jinman
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2001
- Messages
- 20,387
- Location
- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
- Tractor
- NHTC45D, NH LB75B, Ford Jubilee
Dennis, I'll bet a day never goes by that the tour guide isn't asked for free samples.:laughing: But I do wonder what their stock answer is.
Not only do they not give free samples, but they had high security on the demo bills from the spider press they have on display. They were making a bill using an old plate from the 1800s and printing only on one side of the paper. When the demo was done, the person showed the bill to everyone and would allow you to touch it, but he held onto it. He would not let you hold it in your hand. He said each night before he went home, he had to account for each bill he recorded in his press log. Then, he'd shred the sample bills and put them in the burn bin.
Most tour guides will volunteer that there are no free samples at the beginning of the tour. But, if someone asks, they say that no free samples will be given, but shredded bills can be purchased in the gift shop. Unserialized sheets can also be purchased, but they are very expensive, around $250. You pay more for the sheets than the face value of all the notes on the sheet.
BTW: If you go for the tour, you first park in the visitor's parking lot and go through a security checkpoint. No cellphones or cameras are allowed. It's best if ladies leave purses in your locked car. You have to go through a metal detector also, so you have to empty your pockets of change, watches, keys, etc. and put them in a tray. Being the bonehead I am, I forgot that I had suspenders on over my t-shirt but under my outer shirt. I set off the metal detector big time and had to be hand wanded by one of the guards.:ashamed: My wife and granddaughter got a big laugh at that.:laughing: After the security check, they load you onto a very nice bus and take you into the inner security area and to the front door of the tour entrance. Once inside, they have escalators up to the 2nd floor tour area above the work areas and the theater for the video presentation. As the tour guide takes you from place-to-place, they wear a wireless headset that transmits to an amplifier and speakers in the hallway above the group so that you easily hear the guide's presentation. It's really a well thought-out tour.
. . . and to keep on topic, the bus you ride on is air conditioned to compensate for the Texas heat.:thumbsup: