I took my grandson to NickelRama a little over a week ago, while he was visiting from Ohio…read more Having never been, I had no expectations other than to think we were going to an "arcade." I had looked up NickelRama online just to verify that fact, and in so doing I read that all the arcade games were, go figure, a "nickel!"
Anyhoo, what I did not realize was that NickelRama are a chain of "play for tickets" arcades, where one may then redeem the tickets for "prizes," akin to that which one might imagine winning at a carnival "Guess Your Age/Weight Booth," where number of prizes range from a stick of chewing gum or pencil topper on the low end to perhaps something electronic on the far upper end, depending on the number of tickets being redeemed. My grandson was fully aware of what we were getting into, as I quickly learned.
After we made entry and each received our initial $10.00 purchase of 200 nickels, presented to us loose, in plastic cups, he immediately began searching the arcade for what he determined to be the game that would result in us accumulating the most tickets. This was not his first rodeo and he certainly knew the "name of the game" was quantity over quality, as far as ticket acquisition goes. The idea that we might challenge one another in some friendly video game mano a mano competition was quickly replaced by us challenging an electronically crafted gizmo to give up the most tickets possible, for later turn-in and prize procurement!
As such was inevitable, he found THE game and thus, the challenge was on. It took us each about 45 minutes to burn through our 200 nickels. Well, I actually left the particular game and sought some variety of play, after about 160 or so nickels. That was short lived however, as I quickly realized my grandson's assessment was correct and the game to which he remained attached was the one that was most generous in spitting out tickets. Hence, I returned to sit beside him at the adjacent game and fed the remainder of my nickels into the machine.
When our nickel cups were empty, I urged my grandson to walk about and seek out other possible games, but he quietly reminded me none were as generous as the one we'd just left. Still, I was seeking variety so, I enticed him with an additional cup of 100 nickels. He retrieved the cups and we began playing a game somewhat similar to THE game, but as he pointed out it just wasn't as lucrative. So, we went back to the machines we first sat at and fed. After a short period, we both were done and ready to feed our tickets into the Ticket Counters for tabulation.
The ticket counters, booth count AND slice the tickets in half so they may not be reused/recounted. As our tickets were counted, he was declared the winner, by his count exceeding mine, by about 800 tickets! In total, we had a combined give or take 5300 tickets, with which he could now utilize to "shop" for prizes. With an "All-in" investment of just at $40, including the $5 entry fee for each of us to the NickelRama, he was able to get a tiny rubber eraser, a pair of large foam dice, and a plastic foam ball pop gun.
In the end, I considered it money well spent, since the goal of the trip was to spend some quality time out with my grandson. He had fun and I had fun! He was shown that he was valued by my following his lead in our quest. And, he outperformed me in the acquisition of tickets!
If you're looking to spend some time with your little ones and you want them to feel good about themselves, a NickelRama can fill that need! If you go, just keep in mind, that the quality is not in the prizes but in the time spent together!
Live well. Be well. Cheers!
