Scrapping Class Rings...

[Elmorton]

My mom and I have both been talking about selling our high school class rings for scrap since the price of gold has been escalating. I used to wear my mom''s ring in HS (1969, baby! I thought it was sooo cool), so I really wish she wouldn''t sell hers, but that''s her choice. Anyway, two months ago, my jeweler said that my 10kt class ring would probably be worth about $20-25.

My class ring doesn''t mean a lot to me - to be honest, I don''t have a whole lot of happy memories from HS (even my happiest memories of high school friends are really from the summers we came home from college!), and I totally copied my BFF at the time''s ring, so I don''t even really think of ME when I see it. It''s big, clunky, hideous, and screams HIGH SCHOOL CLASS RING!

Oh, and let''s talk about how that "sapphire" in my ring is actually a piece of plastic...such a rip-off.

But I can''t help feeling SO GUILTY that my parents spent over $300 for a class ring and I''d sell it for $25. They told me at the time that I''d only wear it for a year, and they were absolutely right. I don''t even know if I wore it that long!

I''ve been trying to come up with reasons why I should keep it, but all of my reasons are a big stretch (like, wouldn''t my daughter someday be happy to know I played soccer and was in band when I was in high school? Huh?? Where''s the logic here?). And every time I see it sitting in my jewelry box, I think about how much my parents overpaid for something so virtually worthless.

So which is the lesser of two evils? Holding on to it or selling it?? If you were me, what would you do?

 

[monarch64]

When faced with decisions like these, I try to imagine if the item is something I would try to grab and save if my house caught on fire.

Seriously, though, you made a lot of good points about why you''re NOT very attached to this ring, and maybe it''s only worth $20-25 for scrap but hey, that''s $20-25 you didn''t have. What will you do with the cash? Could you put it towards a new jewelry project that might mean more to you?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Eh, I don''t think I''d scrap it for $20 - $25. It might be worth it to show your kids "mom''s hideous class ring" some day, haha.

 

[somethingshiny]

I have both my and my DH''s hideous class rings. I just got a basic "whatever" style ring because I wasn''t into it but my mom thought I should get it anyway. And, DH, well his giant clear plastic stone (he went with his "birthstone" April) is a horrid complement to the stainless steel shanks. But, I never saw my mom''s or dad''s rings (they were dating, he "lost" hers, she then threw his) and I always thought it would have been neat to see. So, we''re keeping ours for the sake of showing future generations. Heck, my little sis (who''s a sr.) gets a kick out of it now!

Bottom line, it may not be sentimental to you now, but it may be fun memorabilia in future.

 

[vslover]

For $25 I think it''s a total waste to get rid of it. Your son or daughter might think it''s cool some day. $25 is nothing for a memory they might think is pretty cool.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 4/18/2008 11:04:40 PM
Author: vslover
For $25 I think it''s a total waste to get rid of it. Your son or daughter might think it''s cool some day. $25 is nothing for a memory they might think is pretty cool.

+1.

movie zombie

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 4/18/2008 11:04:40 PM
Author: vslover
For $25 I think it''s a total waste to get rid of it. Your son or daughter might think it''s cool some day. $25 is nothing for a memory they might think is pretty cool.

Ditto-unless you''re strapped for cash, I''d hold onto it. I love seeing my parents'' old high school stuff. I''d talk your mom out of scrapping hers, too, especially since you like it. Just give her the $25 and keep hers, too!

 

[rockzilla]

When I saw this topic, I thought it was referring to scrapping the tradition class rings altogether..and I thought "RIGHT ON!...they are almost always hideous, overpriced and really poor quality..."

Not that I am not 100% for buying jewelry to commemorate a momentous occasion - I bought my RHR as a graduation/first job gift to myself - but if you''re going to spend $300 or more on something, might as well be something nice, tasteful that fits your style that you''ll look back fondly on...

I think I''ve seen a few posts from ladies on there who were getting themselves "alternative" class rings.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 4/19/2008 12:00:20 AM
Author: rockzilla
When I saw this topic, I thought it was referring to scrapping the tradition class rings altogether..and I thought ''RIGHT ON!...they are almost always hideous, overpriced and really poor quality...''

Not that I am not 100% for buying jewelry to commemorate a momentous occasion - I bought my RHR as a graduation/first job gift to myself - but if you''re going to spend $300 or more on something, might as well be something nice, tasteful that fits your style that you''ll look back fondly on...

I think I''ve seen a few posts from ladies on there who were getting themselves ''alternative'' class rings.

I feel the same. When I was in HS I couldn''t get into the whole artcarved class ring concept, I brought home brochures and catalogs but nothing appealed to me. Instead my mom and dad bought me a really nice birthstone ring when I was starting senior year, and then for a combo grad/b-day gift my grandmother got me another beautiful birthstone ring. I liked both of them much more than the class ring styles everyone else got, and they will never get scrapped even though I don''t wear them anymore. Totally saving them for a female family member someday!

 

[Elmorton]

I talked to my mom last night shortly after posting this... she told me that the reason my parents agreed to get me one is because my mom had a cousin whose parents thought class rings were silly and instead got her a birthstone ring. My mom said she always felt bad (

) for her cousin since EVERYONE in the class got a class ring! I said "Ugh, but 10 years later, I''d so much rather have the birthstone ring!" So, that is what I definitely plan to do with my kids someday. I guess, back then, the high school class would choose a style of ring and everyone would purchase the same one, so it really was a "class ring" and everyone did get them. When I got mine, I think only 1/2 of my class got them, so hopefully DH and I won''t have this dilemma with our future children!

Oh, I also looked into seeing if I could exchange the ring and get one from my college alma mater (which I probably wouldn''t wear often but at least it would mean something)... sadly, if I exchanged it, they''d give me a $40 discount, and the most inexpensive college ring is about $300. Phooey.

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 4/18/2008 11:30:56 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 4/18/2008 11:04:40 PM
Author: vslover
For $25 I think it''s a total waste to get rid of it. Your son or daughter might think it''s cool some day. $25 is nothing for a memory they might think is pretty cool.

+1.

movie zombie

+2!!!! I just inherited my Grandmother''s jewelry box with all of her jewelry in it. She has 2 class rings, dated 1932! It''sso awesome to have a piece of my Grandmother and something from decades past. I say keep it, while it means nothing to you right now, your children or their children will cherish it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Option #3: save it and melt it down and have something else made out of it. That''s exactly what I did! I had a round disc made with a design on it (long story) and had it made as a pendant. You could do a disc with a monogram or something like that.

When my kids graduated from HS, I was wiser, so I let them order the stainless steel version (or whatever they call that metal) from WalMart class rings. The rings were like $100 so once they were tossed in the drawer, it didn''t matter so much!

 

[Elmorton]

Hmmm! that''s an idea. Would 10kt melt down OK?

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I''m sure mine was 10k. I included some odds and ends like old gold earrings that were missing their mates and the jeweler was able to make my pendant (which is probably the size of a quarter and 2mm thick) from the gold I supplied. I basically just paid for labor to make the piece.

 

[mintve]

Date: 4/18/2008 11:04:40 PM
Author: vslover
For $25 I think it''s a total waste to get rid of it. Your son or daughter might think it''s cool some day. $25 is nothing for a memory they might think is pretty cool.

Yeah, I agree. When I was a kid, I love to try on my mom''s class ring. If you could get $100 or more, it might be a different stroy, but $25 is not that much. And once you scrap it, you cannot ever get it back.