It looks great as a decoration piece but it's a real missed opportunity for functionality. The coin "eating" function is triggered by a proximity sensor that only works under a very specific lighting condition. Which means it doesn't work most of the time. When it does work, it's incredibly slow and incredibly loud. When not in use, you have to turn it off, otherwise the sensor will continue to run and will very quickly drain the batteries. I just have mine off and put the coins in the mouth, where it falls straight through. The coin compartment is tiny but luckily you can remove the underside cover and place the unit over a big jar and have the coins fall through. It's very nicely packaged and could make a great novelty gift for a kid, though it's hardly useful.