Community Chat

[Rockycoast]

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.

[MamaWick]

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.  

[FiddleDeeDee]

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.

[AFWIFE]

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.  

[Allthingsgirly67]

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

[Venezia]

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!  

[sunshine45]

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.

[meallen616]

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

[Sooner]

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@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.

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@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!  

[Desertdi]

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