Have you ever smashed a penny? When I was a kid I used to place a penny on train tracks hoping that a train would come and run it over. That was an unreliable way to smash pennies since the train rarely arrived before I had to leave. Now I can smash pennies whenever I want. And even better they have designs on them. The trains never did that!
If you are look for a collection that is unique, inexpensive, and takes up little space in your house then smashed pennies is for you (collectors call them pressed pennies). Each penny pressed cost 50 cents. Can you think of anything else you can buy for 51 cents total. And there is no tax to pay. The best part for any collector is that there are so many penny pressing machines to choose from. The Disney parks are covered with them; there is one at almost every ride and even more in the stores. And each machine makes several different designs so you can get different ones each time you visit. Once you have a collection of pressed pennies you can put them in a special Disney pressed penny collecting book. Then you can admire them any time and show them off to your friends.
There are two types of penny pressing machines, electric and manual. I like the manual ones because when you start cranking it gets harder and harder to turn the handle. You really have to put some muscle into it. Suddenly the handle spins free and your pressed penny drops out. Too fun.
There are also quarter pressing machines, but that is too rich for my budget. I’ll stick to pennies. At least now I don’t have to wait for a train.
If you want to learn more about pressing pennies, visit the official collector’s website at http://pennycollector.com/.
Goofy Tip: Start collecting shiny pennies and quarters before you leave on your trip. Put them in film canisters (if you have any) or any small container. Make sure you have two quarters for each penny. Then when you find a machine in the parks you won’t have to waste any time making change since you brought your container of coins. Happiness squared.