Here are some of my newest additions to my puzzle collection. Although technically not puzzles. They are model kit/construction kits. These "Build-A-Bank" kits were made by Mag-Nif Inc. in 2001. This set includes "Coin Coaster", "Money Mixer", "Treasure Twister". A fourth item, the "Sort-A-Saurus", was also released but, did not connect to these. Instead it was a triceratops with sorting device that dropped coins into its legs.
Mag-Nif Inc. seemed to have gone out of business a few years ago, as such these have gotten harder to find, on sites like Amazon, and ebay. But, I found these for sale on a site called;
Dazzling Discoveries, a "science, technology, engineering and mathematics" STEM educational company, which also operates a store, that sells educational toys. The last that I heard, they had 5 Coin Coaster, 5 Money Mixer, and 6 Treasure Twister left. Get them while they last. If you order them from there, remember to click the check box for "updates on your order", so you can learn when item was shipped, and things of that nature.
https://www.dazzlingdiscoveries.com/
They had all three of these interlocking sets for $25 each, plus shipping. Each bank/coin sorter, was bought individually, and required the owner to build them. No tools, or batteries required. Once built they could also link together. Each had their own coin sorting tubes. If you don't want to use the coin sorter tubes, you can just link the mechanics together, and create a {hand cranked} perpetual motion machine, which require at least four sets to complete a single loop. The sets were also patented all under the same Patent number 6267663. While the gears, base, crank, clips, pins, and coin catch trays for the tubes, are all the same, the main structure of each set is different.
Plastic clips and plastic pins keep the mechanisms together. However because of the small pieces the toys are not recommended for ages under 3 years old. They are meant to be played with by people 6 years of age and older. When taking them apart, to put back into the box, I suggest using a clicking pen. So the pins can be pushed out, without fear of a metal tool breaking the parts.
The plastic collection tubes can also be used with preformed paper tubes, to sort and count the coins. However no paper coin tubes were included in the sets. The plastic coin tubes have a bulge at their bottoms that allow the paper tubes to be inserted, and a cut out near the bottom of the plastic tubes to push out the filled paper tubes.
Mag-Nif Inc. from 2001. "Build-A-Bank" kits; "Coin Coaster", "Money Mixer", and "Treasure Twister".
