Did you ever do this to check for hidden folds?

agentjim007

In the old days before slabs we would place our hands palm up and flat. We would lay the note on our hand and wait for the note to curl from the heat of our palm. Note will curl in a U shape. Then you hold the note at each end with two fingers and roll it back and forth to reveal folds. It does work. Does anybody do that anymore or is that an outdated trick?

delistamps

I don't handle notes like that...I use an LED light instead; it shows folds pretty clearly.

amrys

Originally posted by: delistamps
I don't handle notes like that...I use an LED light instead; it shows folds pretty clearly.

I agree: A LED is very useful and reveals folds, bends and more.

Jim61

+1, use a LED light.

delistamps

Larry pen LED lights

techwriter

bought an LED light and it works. If I had obtained it earlier this year would have saved myself a few $$$ on a Black Eagle. Live and learn and it has already saved me from a couple of "Choice CU" purchasing mistakes.

It's a Larry like delistamps posted about.

agentjim007

Times have changed. In the life of your notes I'd bet they were handled more than you guys handle them today, even expensive notes.

Tootawl

For most of the stuff I buy, I don't care about folds!! But I do carry an LED light for the higher grade stuff I buy. YES! I really do buy higher grade stuff!

larry510

I use to see dealers using that technique back in the 80's. It's an old school one. I have always hated it when I saw dealers handle notes like that and is a big reason why many CU notes today have dirty smudges and counting marks. That is why I have become a big advocate for slabbing notes. Keep them out of dirty hands.

agentjim007

I agree with the dirty hands. When I sell at a show and dealers see I'm carry something a lot will ask if I have anything to sell. If they're eating their lunch I say no. I don't want their mayo cover hands on my stuff.

mfontes

haha, I used to take the note and bend it in a U shape and slowly roll it from side to side. Best way to see if there was a hidden fold. The curve would stop immediately when it hit a fold.

gdavis70

The lay flat and wait for the curl technique is used to determine whether a note has been starched which is common in flat notes.



Rolling a note and watching for a little hitch or bump is common and doesn't hurt the note if it's done right...