# Why are people selling $20 bills for $24 on Ebay? Plus shipping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821 "2016-02-01T06:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/61 "2016-02-01T22:52:14Z")
I was going to say that PayPal doesn’t take prepaid Visa cards, so they’d be worthless for buying anything on eBay, but I guess they’ve [changed their tune on that.](https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/template-management/prepaid-gift-cards) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/62 "2016-02-01T23:01:43Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > If he can spend it online then he can spend it on pretty much anything he wants, **except maybe things like pot.** So there’s at least ONE valid example of a cash-not-card commodity. And a legal one, in certain localities. But it seems over-the-top convoluted to cash out your card at eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/63 "2016-02-02T00:14:14Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > OK, then I guess I’m just as clueless as the other poster. You’re saying that giving $100 in cash is better than a $100 SNAP card, since then the addict can buy $100 worth of drugs instead of having to sell his SNAP benefits for $80 cash, and only getting $80 worth of drugs? As a person who routinely deals with people on public aid, I can say you’re more likely to get 25% or 20% for your SNAP benefits. I have a job where we help people get off public aid and never in over 20 years have I ever heard of anyone being able to sell food stamp benefits for more than 25% unless it was to a family member. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/64 "2016-02-02T00:56:48Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > This was my immediate thought as well. I imagine there are some people doing it for the legitimate reasons suggested, but I would think money laundering would be one of the main uses. You steal some credit card numbers and want to cash them out. This is a lot easier than running a money mule operation. > > **Patch** , do you have a link to any of the auctions? I did a quick search, but all I found were people selling rare or collectible currency. [Post 56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19065962&postcount=56) linked to one, here are others. [Twenty](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-US-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/281916680951?_trksid=p2050601.c100085.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140211132617%26meid%3Db3b1be5405294a6a9a7e957714738be3%26pid%3D100085%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D231827016180%26clkid%3D3024104146476647962&_qi=RTM2247626) [Twenty](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-Dollar-Us-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/231827016180?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) [More twenties](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-Dollar-Us-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/262252268957?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) [C-notes](http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-DOLLAR-BILL-US-Paper-Money-Bill-Federal-Reserve-Cash-BANK-NOTE-One-Hundred/401053907298?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/65 "2016-02-02T02:24:57Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > As a person who routinely deals with people on public aid, I can say you’re more likely to get 25% or 20% for your SNAP benefits. I have a job where we help people get off public aid and never in over 20 years have I ever heard of anyone being able to sell food stamp benefits for more than 25% unless it was to a family member. I’m not disputing you. But I’m a bit confused. This implies I can make 400 to 500% by buying poor folk’s SNAP benefits for cash. What practical obstacles prevent me from going into this [del]scam[/del] investment? Tell me more; I’m intrigued by your knowledge and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/66 "2016-02-02T03:11:32Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > [Post 56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19065962&postcount=56) linked to one, here are others. > > [Twenty](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-US-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/281916680951?_trksid=p2050601.c100085.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140211132617%26meid%3Db3b1be5405294a6a9a7e957714738be3%26pid%3D100085%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D231827016180%26clkid%3D3024104146476647962&_qi=RTM2247626) > [Twenty](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-Dollar-Us-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/231827016180?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) > [More twenties](http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-20-Bill-Twenty-Dollar-Us-Dollar-Bank-Note-Paper-Money-Federal-Reserve-Cash/262252268957?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) > [C-notes](http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-DOLLAR-BILL-US-Paper-Money-Bill-Federal-Reserve-Cash-BANK-NOTE-One-Hundred/401053907298?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D33876%26meid%3D23a7cbdb11a047c8bae74885aef9c8b9%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D281916680951) Hmmm. Interesting. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/67 "2016-02-02T14:05:26Z")
