# What's the deal with "training money"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2016, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071 "2016-05-18T10:01:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/41 "2016-06-22T00:49:44Z")
Not sure if it’s related but elementary schools around here have huge stacks of pretend money. Teachers use them to teach kids about currency without needing a huge supply of real bills. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2016, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/42 "2016-06-22T09:07:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Why are the Chinese training with\* US banknotes?\*😕 Presumably because they’ll have to handle foreign currency too. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/43 "2016-06-23T01:55:17Z")
This evening I saw a stripper whose routine involved money-themed music and tossing “dollar bills” into the audience. I suspect she buys the cheapest fake money she can find. Ebay training money is probably ideal for this purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/44 "2016-06-23T17:45:38Z")
I’m at loss as to how eBay is possibly letting these items be posted for sale. They fit the qualifications for counterfeit currency. They are not enlarged 150% in size and the backs are not blank (I don’t think the Chinese characters printed on them make any difference). The US Govt has no sense of humor when it comes to fake bank notes. Just possessing one of these bills seems like it would be a felony… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/45 "2016-06-23T18:43:59Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The correct metaphor for this situation is “elephant,” not “800-pound gorilla.” The “elephant in the room” is an awkward truth that is obvious to everyone but which nobody wants to actually mention. > > The metaphor for the gorilla means an entity so powerful that nobody dare challenge it and alludes to the joke: Q: Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep? A: Anywhere he wants. You’re right. I acknowledge my misuse of the metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/46 "2016-06-23T19:29:38Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > I like the link to play money where they are selling 100 plastic pennies for $4. I think you can get real pennies at a much better rate. “Genuine plastic training one cent piece (“Penny”) A bargain at only 4 cents each!” ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/47 "2016-06-23T23:36:54Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I’m at loss as to how eBay is possibly letting these items be posted for sale. They fit the qualifications for counterfeit currency. They are not enlarged 150% in size and the backs are not blank (I don’t think the Chinese characters printed on them make any difference). The US Govt has no sense of humor when it comes to fake bank notes. Just possessing one of these bills seems like it would be a felony… 😕 They are obviously fake when you actually hold them in your hand. On top of how they feel and the Chinese writing on them there are also other printings that are not present. They are not a perfect reproduction. On both the front or back there are things missing. But set up properly (like sticking out of a wallet) they look real enough until actually examined. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/48 "2016-06-24T02:20:11Z")
We once got thrown out of a bar over fake money. Four of us had been drinking and playing the jukebox for a few hours. One guy handed the bartender/owner a Bill Clinton million-dollar bill, asking for change for the jukebox. It was obviously fake, (plus, how could he break a bill that size) but the guy totally freaked out. He called us punks and crooks (we were all in our 40s, nicely dressed professionals). He screamed at us to get out, yelled obscenities, said he was calling the cops; all this as we were walking toward and out the door. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071/49 "2016-06-25T23:56:50Z")
[This dumb broad tried to use a million dollar novelty bill at Walmart.](http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4489683/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/woman-says-she-thought-million-bill-was-real/) I love how it says she even expected change! Like the cashier was really going to give her back $998,000 odd dollars out of her drawer… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-training-money/755071.md?page=2)