chilliwi's Full Review: Big Belly Dinosaur Bank: Coinasaurus
For my son's second birthday, I wanted to get him a dinosaur bank. He had just started to like dinosaurs and we were decorating his room in a simple dinosaur theme. I was hoping to add a couple of dinosaur things to make his room complete (and not be overdone with dinosaur sheets and bedding). When searching online for dinosaur bank, I ran across the Big Belly Banks. Even better, they had a blue dinosaur Big Belly Bank! I thought it would not only look great in my son's room, but he would enjoy feeding his dinosaur!
What is a Big Belly Bank? While not cheap ($45 to $50), I ordered a 23" blue "Coinasaurus" bank (as its called by some retailers-others call it blue dinosaur). The design of this and all Big Belly Banks is very simple, yet charming. They are handmade from wood and hand painted with latex paint. As shown in the picture, the body and base are each made from a single, flat piece of wood surrounding a clear, plastic round belly. The eyes are dimensional and give the dinosaur some personality.
Better Than a Plain Old Piggy Bank My son loved the bank when he opened it on his birthday. Of course, the first thing he wanted to do was put money in it. The large bank is designed to sit on the floor. The coins are "fed" into the dinosaur’s mouth and roll down a zigzag slot before dropping into the dinosaur's belly. This makes putting money in the bank a little more fun than with a traditional piggy bank. I must admit the bank is cute and my son enjoys watching the coins roll into his belly. Since the "belly" is clear, kids can easily tell when the bank is getting full. When full, the belly can hold up to 1000 coins!
Emptying the bank is simple. A long screw connects the two halves of the belly and simply unscrewing it, opens the belly.
Durability My son is now 5 1/2 and still likes and uses his bank. His bank was such a hit that we bought a Big Belly Puppy Bank for his younger brother when he turned two. We have been happy with the way these banks are built and how they look in the kid's rooms.
My son has had his Big Belly Bank for over three years now, and it has held up very well. It's not a toy and should not be treated like one, but it is well-built and strong enough to handle typical use from little kids. Ours still looks great.
Recommendation I don't recall what online retailer I purchased the bank from, but I know I shopped around for price, shipping and availability. If purchased direct from the manufacturer, the 23" banks will set you back $49.99. Some retailers will personalize the bank at no charge. I believe I paid around $43 three years ago. Big Belly Banks are expensive, but they are quite large, and kids love them. The Big Belly Dinosaur Bank makes a great gift for little kids, plus it looks great in their room!
The Big Belly Dinosaur Bank (aka Coinasaurus) is a wonderful piggy...er...dino bank for your kid's change. Simply feed a quarter, nickel, dime, or pe...More at Vat19.com
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