Just spitballin’ here, but I wonder… Back in the heyday of mags like Popular Mechanics there were those little classifieds in the back. Ditto local newspapers. For years there were ads running that said things like “Last chance to send your $2 to \!”. The fact the ads ran for years seemed to indicate they paid their way. Perhaps this is the same thing. Like spam, it costs very little to set up, and with half a billion would-be customers you only have to entice a tiny percentage of shopping addicts or curious or credulous folks, or folks wanting to convert credit to cash. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/68 "2016-02-02T14:12:48Z")
I think it comes down to people who want to convert credit (or gift cards or whatever) to cash. We could imagine any number of scenarios as to why they’d want to do that. If I was doing this (not that I would) my concern would be chargebacks, either for fraudulent transactions or people simply deciding to keep your twenties and then not pay. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/69 "2016-02-02T14:18:24Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m not disputing you. But I’m a bit confused. > > This implies I can make 400 to 500% by buying poor folk’s SNAP benefits for cash. What practical obstacles prevent me from going into this [del]scam[/del] investment? > > Tell me more; I’m intrigued by your knowledge and wish to subscribe to your newsletter. It’s illegal. But if that doesn’t bother you then you could potentially make millions. At least until you get caught. Then you get heavily fined. And that whole prison thing is not as fun as they make it out to be on Orange is the New Black. [Massachusetts woman pleads guilty to $3.6 million food stamp fraud scheme](http://hotair.com/archives/2015/10/07/massachusetts-woman-pleads-guilty-to-3-6-million-food-stamp-fraud-scheme/) She was paying about 50 cents on the dollar. Took more than $3.6 million over 4 years through her convenience store. I’ve seen a few such stories where payments were around 50%. This [New York Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/us/food-stamp-fraud-in-the-underground-economy.html?_r=0) cites 10%-60% as a range. Fraud is a problem but [the USDA notes](http://www.fns.usda.gov/fraud/what-snap-fraud) it has decreased over the years from about 4% of all food stamp ( now SNAP) benefits to around 1%. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/70 "2016-02-02T15:26:09Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > … Fraud is a problem but [the USDA notes](http://www.fns.usda.gov/fraud/what-snap-fraud) it has decreased over the years from about 4% of all food stamp ( now SNAP) benefits to around 1%. Thanks. This last part probably has a lot to do with the switch from no-kidding food stamps, i.e. bearer scrip, to reloadable EBT cards. It reduces the window for folks to sell their benefits to anyone other than a merchant set up to accept EBT. Which leads to fewer criminals, but each with larger takes. Which makes them that much easier to police and worthwhile to prosecute. If in a fit of stupidity the gov’t changed to mailing out a fresh loaded EBT card each month (like a gift card), IMO we’d see the statistics promptly reverse. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/71 "2016-02-02T15:57:03Z")
I once sold a 1 dollar bill on Ebay for $27. Bidding started at $1.49. Got 18 bids on it. It had seven 3’s on it too, it was a great bill for liar’s poker. ---
**Author:** ![Cboath11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Cboath11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cboath11)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/72 "2016-02-02T17:39:13Z")
I just looked through my 1s and i have one that has a Full house plus a pair. Though the lone pair are zeros. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/73 "2016-02-02T21:19:09Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > Ask yourself four questions. #1 Of all the people in the whole world, who is most qualified and has the most accurate information to determine what the welfare recipient actually needs to improve their life? Is it a government bureaucrat? A member of congress? You?. I’m not saying I know better than the welfare recipient what said welfare recipient needs in order to improve their life. I’m saying that when that welfare recipient receives assistance that is funded from other people’s money, than these other people - represented through their elected political representatives - have a legitimate say in what that money is spent on, even if that results, from