Was this a good investment: The banana bill at $25K?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the valuation of a $20 bill that features a banana sticker, which sold for $25,300 at auction. Participants explore the implications of this sale, questioning the authenticity of the sticker's printing process and the nature of collectible investments.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the investment could be considered good if it appreciates in value, depending on future buyer interest.
  • Others express skepticism about the authenticity of the sticker's printing, questioning how it could be printed onto the bill without the necessary inks.
  • A participant proposes that the sticker may have been embedded or stuck to the bill during the printing process, referencing similar occurrences with other foreign objects.
  • Concerns are raised about the auction process, with some arguing that auction prices may exceed the actual market value of items.
  • Several participants share humorous or light-hearted comments about the situation, reflecting on the absurdity of the investment and the nature of money.
  • There is a discussion about the materials used in currency, with some participants correcting misconceptions about whether money is made from paper or linen.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the authenticity of the sticker or the value of the investment. Multiple competing views remain regarding the nature of collectible items and the auction process.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the printing process and the conditions under which the sticker could have been attached to the bill. There are also unresolved questions about the inspection processes for currency misprints.

Ivan Seeking
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Was this a good investment: The "banana bill" at $25K?

http://www.wfaa.com/s/dws/img/wfaa/01-06/0106_taintedtwenty175.jpg
AP

A $20 bill that somehow ended up with an ordinary fruit sticker printed into it sold for $25,300 Friday, an auction company official said.

...just how the fruit tag found its way onto the greenback is unknown. [continued]
http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/010606kvueTwenty-cb.5021cb2e.html
 
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Well, if someone else buys it for some amount, principal + interest equivalent to more than 10% APR, then yes it would be considered a good investment. :wink:

There are people with lots of money who buy stuff like that. :rolleyes:
 
I know this story has been circulating a lot and that someone verified the bill prior to auction, but I honestly I think it's a hoax of some kind. How can that sticker be printed on to the bill in a typical printing press? It can't. The sticker could be transferred to the bill because it got stuck in the printing plate but how can that be printed, in a press, without any red or yellow ink? Something just does not look right about it.
 
FredGarvin said:
I know this story has been circulating a lot and that someone verified the bill prior to auction, but I honestly I think it's a hoax of some kind. How can that sticker be printed on to the bill in a typical printing press? It can't. The sticker could be transferred to the bill because it got stuck in the printing plate but how can that be printed, in a press, without any red or yellow ink? Something just does not look right about it.
I agree, there's no way it is actually printed on it. Maybe the sticker got embedded into the paper, or stuck on top of it and the print was printed on top of the sticker, but it couldn't have actually been printed onto the bill because the printing plates just don't have it on them (if it were actually printed, there'd be a whole series of bills with that sticker on them).

I've never quite understood the concept of buying things at auction. Doesn't the entire principle of an auction mean that you've bought something for more than anyone else who wants it is willing to pay for it? Doesn't that mean you paid more than it's worth since the value of collectible things is generally determined by what people are willing to pay for it? I can think of a lot of better things to do with $25,000. :rolleyes:
 
Moonbear said:
I've never quite understood the concept of buying things at auction. Doesn't the entire principle of an auction mean that you've bought something for more than anyone else who wants it is willing to pay for it? Doesn't that mean you paid more than it's worth since the value of collectible things is generally determined by what people are willing to pay for it? I can think of a lot of better things to do with $25,000. :rolleyes:
I think that the aspect of auctions is the idea that you don't necessarily have to pay more than "market" worth for the item. You simply have to pay more than everyone else in the room on that day. You may walk out of there with a real steal. You may have to pay way more than it's worth.
 
Read the story. It's a DelMonte sticker attached to the bill, but with the seal and serial number printed across the sticker. The sticker somehow got attached to the paper midway through the printing process. This has happened with other foreign matter such as band-aids, scotch tape, etc. The misprints are usually caught before the money goes into circulation.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=333&sid=147431
 
BobG said:
Read the story.
No. Don't wanna. Reading hurts my bwain.
 
