CPM Forum
General => General Forum Comments => Topic started by: friedsquid on July 01, 2007, 09:38:16 am
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I just started this thread to see what other brick searchers or non searchers think is the actual facts and fiction to this comment. ???
I know that I will not be going to the CNA because I did't make any money yet! ;D
FRIEDSQUID
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The amount of profit would depend strongly on how frequently you could "recycle" your bricks back to the banks and how frequently you could obtain Unc bricks in the first place. If you searched only one brick a year then the profit would probably be zero or minimal at best, unless you were very lucky. However, if you could search one or two bricks a week for an entire year then I would imagine that the annual profit could be substantial. I often wonder how many brick hunters are bank managers .... ;D
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I have never purchased a brick but I had always assumed that the cost of a brick was equal to its face value. Is this correct or incorrect? Do the banks levy an additional charge when supplying a brick to a customer?
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I usually do a minimum of 2 bricks per week and when possible more depending on the denominations of the notes.
Being in a rural area is tough because the bank will order limited amounts and travelling to larger cities to get quantity is the issue. Also, rural branches will not accept large amounts of cash, now more than ever because of tighter risk management practices. Robberies have sky rocketed in the rural areas and no bank managers want the added responsibilty of extra cash in their banks since pick ups and deliveries are only once per week.
I have been recently told that I cannot be accomodated by the banks in my area and this has definitely ticked me off. I understand where they are coming from but they are a bank ???
If anyone has any suggestions or thoughts on how I can continue, I would appreciate there input greatly. I would prefer you pm or email me since I do not feel certain things should be posted on this forum.
Thanks FRIEDSQUID
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Most banks I have dealt with charge a fee per bundle. Now without getting into details to screw others who collect bricks I must say all banks are different.
I have received bundles and bricks for no additional cost above face but that is rare. Usually if a mistake was made in an order or there was an extra amount in the bank that they did not want to hold I would get a call if I wanted it.
I have heard from others that some banks will charge up to a $60 service charge upon pickup and/or dropoff because they will be required to make a special order to the armed courriers because of this.
When I lived in Toronto I knew a bank manager that allowed me to go through bricks at the bank before opening hours. Obviously this is not allowed in most banks that I am aware of but unfortuanetly did not last long to to policy changes.
The best suggestion that I can make is give the bank you deal with a call,l but frequent large transactions always raise flags. On Friday my flag fell off the pole
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Some Forum members may not be aware that special serial numbers (resulting from brick searches) are popular with collectors of foreign notes too. I've attached a scan showing Hong Kong and Suriname notes with "vertical radars" plus an interesting Afghanistan note with an "Arabic radar".
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Most banks I have dealt with charge a fee per bundle. ........
I have heard from others that some banks will charge up to a $60 service charge upon pickup and/or drop-off because they will be required to make a special order to the armed couriers because of this.
Thanks for this info. I can understand better now why brick searchers are not automatically guaranteed a profit.
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I've attached a scan showing Hong Kong and Suriname notes with "vertical radars"
These are very interesting.
I wish the Bank of Canada would start to print the serial numbers vertically
because then the "LADDER NOTES" would really be a showpiece ;D
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Some Forum members may not be aware that special serial numbers (resulting from brick searches) are popular with collectors of foreign notes too. I've attached a scan showing Hong Kong and Suriname notes with "vertical radars" plus an interesting Afghanistan note with an "Arabic radar".
Wow, suddenly I'm a bit more interested in international paper money!
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No, Brick Searchers are NOT guaranteed a profit but if one is lucky you can break even (if you sell some of the notes you find). On the ODD occasion you might be really lucky and find something that is worth more money.
But.... Sometimes you might go through MANY MANY MANY bricks before you find a single thing.
The fees are getting higher and higher as well.
Friedsquid. your situation is VERY common. I actually don't know ANYONE who have gotten a supply of bricks on a regular basis and have is last more then about 6 - 8 Months before they cut you off. Setting up your "network" of branches and lining up everything is VERY tricky and time consuming. And it is one large House of Cards that is ready to collapse at any time. :(
Some searchers go through hundreds of bricks a year and it is ALWAYS a challenge to keep the house of cards held together by a thread.
Do not be discouraged but it is an uphill battle the entire way.
