CPM Forum

General => General Forum Comments => Topic started by: rachelsprivates on May 27, 2007, 08:02:58 pm

Title: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: rachelsprivates on May 27, 2007, 08:02:58 pm

Which collectible serial number is worth more?... 8888888 because it is a rotator or 9999999 because it is the highest number?  Are 8's luckier and thus worth more?

Which one would you rather have if you could not have both?

Are there times when one is a lot more desriable than the other?

Cheers.

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: only4teeth on May 27, 2007, 08:05:36 pm

Personally, I would prefer the 8's. Then again I am sure it would vary between collectors.

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: hanmer on May 27, 2007, 08:08:45 pm

I'd take either.  I'd prefer the 9's though.

:)

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: bwho9d on May 27, 2007, 09:12:55 pm

I like the nines better. 9999999 means it's like the last of that specific 3 letter series.

The eights are still collectible though.

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: Ottawa on May 28, 2007, 03:39:56 am

I would suggest that 8888888 would be worth more as the number 8 is considered to be a very lucky number in Chinese culture whence one could expect additional market demand from buyers of Chinese ethnicity. The price or worth of something is always strongly related to considerations of "supply and demand", e.g., a unique item could have little value if no one wants it while a common item could have great value if it is in heavy demand.

Here's an interesting article dealing with LUCKY & UNLUCKY NUMBERS IN CHINESE CULTURE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture)

Observe the following interesting facts from the above article ......

--- "Telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for USD$270,723 in Chengdu, China."

--- "The Summer Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to open on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 p.m."

--- "A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate reading A88888 for 1.12 million yuan."

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: walktothewater on May 28, 2007, 09:45:30 pm

I would go for the solid 9's for the same reasons mentioned earlier (I like high numbers)

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: Mikeysonfire on May 28, 2007, 10:08:05 pm

I would take soild 9s over 8s.

Title: Re: Which serial # is worth more?
Post by: CJ_Sidewall on May 29, 2007, 09:56:56 pm

It's all a matter of personal preference.  I personally like the solid 8s because of the symmetry in the shape of the number.  Whether you rotator the note; view it from the back against a light source (I believe eyevet coined the term "transluminescence note"); or flip the note about the x- or y-axis, you get the same pattern.  Symmetry is what give 8s its rotator property.  The only other number that can do this is 0, and solid 0s are only available on Specimen notes.  Being a lucky number in Chinese culture is just an added bonus.

As Ottawa mentioned, 8s are lucky in Chinese culture because it rhymes with the word for prosperity/fortune/wealth.  Does it really mean anything or make a difference?  Probably not, it's just superstition, but 8 and 4 in Chinese culture are analogous to 7 and 13 in Western (think Lucky 777 and Friday the 13th). 

Chalk one up for solid 8s.   ;D

{http://www.geocities.com/cj_sidewall/banknotes/8888888_Footer.jpg}