casinos are TITO now, will they count loose coins?
     
  20. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I believe the D still has a coin machine at the main cage.
     
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