Some storage unit buyers dig through boxes for hours and come up with a broken lamp. @slayer1629_ reached into an old Coca-Cola bag and pulled out what looked like a pile of cash from another era.

“This one’s calling my name,” he says as he heads for the bag. A Rubbermaid tub sits next to it, but the Coke bag is the one that pays off.

@slayer1629_

“Look, It’s All Two Dollar Bills”

The Rubbermaid tub had no money in it, and he admits he thought for a second that it was all cash. The Coke bag is a different story. “Oh my gosh! No way! Look, it’s all two dollar bills,” he says.

He starts reading dates off the bills as he goes. One two dollar note is from 1996, and it has mold on it. Another is from 1976. A 20 dollar bill is from 1969.

Then the pile gets more interesting. He holds up a silver certificate, which has blue writing on it, and then another, and then another. One of them is dated 1935A, and he calls it super old.

Silver Certificates, A Red Seal $2 Bill And A Starred Note

The dates keep coming. He finds a 1957B and another 1935A. Then comes a two dollar bill from 1953 with a red seal, which he describes as what people call a red seal. He also pulls out an old 10 dollar bill from 1950.

The 20 dollar bills are there in numbers, too, with dates such as 1974 and 1969. He is realistic about those and says he does not think any of the 20s are worth anything.

The one that really catches his eye is a star note. It is also a starred silver certificate, and he says that one might be worth something. “That’s the jackpot right there,” he says.

Notice how he reads each date aloud, one bill after another. That habit is the first step any collector takes, because the year printed on a note is the key to looking up what it is.

It also makes for a great scene. You can hear the excitement build with every new date, from the 1990s all the way back to 1935.

What Makes These Old Bills Interesting

If you grew up before the 1970s, you may remember when a dollar bill with blue ink and the words silver certificate was still part of everyday life. Those notes were once redeemable for silver, and the government stopped that practice in the late 1960s.

A star on a note means it was printed as a replacement for a sheet that was damaged during production. Collectors like them because they are a smaller part of the total printing.

Red seal two dollar bills from the 1950s are another favorite. They look different from the green seal notes we know today, and that alone makes them fun to find in a bag.

Still, a fair word of caution applies. Many old bills are worth only a little over face value when they are worn, and condition, the series and the seal all affect what a buyer will pay. A starred silver certificate is a good thing to have checked by a dealer.

Then He Moves On To The Rest Of The Unit

The money was only the start. The unit is full of vintage items, and he says the whole thing is vintage. He finds old glass with gold trim and says it is perfect for his customers, plus a cool looking vintage ashtray.

He keeps hoping for more. He mentions that sometimes he finds vintage games or vintage jewelry in these units, and says he could go for some nice vintage jewelry.

Before long he is digging through boots, clothing and a big old dresser. He also finds a pile of Avon items and a stack of cassette tapes. “Oh, this is the unit I’ve been waiting on,” he says. “Straight vintage stuff.”

Silver, 925 And A Gold Bracelet Tucked In An Avon Piece

The treasure hunt continues. He picks up a piece and says it looks like sterling silver, then another that he says is silver. Inside one Avon item, he says, is a real gold bracelet.

One piece carries a 925 stamp, the mark for sterling silver. “Bam, 925. Look at that,” he says.

That is the thrill of a storage unit buy. You pay for a locked door and a mystery, and every box can hold a new surprise.

Tips For Anyone Who Finds Old Cash In A Box

Handle old paper money by the edges and keep it flat. Do not clean it, press it or try to fix a tear, because well meant repairs can lower the value.

Sort the bills by denomination, series and seal color. Look for stars next to the serial number, and keep notes on what you have before you show it to anyone.

Take your best pieces to a reputable coin and currency dealer, and ask for more than one opinion. A good dealer will explain what the bill is and what similar notes have sold for.

Above all, enjoy the discovery. A bag of old money from the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s is a little time capsule, and it is a reminder that what looks like clutter can hold a surprise.

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