How do magnets attract and don't attract?

I guess the answer is that a positive side to a positive side of a magnet won't attract so I guess that is the answer.

quaters are mostly made of copper, and are plated with nickel, neither of these metals are magnetic

Because silly, paper is not a metal.Magnets only attract to metal objects, not wood, or sand, or a finger, but only metal.

because its not a metal compund, jeez

Mainly because rust isn't magnetive. Other than that, the properties aren't made up for the magnetic field--but that's saying the same thing.Rust is somewhere between a metal and non-metal. Its...