Just as a side note, Fees are getting so high that many people have quit doing bricks because it is impossible to gain a profit from it. At some of these rates you would need to sell a Replacement for $3000 each to try and break even. With Replacements getting even harder to find now this will get even worse.
This is another reason people MUST understand about the rare Replacements. They ARE hard to find and you have most likely spent THOUSANDS of dollars in fees getting bricks that did not yield ANYTHING before find one or two Rarer Replacements :( :-\
My Article all about Journey Series and Replacements is complete and is in proof reading stage before I will post it for everyone. It should answer a lot of questions.
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Ok, so if I understand this correctly than brick searchers:
- need a large investment to search bricks,
- take a large risk if a brick they are holding onto is lost or stolen,
- have great difficulty in obtaining and returning bricks,
- incur costs in obtaining bricks, and
- usually suffer losses and rarely make a profit searching bricks.
So why do people search bricks? Where is the motiviation?
Brad
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Ok, so if I understand this correctly than brick searchers:
- need a large investment to search bricks,
- take a large risk if a brick they are holding onto is lost or stolen,
- have great difficulty in obtaining and returning bricks,
- incur costs in obtaining bricks, and
- usually suffer losses and rarely make a profit searching bricks.
So why do people search bricks? Where is the motiviation?
What is the motivation for VLT's or Slot Machines? ;)
It is along the same lines.... As a Brick Searcher I don't think I could stop if I wanted too.... :-\
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Brick searchining in my opinion is helping a hobby that relies on up to date information, given by many people from all over.
if we never had brick hunters, we would not of known of replacement notes, asteriks, short runs, error notes etc. The whole hobby would be lost.
To be able to look at a note that is crisp/clean and uncirculated in the general public and be able to give that specific note a new home to be admired, and investment increase possibly is satisfying.
1 other thing that we have to take into mind is that we all as papermoney collectors are a special breed, when we recieve change back what do we first do..... flip it around and look at the serial numbers. Is it a rare bel, a changover, a low number, etc etc etc. This interest would not be possible if we never had brick hunters give us information on short runs. rare notes, changeovers.
Can you make a profit on this..... Well the largest profit you make is knowing you are educationing a large group of intellegent people with a similar hobby. I have not covered all my cost yet but in time will find the notes that really mean a huge importance to me. And it will hopefully be ing unc.
My humble opinion.
cheers
Polarbear
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Ok, so if I understand this correctly than brick searchers:
- need a large investment to search bricks,
- take a large risk if a brick they are holding onto is lost or stolen,
- have great difficulty in obtaining and returning bricks,
- incur costs in obtaining bricks, and
- usually suffer losses and rarely make a profit searching bricks.
So why do people search bricks? Where is the motiviation?
Brad
Don forget dat there is a teeny chance you can get robbed on da way to and from da bank mon. Some times you could use a helpful Brinks guard with an armored SUV.
Tink happy tots, Dei Gratia
PD
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My (and my parent's) opinion/personal experiences:
-My parents work for the HSBC bank (no, they aren't tellers) and I can get rolls and bricks for free.
-My dad thinks brick searching is a waste of time and he'd rather go buy a $20 4 digit radar for $25 for me than going brick searching with me.
-My trick is to withdrawal from one bank branch, and spend or deposit to another (preferably different banks (I W/D from HSBC and deposit to RBC)).
-Some banks are evil and take out the radars, 1991 Quarters, etc. My dad was withdrawing $500 from a BMO ABM, dispensing completely new notes The next number, a radar, was replaced by another note (which was quite circulated, not a confirmed insert, or anything).
-And no, you won't lose anything. I keep my coin rolls and bricks in a small dollar store bag. Thieves and muggers won't bother looking through them.
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LOL, the dollar store bag is a nice touch.
sounds like you've got a good thing going, getting your bricks free of service charge.
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LOL, the dollar store bag is a nice touch.
Oh the days when a pickup would even come close to fitting in a simple plastic bag.... ::)
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1 other thing that we have to take into mind is that we all as papermoney collectors are a special breed, when we recieve change back what do we first do..... flip it around and look at the serial numbers.
