Last 3 weeks I have been busy because of this banknote.
This picture is from a client from India asking me for information about this banknote. So I show him this page in my book.
He told me somebody wanted to buy his note at $3000 banknote and I told him if it is real, then it will worth more than that.
Since he wants to sell, I help him make a few calls to a few dealers and auction house about it to see how much they want to offer. After doing it, I try to talk about cut for me, I wanted to get more since this will be a huge sum of money if the note is real.
Instead, he feels reluctant to talk about it.
No free service
It really annoys me when people don't want to give us a cut. I already can feel the owner of the banknote trying to get other people to buy his banknote since he says need more time.
A few times he tries to ask me if I know this particular buyer. Why would I even tell you about my competitor? Plus most of them don't use the real name so it is hard to know if that person is a real buyer or not.
I told him, he got 2 choices, he can deal with me who shows his face or you can deal with people who keep their identity hidden.
A cut is a must, or else it will be a waste of my time to arrange all those meetings and making calls.
When you go and see a doctor ask for advice on what treatment to treat your disease, they too charge consultation fees even if they did not treat your disease.
Unfair negotiation
Turn out they had a family-in-law in Malaysia, I meet up with them to talk. The owner want the paperwork in the auction to be under their family-in-law name. Talking about worry about me running away with their money.
It is bloody ridiculous since I am a YouTuber and had a reputation to take care of. I could have screwed them in many ways like after the note come to Malaysia only than we talk about cut. With the banknote in my hand, I will hold leverage. Or after I received it, I pretend I don't receive it. I can even say it only worth around $10,000 and still make a huge profit out of it.
Luckily the auction house side willing to offer me some reward and I decided to compromise a bit by agreeing to let it register under their family-in-law name.
While they say will reward me but I am under no illusion that there is a possibility that they will break their word.
The arrival of the banknote at Malaysia
After 2 weeks of talking here and there, the deal was finalized and the owner sent it to Malaysia. The moment it reached, I meet up with their family-in-law to do a simple assessment and immediately can tell it is a fake. However just to be sure, We go to the auction house to check since they had one of these banknotes themselves.
At the auction house, it is concluded that it is a fake since there are no watermarks on it and the paper quality is terrible.
Conclusion
While it is unfortunate that the banknote is fake, but at least this dealing is over and I get to sleep with peace.
I only have one thing to say to those asking for my service is to stop being greedy and lets us the profession do our job. If you want to get all the rewards for yourself then go and sell it on your own.
At least there is a closure for me and I now get to sleep in peace.