Today’s Mail Bag question comes from Edmond who asked about coin roll boxes. The question came from a recent Today’s Deal I posted about here on the site and Edmond, rightfully, wants to know if these boxes are really worth it.
Hi,
You posted last week about coin roll boxes as a todays deal. I looked at them but they are really expensive for being basically a cardboard box. Are they really worth it? For me, a shoebox seems to work just fine.
Edmond
First Edmond, thanks for taking the time to write in. I have to assume that you were referring to this Today’s Deal post where I highlighted multiple denomination boxes being on sale. Personally, I do think that these boxes are worth the cost – but I didn’t always feel that way. I mean, nearly $13 for a box to hold Cents?! I get it, I really do.
Like you, when I began acquiring rolls of coins, I had them in a shoebox. As you said, it works. The challenge I had was that I continued to add more and more rolls to my collection. There came a point where the shoebox wasn’t sturdy enough to handle the rolls in it. Additionally, every time I moved that box, the rolls would tip over and any organization I had in the box was gone. What this tipping point (literally) is for you versus me will vary of course. For me, it was about 20-25 rolls of coins.
Having my rolls now in bespoke coin roll boxes gives me a couple of benefits. First, I can easily catalog the coins and not worry about them shuffling about in the box thanks to the dividers. Second, the boxes are sturdy – very sturdy – so I know they will last for decades. This benefits me today but it will also benefit my family after I’m gone as they work with the collection I leave behind.
Ultimately Edmond you have to make the call on if these are worth it. I appreciate everyone has a budget and these boxes, for what they are (as you said, cardboard boxes) may be a bit much. But I suspect the tipping point for you may well be what it was for me: The number of rolls I have in my collection. If you are not adding lots of rolls to your collection, your shoebox(es) likely will do the trick for you.
Thanks again Edmond for writing in.
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