To be honest, I count my change FIRST ;D then I check the serial numbers
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My Article all about Journey Series and Replacements is complete and is in proof reading stage before I will post it for everyone. It should answer a lot of questions
I look forward to reading it.
FRIEDSQUID
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.... It seems to me that there are certain fundamental similarities between searching bricks for special/fancy numbers and playing the slots at casinos trying to line up 5 lemons or strawberries or whatever other combination makes the machine pay out.
..... So why do people search bricks? Where is the motivation?
What is the motivation for VLT's or Slot Machines? ;) It is along the same lines.... As a Brick Searcher I don't think I could stop if I wanted too.... :-\
..... All I can say is that it is an expensive game and is like gambling. In fact it is just as addictive and I think the other senior members would agree with me that if one were to stop they would start going through withdrawal syndrome. It is ALWAYS about the "Next" Brick.... Some pay $500 - $600 in fees a month to feed this habit.... :o So keep this in mind.
That's a mighty bold admission, X-Savior! However, all collectors are similarly afflicted in one way or the other, whether they be interested in chartered notes, Bank of Canada notes, or special serial numbers. We all gamble a little bit (or a lot) when we buy our collectibles. We all seek a "deal" or even a "steal". Sometimes we get that proverbial steal although occasionally we get greedy and lose our shirts. However, it all comes out in the wash at the end of the day. In the long run, you cannot really lose money when it comes to good quality collectibles as long as you educate yourself first about what you are buying.
Maybe the day will come when there'll be a need for a BHA (Brick Hunters Anonymous) Society ... ;D
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Maybe the day will come when there'll be a need for a BHA (Brick Hunters Anonymous) Society ...
I would be more than happy to join, but in order to get in the door everyone has to have a fresh brick ;D
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Maybe the day will come when there'll be a need for a BHA (Brick Hunters Anonymous) Society ...
I would be more than happy to join, but in order to get in the door everyone has to have a fresh brick Grin
Is it one of those places that offer's a one way door? Cold Turkey Style??? No Banks for 3000 Km? :'(
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No Banks for 3000 Km?
There is a 2600 square-kilometer Indio Maíz Biosphere Reserve in Nicaragua.
There are NO banks anywhere.
I think this should be our number one choice 8)
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I tink I would figure a way to get a brick out of an ATM den. I can see it now, take an put back $500/card/account/day/bank. Lot of work mon!
You know it is like bidding on Eba... der is dis teeny euphoria bidding and when you win, is almost da same feeling mon getting dat 'deal' or 'steal' I know a lady friend is showing classic symptoms, like munchies after a teeny smoke. Brick hunting is almost same feeling and eventually after many bricks you may see da 'magic' numbers through the wrap. AOx whatever 8888xxx, den your heart start to talk very fast like a Kingston accent, right X? It not happen to me yet but my heart figure the odds MAY even out but it my head sez MAY be long time before I get one.
Tink happy tots, ;D
PD
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You know it is like bidding on Eba... der is dis teeny euphoria bidding and when you win, is almost da same feeling mon getting dat 'deal' or 'steal' I know a lady friend is showing classic symptoms, like munchies after a teeny smoke. Brick hunting is almost same feeling and eventually after many bricks you may see da 'magic' numbers through the wrap. AOx whatever 8888xxx, den your heart start to talk very fast like a Kingston accent, right X? It not happen to me yet but my heart figure the odds MAY even out but it my head sez MAY be long time before I get one.
You Said it my Dreadlock Friend! ;)
Your heart will sound like Caribbean Drum Show!!! 8) :o
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I know a lady friend is showing classic symptoms, like munchies after a teeny smoke. Brick hunting is almost same feeling and eventually after many bricks you may see da 'magic' numbers through the wrap.
Tink happy tots, ;D
PD
Are you talking about me in front of your collector friends? Maybe I should tell them you're not really black either. I don't shop the internet that much, just browsing. PD here holds back the serial numbers with 666 for me in his brick searches for face value. It's your fault you got me started on this stuff. >:(
FYI!
My Favorite note is the Devilface note with the 666!
"We're all gonna die anyway."
Raven
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Fancy meeting you here Rave, just like the title of this thread, I not making any money on dis one. Now be nice to dese people not like your other forum hangout. Expecting my first brick of $20 soon so I'll have a 666 $20 version for you, face value for a friend.
