Frequently Asked Questions
about making Wooden Nickels

Q...When did Wooden Nickels start?
A...The first Wooden Nickels in the US were made in 1931 - See HISTORY

Q...When did the Old Time Wooden Nickel Co. start making Wooden Nickels?
A..."Old Time" started making Wooden Nickels in 1948.

Q...How many Wooden Nickels do you make?
A...On an average day we get from 15 to 20 orders (half of them repeats). We print about 25,000 Wooden Nickels per day, 125,000 per week, 500,000 per month. That adds up to be about 6 million Wooden Nickels per year.

Q...How do you make Wooden Nickels so inexpensively?
A...Wooden Nickels are our only product, and we are always experimenting with new ways to improve efficiency. We can print 6 different Wooden Nickels, on both sides, at the same time, and we group jobs of the same color, so there is less wasted time changing colors. Our main printing press is capable of printing over 11,000 Wooden Nickels per hour, when necessary to meet a deadline for a large order.

Q...Why are Wooden Nickels so expensive?
A...Yes, Wooden Nickels cost more than a nickel, but remember they are the same size as the "old" silver dollars. Over the years inflation and taxation have steadily increased the price of wood. In the early 1950's, Wooden Nickels cost only about 3 cents each and a 1st class stamp to mail a letter was 3 cents. Today Wooden Nickels cost about a dime (when ordering 1000 or more) and the stamp is 41 cents.

Q...What kind of wood are Wooden Nickels made from?
A...We use ONLY Maple hardwood.
Softer woods, like pine, are a lot more porous and aren't as good for printing. Soft woods also warp easily with changes in humidity.

Q...How are the Wooden Nickels made?
A...Wooden Nickels are made by a long, involved process starting at the wood mill:

• Logs are cut into sticks about 1.75 inches square and 3 feet long.
• These square sticks are turned on a lathe to make 1.5 inch round dowels.
• These dowels are then cut off at 1/8th inch intervals to make Wooden Nickels.
• The Wooden Nickels are then tumbled to make them smooth.
• The customer's Logo or artwork is scanned into the computer.
• Additional computer typesetting is then added around the curve of the Wooden Nickel.
• The design is then printed on a high resolution computer printer for proofreading.
• The design is then sent from the computer to the LASER engraver which "cuts out" the printing plate.
• The printing plates are then setup on one of our custom designed printing presses.

Q...What kind of printing presses do you use?
A...We use 6 Chandler & Price Letterpresses, patented in 1885 and built in the early 1890's (yes they are over 100 years old). These are the same kind of presses used to make the first Wooden Nickels in 1931. Custom designed Wooden Nickel feeders have been added to automate production. (Click Here for some pictures of the printing presses)