New Vs Old .. Which Is Better Gamble

I guess it depends on how long you plan on holding on to new straps.

If I were just getting into notes (I haven't), I would take a more focused approach. I don't really see the point in investing in bricks of brand new notes just to let them sit there until they're worth a premium (if it even ever happens).

About all I do now is check for fancy serials on what few notes pass my way.

That's just my opinion but, I'm not a currency collector.

So I think those are both great ideas.. I do see folks selling straps of brand new bills for what amounts to about $8-$10 per strap after fees and shipping on ebay, but that seems like a lot of effort for a small return.. I suppose I could do a bit of a 3 prong approach.. buy both new bricks and circulated notes from the bank to search.. keep the good ones and trade in the rest.. I do have a BEP brick of $1 notes with a strap containing a quad repeater.. so I guess in that instance I could keep that strap and trade in the remainder.. this also allows for the possibility of finding entire straps of uncirculated star notes.. search circulated bills for treasures.. but also keep my eyes open for great deals on large size notes...

I know of at least two sellers who have sold full bricks of 2013 series $1 notes for $1500.. and $2 note bricks for over $3000..

I know another seller who has SOLD over 849 individual 2013 series $1 note straps.. another sold 22.. and I personally sold 2 of them myself.. one for $128 and the other for $135 per strap .. minus fees ( ebay and paypal) and shipping (with insurance) I made between $9-$11 profit on each strap..(if I wanted to match the lowest price seller I would make $6.29 profit per strap.)

You can find tons and tons of new series 2013 notes in all denominations & quantities (not just full straps)being purchased (actual sales) on ebay .. my true question is if the profit margin is enough to make it worth my time vs strap searching circulated currency from the bank vs watching for Large Size notes that I can score at a good price, hang on to for a little while and then re-sell? Two of my local banks said they have no problem at all supplying me with full bricks of brand new BEP shrink wrapped notes in any denomination as much as I can afford. They regularly keep new uncirculated $1, $5, and $100 note bricks in stock. I was curious as to why people were buying these above face value.. I assumed on some, they are novelty gifts for birthdays, gift for a new collector (child)etc.. but in my particular case my buyers were both heavy hitters both with currency stores (physical buildings) plus ebay sellers with multi-thousand ratings.. so I asked them why they would purchase a strap from me and what they were looking for.. I was told by both that they were looking for high quality new notes and notes for putting together block sets.. ? Personally I love the hunt.. I love to search both coins and paper currency for old and unique items, but if there is profit I can make in the process in order to further build my personal collection I would like to seize the opportunity.

Block collecting is just one way to collect choice uncirculated $1 FRN's, such as your bank straps, and organize them into "block sets". The block collecter would need to find one note from each block of each series, of each printing facility (DC and Fort Worth) non-star and star notes. Some series have upwards of 100 or more different blocks. For example let's say you start with series 1999, so you would need a note for block AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, and AG. Then one note of each B block from BA through BQ and so on, clear up to block LW. According to my modern FRN guide, series 1999 has 130 total blocks.