And your hair color isn't really Red either. ;D But I tink it is cool to try and style the DF in it like QE2 doh.
Tink happy tots. :)
PD
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Expecting my first brick of $20 soon so I'll have a 666 $20 version for you, face value for a friend
And we see where da 6666666 serial numbr go. In da pocket or to da friend ;D
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I like your optimisim Squid mon, even with a high service charge where I pay, my friend can have any or all 6666xxx except 6666660 to 6666669 that will go in the safety deposit.
She can't afford buying da whole brick but is really a nice person when you get to know her.
Don worries, be happy.
PD
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I finally found a video that clearly depicts how Brick Searching has become a part of my life. I want to post the video here, but some may find it alittle too much for the this forum (deals with sensitive matters).
If you would like a link to the video (which is on youtube) please let me know. It is a clip from a popular cartoon show actually, just to give a hint.
But after I saw it, the parallell was clearly drawn - in my case anyway.
H
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If you would like a link to the video (which is on youtube) please let me know
When you get the chance Hudson send me the link.
I am in withdrawl now and need to see a brick somewhere :'(
FRIEDSQUID
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Better send me da link too Huds, tings look a teeny little too quiet around da forum with dat ting going on in Niagra Falls.
Hey Squid mon, Raven should have dropped you a line by now, she got your notes. And I tink she has a comment about Brick Searchers but I not seen her post dem. She made some fun with some 12 Steps ting or someting like it. ???
Many tanks mon,
PD
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If you would like a link to the video (which is on youtube) please let me know. It is a clip from a popular cartoon show actually, just to give a hint.
I GOT TO HAVE IT!!! I need to persuade my parents that brick searching is not a waste of time!
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[Hey Mon,
quote]She made some fun with some 12 Steps ting or someting like it.[/quote]
Without us searching bricks, where would she get all da great 666 notes ;D
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tings look a teeny little too quiet around da forum with dat ting going on in Niagra Falls.
Your telling me!!!
Did you see all the excitement this morning??? ???
I saw a tumbleweed blow through the forum. It caused some digital mayhem! :o ;) ;D
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I heard Hudson was at the CNA in Niagara Falls
I wonder if he used all that money (PROFIT) he made brick searching to pay for the airfare and presidential suite at the hotel ???
He will probably tell you he hid in the luggage compartment and then crashed with friends for Free at the hotel ;D
FRIEDSQUID
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Obviously I'm not making anything selling face value to help out a budding collector that may turn out to be not your typical collector. What a guy does to for a pretty lady friend in need. :-*
PD
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He will probably tell you he hid in the luggage compartment and then crashed with friends for Free at the hotel
He would probably try and convince you that he only spent $7.83 on food for four days too.
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If I added up my receipts I would probably cry.
Loaf of bread and Juice and jam (from the restaurant) plus a head of lettuce and I was well under $5.
Add to that free pop and booze (US only) at the casinos, plus an astounding $8 gain over three days - I did pretty good.
Then came the Keg- not once, but twice. Worth every penny though. 8)
Good times, it was great to see you all at the show :)
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Thank God you're alive Huds mon, I tot you've been done for.
PD
;)
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Yea... When I saw the photo I assumed the worst....
;)
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I would have started a new thread:
So I have been told BRICK SEARCHERS faced mortal DANGER??
'Phil' was so peaceful when he looked dead. :-*
Raven
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Hey Raven,
I think Phil was is "Friend" who showed him a "thing" or two... ;) ;D :o
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I think it's time to go on a hunger strike until my Brick priviledges are reinstated.
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I GOT TO HAVE IT!!! I need to persuade my parents that brick searching is not a waste of time!
To paraphrase a local TD bank's excuse; "It's a waste of our bank's time and resources. May we do anything else for you other than ordering another 'Brick'? Apply for our credit card?"
And to think they are making a load of money on my mortgage too. The cost of housing here in Vancouver is crazy right NZ.
Dei Gratia,
PD
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And to think they are making a load of money on my mortgage too. The cost of housing here in Vancouver is crazy right NZ.
