Americans: Class Rings -are they still a thing?

When my kids graduated, there were glossy catalogs full of all sorts of shit you could buy. I've encountered the class ring thing in movies and books from decades ago, but never heard it mentioned by any of the other senior parents, and my kids never asked for one when they graduated. Now I see a friend on facebook mentioning it like it's still the norm....

Both mine were stolen because I never wore them so they were home when I wasn't.

For most people I know, not a thing.

I don't think it's a thing anymore, but there may be groups of kids who do it, maybe some teams?

It was a thing in 1985.

It was a thing in 1975.

Regional, I think. The football players at my high school got them in '82 but I don't think many others did.

I knew one guy who got one in 1985. He was eager to.

On my kids generation, none of my daughters friends did, that I know of.

It was a thing in '65.

I still have mine from when I graduated. I think I wore it a dozen times.

There was a time when it was important to have pride in your high school, and I feel like that idea was a fading notion by the 80s, and I'm not sure exactly why.

High school pride disappeared when a high school diploma turned into the bare minimum rather than a natural exit point for the majority of folks, and college became (at least in people's minds) "necessary for a good job."

When I graduated in 1998, class rings were definitely not a thing anymore. In addition, "letter jackets" were no longer worn by most jocks, only by the marching band kids, and then only because they weren't allowed to wear anything else over their marching uniform during cold games.

Clodfobble;1038419 wrote:

High school pride disappeared when a high school diploma turned into the bare minimum rather than a natural exit point for the majority of folks, and college became (at least in people's minds) "necessary for a good job."

When I graduated in 1998, class rings were definitely not a thing anymore. In addition, "letter jackets" were no longer worn by most jocks, only by the marching band kids, and then only because they weren't allowed to wear anything else over their marching uniform during cold games.

At my kids' (former) high school, Letter Jackets are still a thing..... but it's bloody cold up here. No-one wear them in the warmer months, but in the winter, hell yeah.

Marching Band..... It's OK to have that as a second "sport" but as the only thing.... :lol: .....and they have even warmer full length coats to wear over their uniforms at cold games.

There are plenty of kids who prefer music to sports.

Clodfobble;1038419 wrote:

High school pride disappeared when a high school diploma turned into the bare minimum rather than a natural exit point for the majority of folks, and college became (at least in people's minds) "necessary for a good job."

When I graduated in 1998, class rings were definitely not a thing anymore. In addition, "letter jackets" were no longer worn by most jocks, only by the marching band kids, and then only because they weren't allowed to wear anything else over their marching uniform during cold games.

I graduated in '98 and letter jackets were still worn by the jocks. Class rings were also big to buy, but I don't think anyone really wore them

Girls would wear their boyfriend's ring on a chain.

I was born in October which has a pink stone that I wouldn't buy in '72. Since I have suffered from burglary and a house fire it is doubtful that I would still have it anyway.

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Your rings had birthstones? Ours had school colors, Green/Gold and Black/Gold.

The ring folks wanted us to want school colors. You could get birthstones.

I got amethyst, cuz it were purty.

I got one in 10th grade. I chose a sapphire colored glass center instead of peridot(birthstone) cuz i liked the color. I think mine rattled off my shelf into the trash because I played my electric guitar loud enough to piss my mother off.


it was white gold. ..chosen because I was reading those Stephen R Donaldson books.

What a racket!
I also had to buy a dress blue uniform in OCS. Hundred + hard to come by bucks: wore once.

I'm surprised Challenge Coins haven't replaced class rings on a large scale:

… In the context as they are used by the modern U.S. military, the tradition probably began among special forces units during the Vietnam War. The tradition spread through the Airborne community, and by the early 1980s also into the 75th Ranger Regiment. …

… Challenge coins are also exchanged outside the military. NASCAR, the NFL, cadets of the Civil Air Patrol, Eagle Scouts and World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins. They are also becoming popular with police departments, fire departments and fraternal organizations. In 2007, the Utah Symphony and Opera gave challenge coins to all of its staff and musicians, making it the first symphony organization in America to do so. Franklin Public School in Ontario has a coin that is given to graduates, featuring its mascot 'Frankie'. …

… As of 2010, coins manufactured in China and South Korea typically cost between US$2.50 to US$7.00 per coin, depending on production process and complexity of design, laser engraving, enamels, voids, etc. The dies must be sculpted by an artist and can range in cost from US$50 to US$300, depending on complexity. The cost of domestic manufacture can be many times this amount.

In order to be competitive, most North American companies offering challenge coins rely on having the product manufactured offshore. Many challenge coins are fabricated in South Korea, as the connection to the US military bases there is strong, and costs are cheaper than those made in the US. ...

Some entertaining stories from the linked Wiki article here.

The rings were to display your accomplishments in plain site, bragging if you will. The coins don't meet that purpose unless you display them. Whipping them out is vulgar bragging and offensive to polite society. ;)