In Reply to: coins posted by SIR FIN on Tuesday, 18. April 2006 at 05:48 Bali Time:
As you would know locals often ask "do you have gold coin". For some reason tourists happily give away gold coins ($1-$2) but won't give away 5.000rp (78c) which is why they keep asking.
The locals sell them to a business savvy local for 5.000rp.
He then sells them to people who work at the airport for a profit (amount?). They then swap them for Rupiah. Usually they get the going rate or close.
So they may have paid 7.000 rp for a $2 coin and an Aussie will give them 13.000rp.
It's not a rip off as people have suggested, just business.
Reminds me of my younger brother when he was a child. He wanted a fish tank. He found a small one at a clean up. He swapped it with a friend for a game the boy didn't want, which he then, in turn swapped someone else for a bigger fish tank. All were happy. Business sense.