Yeah! $600 000 in Burnaby buys me a house that I don't even have enough space to move around in! Talk about those million dollar houses in Vancouver! >:( >:(
Banks are the most cruel things in the world. My parents work numerous hours a day for HSBC and I don't think the banks aren't paying my parents what they truly deserve! >:( >:(
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"It's a waste of our bank's time and resources
The funny thing is that there were times when I returned a few bricks on a Sat and not even one customer came in and there were 3 tellers doing nothing.
If I didn't keep them busy they would be standing there looking out the front window.
I have even come in and if a teller knew me they would pretend to be doing something else and let another part time teller take me. They would rather do nothing than have to start counting and rebundling my bills.
Yet when they are busy as Heck on a friday afternoon they will stand there trying to get you to add some new promotion to your bank account, ask you about rrsp's, or some other crap they are trying to hussle. and who cares how long the line up is waiting to be served.
Why can't they just have an ABM (Automated Brick Machine) where you enter your account number and out comes a BRICK and when you want to return it, just shove it back into the machine and your account gets credited. I know I would use it ;D
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My parents work numerous hours a day for HSBC and I don't think the banks aren't paying my parents what they truly deserve!
Did they ever think of Brick Searching on the side ???
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Did they ever think of Brick Searching on the side ???
Oh yeah. No service charge for bricks from banks!
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Why can't they just have an ABM (Automated Brick Machine) where you enter your account number and out comes a BRICK and when you want to return it, just shove it back into the machine and your account gets credited. I know I would use it ;D
I concur. They should make you request how much of each denomination you want (e.g. 5 $20s instead of 2 $50s). This would reduce the work load and the demand of bank tellers (saving the bank $1 000 000s annualy).
When the banks are closed, I like to go to ABMs and widthdrawl the daily limit and shove it back into another bank. Sadly, ABMs aren't equipped with bill acceptors & counters so I have to wait another day for them to clear the safe.
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I had 13 bricks today.
8 ELB $20s, 5 BTD $10s and an AHM $50 and a BK_ $100.
Zero replacements.
13 radars.
That is it.
There is no guarantee at all.
You all saw the picture of Phil.....
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There is no guarantee at all.
You all saw the picture of Phil.....
Actually, I believe you are incorrect in this statement
There is a guarantee. You all saw the picture of PHIL 8)
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Actually, I believe you are incorrect in this statement
There is a guarantee. You all saw the picture of PHIL 8)
It guarantees that the bank is the one making the money at $11/brick. Unless they spent long hours ordering it from the BoC. I'm sure they don't say how they actually do it.
(Sarcastic smiley)
The bank made $143 from Huds.
Now where are my glasses,
PD
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Banks are making money? Really? ;D
Reminds me of a trip to Europe. To get my visa, I needed a letter from my bank to confirm my "financial ressources".
The letter was a standard Word document, so all the lady had to do was changing the name on it, the date and the amount I had in my account. A big 2 minutes operation.
She hesitated, not knowing if the price for this letter was 15$ or 25$. Finally, this one page letter costs me 15$.
15$ to be told "Yes, indeed, you do have money".
Compare what you get from your bank and what the bank takes away from you: we're probably all in the red...
I actually get way more benefits from trading coins and bills than leaving this money in the bank.
I don't trust banks, and surely never will. Always feel like i'm being robbed with a smile.
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Finally, this one page letter costs me 15$.
15$ to be told "Yes, indeed, you do have money".
Maybe you can blank out your name, make photo copies and sell them for $10 each to other travellers. 8)
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Damn! I should have think about it! :D
Though I'm pretty sure the France "consulat" kept the letter with all the other documents required for my visa...
Sincerely, friedsquid, if I was that dishonest, I'd probably apply for a job directly at the bank...
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Sincerely, friedsquid, if I was that dishonest, I'd probably apply for a job directly at the bank...
Why not get a job at the BOC and hire me to do quality control on the notes.
I will even work for FREE 8)
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Why work for BoC when you can go right to the printer make make your own error notes!
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Definitly, you guys have twisted minds! ;)
X-Savior, be careful though, 'cause if you print too many error notes, the BOC may lay you off quickly... :D
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Why work for BoC when you can go right to the printer make make your own error notes!
Why work for BoC when you can go right to the printer make make your own error notes!
