I got to thinking today and that can be dangerous in itself. As currency collectors (this is the paper forum before I get any remarks), many of us have had to pass up a note or, in my case, thousands of dollars worth at face value. Many of you know of my truck stop days. Yes, I passed up larger denominations all of the time just because I didn't have the money to spare. Star notes? Thousands of dollars worth I can assure you and I still have a few thousand face in stars so figure just how many I saw. Now the REAL SCARY part. I DID NOT collect currency at all when I started there or at previous jobs where I handled fairly large amounts of cash. I used to COMPLAIN when we would run into strap after strap of CU Consecutive notes! Hey, those are tough to handle when you need to balance so we would intentionally "crinkle" them up for ease of separation. Who knows what I may have passed up without knowing. I may have been crinkling CU web notes and 295 errors INTENTIONALLY. When I DID get into currency I did find many CU consecutive star notes. Wonder how many packs I may have let go as change. A true horror story and hope I never have the opportunity to answer my questions. What do y'all think? clembo
It's scary Clembo, LOL I'm a paper newbie, I save every star note. At my meeting I chair, when the basket get's passed for donations, I go thru every note and have 3-$1 stars and a 5 and a 20, all face value finds.
I too recently got started with notes. I can only imagine how many stars, low serial numbers, or possible errors I have passed off without knowing!! Now I check every bill I get...
Well, I remember spending notes that had a little number above the "ONE" and odd looking blank spots on the front where I knew something was supposed to be but I didn't know what. Besides, they were all brand new notes -- can't be worth anything, they're not old. But that's not the scary part, if I had known they were webs and that web-press was the new method, I would have started hoarding all the crispy old style notes and spending the new ones instead. The old style is gonna be worth somethin' someday, ya know. Ain't life funny?
Dan... You did what?! Crinkled up straps of note for ease of handling... were you out of your mind?? :goofer: LOL Well now that you have that out of your system...we forgive you! Man that is so funny I just could not help but poke fun at ya for a moment...LOL I am sure all of us are guilty before we received some education....:kewl: I am starting to get funny looks at Church when the plate comes around to me..of course I hold it too long..LOL Regards, RickieB
In a single word. Yes! When I think back on how many millions of dollars that went through my hands over the years and I was busy looking for silver, wheaties etc but NOT notes. I did keep some 20s from the 34 series' at one point when I was much youger - like 25 years ago. Brought them to a coin shop and was told they had no value so I spent them. If ignorance is bliss then I was one real happy guy!
Well, with the holiday crunch, my wife is starting to pressure me into releasing some of my newer duplicates. I have so many high denomination bills from the 90's (of the old design). I really don't want to send them to the shredders, but they aren't worth anything due to their condition. I was trying to figure out where was the best place to spend/swap them so they have the best chance of not getting shredded. There's a coin show in Itasca, IL every month, but since I'm not well known, I don't know how well that would be taken to walk up to a dealer and ask if they want them for face value. Where are some other places you guys would suggest to give them the best chance?
ROTFL! I have no idea what I have passed along over the years, till I gained the knowledge of things to look for, and like you clembo, I hope I never will. Phoenix
I just passed on a 1988 $100 note that was almost new. My wife only gives me $5 a day for food, gasoline, clothing, entertainment and medical care, so I had no prayer with that one. At least it wasn't a star note....Mike
Your priorities are all wrong here! "food, gasoline, clothing, entertainment and medical care" are all over rated.
What? $5 bucks a day....hummmmmm Buddy, you need to come to the RickieB's school of Sweet talkin anfd Hob Nobbin! RickieB
RickieB- Though at one time I had raised my sweet talkin' to the Certified Silver Tongued Devil level, my wife eventually caught on to me after about 20 years (she's kind of slow in that way). I am afraid that, having overplayed my hand, her reaction has been to relegate me to financial purgatory. It is a strange predicament. There is no actual starvation. Clothing and shelter are not worries, yet my spending power is less than when I was a teenager and I am now almost 50! Surely God is on her side....Mike
you guys are going to be mad, but i've passed up a 1981A and 1993 dollar bill, 2 old style $5 bills (1995), a 1993 and a 1995 $10 note, and 1985 and 1990 $20 bills. before i started collecting i remember spending a 1988A $10 bill. i've also spent 4 star notes that were common. all of these bills were heavily circulated and i only keep the crisp ones anyways.
I wouldnt worry, I pass up early 90's bills all the time. Even 5's from 88 I pass up. Unless its older than 1980, I dont really care. Star notes too, if they're pretty beat up, and high serial #, I'll spend those as well.
Coinlover and Magman, You guys are playing the game "smart". One can only afford so much but you might consider keeping some of these for folks on CT for face value plus shipping. That's what I'll be doing. Want to keep it in the hands of collectors. I'm willing to bet I've passed on more of these notes than you guys will see combined as I was passing them up when the "old style" notes were still being issued. If I had someone that would have been interested enough to pay face value at that time they would have been in collector's hands. Just didn't have that option then. Don't get me wrong here though guys. You ARE playing the "game" smart. You keep what you can afford. Currency does get expensive fast!
i got most of those even before i started cointalk, and the other i forgot. from now on if i get an old bill i'll post it in the open forum.
The only bills and coins I am able too search , are when I cash my check, or get in change from daily commerce. I wish I worked for a bank. LOL (Dont we all LOL)!! I always seem too find starnotes of $20 or higher when I am most broke , and must pay bills. Most of my notes are CU. So , unless I find a crisp-uncirculated, I usually spend. All the notes I search from the bank are usually, rags, or new rags. Odds are of finding collectable notes, that may be worth more than face, are difficult to find. Most end up in the shredder. ASK YOUR TELLER IF YOU CAN SEARCH , OR HAVE THEM SEARCH, THE SHREDDER PILE!!!!!!!. I have found most of my nicer, higher demonation notes, this way. & a few older star notes & web notes that were worth saving!! CLAW
One time I cashed my paycheck and got a whole pile of CU 1977 $20 bills and a few slightly circulated 1950 $50 bills. I could only afford to hold them for alittle while because it was almost $300 face value. So I tried listing them on ebay at face value with very small shipping and insurance fee, but I listed them about a dozen times and spent like $30 in ebay fees. So I gave up, I decided to buy 3 rolls of walking liberty half dollars, and I sent the old notes as payment. I figured they would be going to a collector that way, and he could decide what to do with them.