What a story. Man, I wish I was that rich.
 
BobG said:
Read the story. It's a DelMonte sticker attached to the bill, but with the seal and serial number printed across the sticker. The sticker somehow got attached to the paper midway through the printing process. This has happened with other foreign matter such as band-aids, scotch tape, etc. The misprints are usually caught before the money goes into circulation.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=333&sid=147431
You know, if I had gotten the bill, I would have peeled the sticker off out of curiosity. :redface:
 
  • #10
I'd be willing to pay full market value for that one...$20. :biggrin:
 
  • #11
BobG said:
Read the story. It's a DelMonte sticker attached to the bill, but with the seal and serial number printed across the sticker. The sticker somehow got attached to the paper midway through the printing process. This has happened with other foreign matter such as band-aids, scotch tape, etc. The misprints are usually caught before the money goes into circulation.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=333&sid=147431
There may not be 100% inspection. If visual inspection, it may be a sampling with the sampling size dependent on the volume.

I would imagine though that there are optical scanning systems (e.g. optical recognition) designed to monitor serial numbers and catch flaws. Obviously this one got by. I wonder it was toward the top or bottom, and the previous sheet simply overlapped it?

That is an awfully big mistake to go unnoticed.
 
  • #12
I think corporate sponsorship in America is getting to be absurd. I hear the new $5 will say in chiquita we trust. :biggrin: ...p.s money is made from linen not paper moonbear. I must say though, that sticker does make it look damn cool. The colors go well. I guess money does grow on trees after all...
 
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  • #13
BobG said:
The sticker somehow got attached to the paper midway through the printing process. This has happened with other foreign matter such as band-aids, scotch tape, etc.
Band aids and scotch tape and banana stickers are all sticky. The sticker, then, probably came off someone's lunch banana. Someone probably peeled it off a banana in the lunch room, it got stuck to someone's clothes, and dropped off when they were handling the paper, or operating the press. Band aids probably get snagged off peoples hands as they're handling stuff, and pieces of scotch tape would stick to and drop off people's clothes.
 
  • #14
cyrusabdollahi said:
p.s money is made from linen not paper moonbear.
Main Entry: 2linen
Function: noun
1 a : cloth made of flax and noted for its strength, coolness, and luster b : thread or yarn spun from flax
2 : clothing or household articles made of linen cloth or similar fabric
3 : paper[/color] made from linen fibers or with a linen finishMain Entry: 1pa·per
Pronunciation: 'pA-p&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English papir, from Middle French papier, from Latin papyrus papyrus, paper, from Greek papyros papyrus
1 a (1) : a felted sheet of usually vegetable fibers laid down on a fine screen from a water suspension (2) : a similar sheet of other material (as plastic) b : a piece of paper

http://www.webster.com/dictionary/paper

Money is printed on paper.
 
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  • #15
[PLAIN said:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=paper][/PLAIN]
pa·per ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ppr)
n.
A material made of cellulose pulp, derived mainly from wood, rags, and certain grasses, processed into flexible sheets or rolls by deposit from an aqueous suspension, and used chiefly for writing, printing, drawing, wrapping, and covering walls.
A single sheet of this material.
One or more sheets of paper bearing writing or printing, especially:
A formal written composition intended to be published, presented, or read aloud; a scholarly essay or treatise.
A piece of written work for school; a report or theme.
An official document, especially one establishing the identity of the bearer. Often used in the plural.
papers A collection of letters, diaries, and other writings, especially by one person: the Madison papers.
Commercial documents that represent value and can be transferred from owner to owner; negotiable instruments considered as a group: “billions more invested in American stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and other paper” (Christian Science Monitor).
A newspaper.
Wallpaper.
A wrapper made of paper, often with its contents: a paper of pins.
Slang.
A free pass to a theater.
The audience admitted with free passes.