Hmm...What font are the serial numbers printed with? ;D
*prints extra fake serial number on bill*
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*Looks at computer clock* 3:23 AM :o :o :o :o :o Holy c**p I gotta go to bed!
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It's also a hassle to return the notes back to the bank, and it's quite a security risk carting so much money in and out of the bank when you order bricks. To me, it's not worth it, but I still do it every now and then. Also, doesn't depositing so much cash in a month trigger a flag with the bank's central system? ???
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Also, doesn't depositing so much cash in a month trigger a flag with the bank's central system? Huh
Yes it does. The Anti-Fraud and Money Laundering department will flag you right away. It is just a matter of time before your next visit to the branch will be one you won't forget. ::)
With Plenty of experience and getting shutdown a few times you begin to learn the ropes (And the Do's and Do Not's). They are hard lessons you will need to take in stride.
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Brick searchining in my opinion is helping a hobby that relies on up to date information, given by many people from all over.
if we never had brick hunters, we would not of known of replacement notes, asteriks, short runs, error notes etc. The whole hobby would be lost.
To be able to look at a note that is crisp/clean and uncirculated in the general public and be able to give that specific note a new home to be admired, and investment increase possibly is satisfying.
1 other thing that we have to take into mind is that we all as papermoney collectors are a special breed, when we recieve change back what do we first do..... flip it around and look at the serial numbers. Is it a rare bel, a changover, a low number, etc etc etc. This interest would not be possible if we never had brick hunters give us information on short runs. rare notes, changeovers.
Can you make a profit on this..... Well the largest profit you make is knowing you are educationing a large group of intellegent people with a similar hobby. I have not covered all my cost yet but in time will find the notes that really mean a huge importance to me. And it will hopefully be ing unc.
My humble opinion.
cheers
Polarbear
Wow that's EXACTLY what i do when i get change back from a cashier or any where, Filp the note around and look at the serial number. My friends use the thiink i'm weird and paranoid of getting a counterfiet bill. But the truth is what PolarBear meantioned.
:D
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Banks are worst than Satan when it comes to being evil. Why would you remove 1991 quarters or radar notes? Why make them in the first place?
Last time I went to the bank asking for some brand new U.S. $20's and $50's (one each), the teller took them out and flicked the bill to make the beautiful UNC bill into a bare EF. I told the little teller "I'm sorry can I have another one please? I'd like it to be completely brand new". I even took my plastic sleeves out for the teller to get the idea. The teller takes out two new notes, lies them in front of me flicking them once again ruinning the beauty. I stare at the dumb teller for 5 seconds and go "why did you do that?" - "the notes were perfectly brand new and you just made them look used". "Sir, I have to make sure there aren't more than one note when I take them out".
They won't even give me a $1000 bill. They act like I was asking for them to commit a crime for me. "The law says we have to return them to the central bank".
*"Flicking": Not sure if it's the right word. It's the finger-snapping motion when you want to seperate two notes or make sure you did not grab more than one.
Unreal.
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Compare what you get from your bank
Which is nothing.
and what the bank takes away from you
Which is everything.
I actually get way more benefits from trading coins and bills than leaving this money in the bank.
I don't trust banks, and surely never will. Always feel like i'm being robbed with a smile.
I'll beg to differ on that smile part.
Banks have trillions of our dollars, providing absolutely nothin of productive or innovative to society. Go figure.
I have worked at a bank before and I have taken a course on "Anti-Fraud and Anti-Money Laundering". They basically teach you on how to become a master criminal.
It's very simple: Deposit a large sum of legitimate cash and they will harass the hell out of you for doing so. The proper way washing hundreds of thousands of ill-earned dollars is to open many accounts with many different banks and spread them out (ie: Pay the banks 20 times more fees than you normally would) and you'll be fine.
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It's true, the banks give any average joe enough information to become a fraud artist. I guess that is why they screen for integrity (but sometimes not for social intelligence lol) flick ..... flick flick.
That is meant light-hearted of course.
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Banks are worst than Satan when it comes to being evil. Why would you remove 1991 quarters or radar notes? Why make them in the first place?
Obviously you have issues with banks....but nothing you say here has anything to do with this topic....maybe start a thread where you could whine about banks so I don't waste my time having to read through your complaints....