topic Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings in Community Chat

High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

ScrapHappy — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:23:48 GMT

Just wondering, are High School yearbooks and class rings popular anymore? Do kids these days want them? I know both my husband and I both wanted yearbooks throughout our school years, especially high school, and our class rings. My daughter is a senior this year but hasn't been interested in getting a yearbook throughout high school. Yesterday an email came out about rings, staring at $700. Ouch! Yearbooks are $125.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

ninjawife — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:30:33 GMT

My daughters are 26 and 21. DD who is 26 automatically got a yearbook her senior year as part of her private school tutition. DD who is 21 got a yearbook each year during high school. She went to a different private school and had to pay for her yearbooks. Both got class rings but never wear them. I went to the same private school as DD who is 21 and as an alumni I was able to present her ring to her at her ring ceremony. I did the same for my goddaughter who went to the same school.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

kaydee50 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:56:41 GMT

I sold both my high school and college rings. 10K but didn't get much for either. Still have my senior year--1967--yearbook from high school. The rings were/are a waste, IMO, but having 1 year book is nice.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Goldengate8361 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:00:33 GMT

I wore my class ring water skiing a month after graduation from high school---and lost it! (Something an 18 year old would do, right? Haha). I've always wished I had my class ring. I treasure all of my yearbooks--both from high school and college. I went to a private school and we paid for our yearbooks.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

CelticCrafter — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:11:07 GMT

I sold my class ring with a bunch of old gold jewelry that wasn't being worn.

The yearbook went into the recycling bin years ago.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

shoptilyadropagain — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:14:38 GMT

I still have all my yearbooks and even glance at them occasionally when a name pops up and I'm trying to remember who they are. I purchased a class ring but rarely wore it. About 15 years ago, I took it in (along with other 14K jewelery) to a place that was buying back 14K jewelery. I never regretted getting rid of it. I have no idea what the kids are doing now but I don't think any of my great nieces got a class ring.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

drizzellla — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 16:55:46 GMT

I has been awhile since my son graduated high school. So I don't remember exactly BUT I am certain he was not interested in a class ring. And he never mentioned it to us. He wasn't a chatty guy and still isn't. We learned so much from his friends, rather than him, even at 10 years old.

I also doubt he was interested in a yearbook. He had his circle of friends and that was it. He did play soccer and hockey but not for the high school but for our local Township. He didn't go to the prom, wasn't the least bit interested about the whole routine. He and his group of friends had their own party.

But what did interest him was that he was determined to take French class. For one reason only. The French class could go to France at the end of their senior school year. The Spanish class went to Chi Chi's. So he went to France.

PS - My yearbook is in the attic. It has been there since we moved in. Wonder if mice have found it.

And my class ring (that I just had to have) has been sitting in my jewelry box since I graduated high school many many many years ago.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

ALRATIBA — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 12:31:03 GMT

I still have my high school year book (1960) and my grammar school autograph book from 1956, my report cards and college grades, my diplomas.

Those were good yesrs and I did rather well. 😀

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

RollTide2008 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:39:27 GMT

My son graduated this year. Yearbooks snd class rings were available. He had no interest in either. I don’t know anyone in my friends group who bought their kids a class ring.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

LindaSal — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:06:54 GMT

Interesting question. When I graduated high school everyone got a ring and a yearbook.

That was in 1978. My daughter graduated in 2001 and my son 2003. Neither bought a class ring though they did both buy a yearbook. I still have my yearbook but I did lose my ring on the beach soon after getting it, sadly. It was actually a pretty ring, had a citrine stone in it which is my birthstone.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Rockycoast — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:23:07 GMT

Yearbooks and rings were a given in my graduation year ‘74. Still have both. Look at the yearbook a few times a year when I hear of a classmates passing or run into an old classmate. My daughters both have yearbooks from each of their high school years. No rings though. They did not want one.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

MamaWick — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:47:06 GMT

PapaWick has his HS ring but no yearbooks. I have my ring and my sophomore, junior, and senior yearbooks. As one of our class's major reunion planners, I have refered to all 3 yearbooks when putting together our get-togethers.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

FiddleDeeDee — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:48:16 GMT

I have one graduating high school May '24 and have had 2 already graduate so this is what we are seeing:

YES to the yearbook if for any reason just to have your Senior Photo. My boys have always been "who cares...don't care...whatever" and yet....enjoyed looking at them off and on so we order them.

NO on the class rings. They're not even real silver or gold; they're some magic metal and VERY expensive. Also, they offer so many designs that even doesn't resemble what I or DH think of when you say "class ring"; they look like something you can buy in any store in the mall.

Interesting side note on the rings: A few years ago my in-laws had a BBQ and one of the people there was a Professor from Hopkins who teaches different topics of Sociology. It happened that one of our sons was graduating and the discussion of class rings came up. She put forth that the decline in interest in high school rings is because so many now attend college and purchase a college ring. The high school ring was once a symbol of pride because so few went on to college; especially for women who traditionally married out of high school. It was an interesting and enlightening conversation and I do believe this has played a role in the decline of high school rings being purchased. My sons' class is the largest class ever to graduate from his high school (they have an enrollment of over 4000 students) and according to my buddy in Student Services, 25 rings have been purchased from his class with 1300 or so graduating Seniors.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

AFWIFE — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:58:33 GMT

My son will graduate in 2024. As an athlete he has wanted all of his yearbooks. He couldn't care less about the class ring. He does also have a Letterman's jacket with all of his patches.

I still have all of my yearbooks going back to elementary school. When I go home to my parents' house I enjoy still looking at them.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Allthingsgirly67 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:07:40 GMT

No only bought yearbook for the year I graduated. The ring I bought was a waste of money and lost.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Venezia — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:11:13 GMT

I still have most of my yearbooks (and the ones from college).

My high school ring was 14K gold with a silver inlay, and my initials on it. It was stolen along with the rest of my small stash of jewelry, some silver certificates and coins, by removal men my EX called in without telling me, while I was at work.

We were getting ready to move to another state and things were going into storage. I came home to a virtually empty apartment and thought "WTH"??? (Fun living for a month with no furniture!)

His response was "Oh, I'm sure they'll have packed it away. It will be in storage." Ummm, no. Along with my matched set of luggage that he said he "told" them they could have - without removing the contents of any of them! Clearly, they knew the suitcases weren't empty, but took everything anyway.

Needless to say, I miss my high school ring, jewelry and the rest. But not the ex!

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

sunshine45 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:14:37 GMT

i gave my high school ring to an old boyfriend as a symbol of my love so i dont have that anymore.

i do have my old high school yearbooks, which were free for everyone in my high school.

my daughters wanted high school rings, but i never see them wear the rings now. they have their high school yearbooks and i dont remember how much they were. they also have their caps, gowns, and tassels. not sure why they are saving them though? my son didnt want any of these things LOL.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

meallen616 — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:20:45 GMT

I still have my grammar school autograph book and my high school yearbook, but, my class ring is gone.

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Sooner — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:24:53 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
I sold both my high school and college rings. 10K but didn't get much for either. Still have my senior year--1967--yearbook from high school. The rings were/are a waste, IMO, but having 1 year book is nice.

@kaydee50 I figured that I wouldn't wear my hs ring, so I got a pinky ring. Classmates were upset that I'd disrespected the school. I thought it was simply a hoot and could care less. I was outta there and wore my cute ring all summer!

Re: High School Yearbooks and Class Rings

Desertdi — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 15:47:11 GMT

There's a class ring manufacturing facility right down the highway from me, so I guess there is still a market for them...