the subjective perception of the welfare recipient, in a lower utility. It’s other people’s money that is being spent, not theirs. > [@](#): > > #2 How much overhead is created by writing rules about what can be spent where and putting procedures in place to enforce those rules? One percent? Five percent? I don’t know percentages, and I think neither do you. Do you have percentages at hand of welafre money being spent on questionable products which can be prevented by welfare being disbursed in the form of voucher rather than cash? Do you have data to compare the two? No? Me neither. So that’s an argument for neither side and can be disregarded. > [@](#): > > #3 How much is wasted by people pulling shenanigans to get cash, like Iggy’s example “Joe wants some cigarettes but doesn’t have cash. He does, however, have an EBT card. Joe goes into a supermarket and buys eligible items with his EBT card with the intent to resell those items at a discount for cash. Joe buys $50 worth of steaks with his EBT card and sells them to Bob for $10 cash.” Do you think two percent is wasted that way? Six percent? I don’t know how much money is spent that way, nor do you. I do believe, however, that the fact that a rule can be breached is not, per se, an argument against the existence of the rule. It is rather an argument against those who breach it. > [@](#): > > #4 How much would be wasted if we just let the recipients decide for themselves how to spend the cash and accept the fact that some of them will make a few bad decisions? If your answers to #2 and #3 added together are roughly the same as #4, then #1 should tell you the tiebreaker. As I said, none of us has sufficient data to make that comparison. All I was saying was that I don’t find welfare systems that disburse welfare in the form of vouchers rather than cash “wrong headed” on that basis alone, as was claimed by another poster. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/74 "2016-02-02T21:40:09Z")
[Here’s a roll of 40 quarters](http://catalog.usmint.gov/shawnee-national-forest-2016-rolls-and-bags-MASTER_SHAWNEE.html?cgid=america-the-beautiful-quarters#start=10) direct from the US Mint for $18.95 … or 47¢ each … cute. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/75 "2016-02-02T22:10:38Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > [Here’s a roll of 40 quarters](http://catalog.usmint.gov/shawnee-national-forest-2016-rolls-and-bags-MASTER_SHAWNEE.html?cgid=america-the-beautiful-quarters#start=10) direct from the US Mint for $18.95 … or 47¢ each … cute. Like **racer72** ’s dollar, this is understood as a collectors’ item, of course. (Elsewhere on the Mint site, you’ll find other items for much higher margins above face.) Nothing like the transactions of routine currency. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/76 "2016-02-03T18:35:23Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Of course. That way the addict doesn’t have to mug somebody or do a smash-and-grab to get the other $20. > > They are not going to kick their habits because you restrict their SNAP cards. There’s plenty of evidence that increasing the price of drugs results in lower consumption of them, and decreasing it results in higher consumption. Even addicts are not completely price-inelastic. So, restricted SNAP cards will in fact result in some people kicking their habit. On the margin, giving people money that’s harder to spend on drugs means less of it will get spent on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/77 "2016-02-03T21:27:53Z")
Here’s someone selling a used 2009 $1 bill. The starting price was 1 cent and the current price after 3 bids is $1.26. I’m at a loss to explain it. [http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-US-Dollar-Bill-1-bill-2009-used-/111890381754?hash=item1a0d2fbbba:g:bKoAAOSwqYBWpuk3](http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-US-Dollar-Bill-1-bill-2009-used-/111890381754?hash=item1a0d2fbbba:g:bKoAAOSwqYBWpuk3) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/78 "2016-02-03T21:31:15Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Here’s someone selling a used 2009 $1 bill. The starting price was 1 cent and the current price after 3 bids is $1.26. I’m at a loss to explain it. > [http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-US-Dollar-Bill-1-bill-2009-used-/111890381754?hash=item1a0d2fbbba:g:bKoAAOSwqYBWpuk3](http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-US-Dollar-Bill-1-bill-2009-used-/111890381754?hash=item1a0d2fbbba:g:bKoAAOSwqYBWpuk3) People have sold “nothing”. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/79 "2016-02-03T21:38:50Z")
It has free shipping, so if they get no more bids then, at $1.26, once they pay for postage they’ll lose money. ETA: And that’s not count eBay’s fees, whatever they are. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/80 "2016-02-03T21:44:57Z")
That should say "And that’s not count **ing** eBay’s fees’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821.md?page=5)