[PLAIN said:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=linen][/PLAIN]
lin·en ( P ) Pronunciation Key (lnn)
n.

Thread made from fibers of the flax plant.
Cloth woven from this thread.
also linens Articles or garments made from linen or a similar cloth, such as cotton; bed sheets and tablecloths.
Paper made from flax fibers or having a linenlike luster.

I'll admit, its a grey area, because they are calling paper anything that you write on, and not making it specific to wood pulp. Linen is made from flax plan, paper is made from wood plup.
 
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  • #16
cyrusabdollahi said:
I'll admit, its a grey area, because they are calling paper anything that you write on, and not making it specific to wood pulp. Linen is made from flax plan, paper is made from wood plup.
It's not a gray area at all. It's paper made from linen. Paper doesn't have to be made from wood pulp, it can be made from any plant fiber. For instance, the official copy of my dissertation had to be submitted on 100% cotton paper, which is used for archival quality printing. Just check any stationery store if you're in doubt. Here's just an example:

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/s...001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=31469
 
  • #17
cyrusabdollahi said:
I'll admit, its a grey area, because they are calling paper anything that you write on, and not making it specific to wood pulp. Linen is made from flax plan, paper is made from wood plup.
It's not a grey area at all. Paper is: " a felted sheet of usually vegetable fibers laid down on a fine screen from a water suspension". Paper is, today, most commonly made of wood pulp because wood offers the cheapest and most densly packed source of cellulose fibers, but this doesn't mean the word "paper" only refers to the material made of wood pulp. Paper can be made from any vegetable fiber, and it is. Paper made from flax fibers is still paper: "Paper made from flax fibers or having a linenlike luster." Artists particularly value "ragstock" which is paper made of cotton fiber recycled from old cotten clothes. You can make paper from grass, you can make it from dandelion stalks, you can make it from bamboo, or from goldenrod, or from any plant, or any mineral, or any substance, that breaks down into fibers.
 
  • #18
You guys are right. I remember once in the history channel they did a show on money and he said its not made of paper its made of cloth. Stupid history channel.
 
  • #19
I wonder how many people are going to put a banna sticker on a $20 bill and try to sell it on ebay
 
  • #20
Chiquita "dollar bananas"

A US 20 dollar bill with a Chiquita banana sticker exists. Who knows how it got there or if the photograph of the bill with the sticker is an authentic paper/linen greenback?​
​
google :
Chiquita Banana 20 dollar bill
--poor banana growers in the Caribbean, no longer able to make a buck with their banana's. What would they do with 25k?
invest in banana picker?
invest in banana seeds?
invest in a large load of narcotics they could traffic in the US to get out of the damn banana business?
invest in a caribbean time share condo big enough to store their banana harvest that year?
invest in a US 20 dollar bill?​
"I don't know ...what do you think?"
love,
B.
ps What ever happened to Chiquita anyway? :!) :confused:
 
  • #21
zoobyshoe said:
You can make paper from grass, you can make it from dandelion stalks, you can make it from bamboo, or from goldenrod, or from any plant, or any mineral, or any substance, that breaks down into fibers.

I would like some paper made from Metamucil.
 
  • #22
scott1 said:
I wonder how many people are going to put a banna sticker on a $20 bill and try to sell it on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/20-bill-w-authentic-Chiquita-Sticker-not-Del-Monte_W0QQitemZ5654441345QQcategoryZ1467QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"

It is obvious that this particular one is a fake :rolleyes:. Now the real question is whether someone is foolish enough to buy it more than what it is worth.
 
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  • #23
motai said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/20-bill-w-authentic-Chiquita-Sticker-not-Del-Monte_W0QQitemZ5654441345QQcategoryZ1467QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"
It is obvious that this particular one is a fake :rolleyes:. Now the real question is whether someone is foolish enough to buy it more than what it is worth.
That's too funny. :biggrin:
 
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