Elkhart Fair Pennies

Last year at our fair recap meeting we talked about what we were going to do this year. Rich suggested we get a penny machine and have smashed pennies we give away. I like to plug people when I can and now is a fine opportunity. Rich has a side hobby that he collects and sells long pennies. Rich Hays owns the site http://www.longpenny.com/ this is a site about everything and anything in regards to smashed pennies. You have all seen them, those machines at the rest stops or amusement parks where you put in fifty cents and a penny and out comes your penny smashed with a design on it.

We plan on investing about $50 which is approximately 5000 pennies. Guess what if it’s a hit we only have to go to the nearest bank to get more pennies. In thoughts of following the wonderful book “Wizard of Ad’s” we tried to find something 3 years ago that someone would put in their wallet and not get rid of because it has value. We produced about 15,000 phone cards and just handed them out everywhere. The value wasn’t much but in their minds it was a lot. In fact just about a month ago I saw a lady at a drive through (I was helping at a chicken barbeque and taking orders) with a U4 calling card in the front of her wallet. What incredible advertising. Cheap but affective.

I don’t know how the pennies will go off this year. It could back fire or it could go off incredible. Does anyone ever through a penny away? Not usually as there is value to it. Maybe not a lot of value but what do you do with it? You put it with all the other stuff you don’t know what to do with. We are pretty excited to see how things go with this.