Like everyone else, I hate Fry's Electronics. Unfortunately, like many other people, we're occasionally forced to shop there. Thus it was a few days ago. Later however, I decided I didn't need the item, and took it back. But, like a sucker, I bought something else from them. Despite continuing to give them money, I received a $50 bill in my change. I thought nothing of it, other than the relative scarcity of such bills.

A day later, I went to a shop, and the shoppee refused to take the bill! He'd run his fake bill checking pen over the bill a couple times and determined that the bill was bad. Apparently the yellow highlighter-style pen should stay a light color for normal bills, but with mine it was a dark yellow.

A million disturbing thoughts rushed through my mind: had I lost forever the respect of the shoppee at RiteAid? Would the no doubt videotaped exchange be turned over to the Treasury Department for immediate prosecution? Why does that unmarked van keep following me?

Perturbed, confused, and uncertain of future events, I visited the local bank and asked the teller person whether the bill was good or not. Shockingly, he informed me that not only was the bill good, but it could even be a collector's item and I should hold on to it! It was only after he informed me that the bill was from 1950 that I realized it was an old bill. Greedily clutching the bill close to my breast, I sped my way to the local library and picked up a recent copy of one of those books that shows the prices of currency.

Unfortunately, the bill would have to be in excellent shape (for instance, without the two yellow stripes) to fetch some times its face value, and the "Average Bid Price" for all such bills is only $2 to $5 more than par.

However, it is the first time I've received an unearned bonus from Fry's, rather than the other way around, so I'll take it.