Over ten million VND worth of lucky money from 180 countries.
A collection of lucky red envelope banknotes from 180 countries is being offered for sale by traders for over 11 million VND, with a guarantee that the money is genuine.
For over a month before Tet (Lunar New Year), businesses selling lucky money have started importing and selling unique and rare banknotes to serve the market. Although she has been in this business for several years, this is the first time Ms. Tuyet has imported a set of banknotes from 180 countries. According to her, the banknotes are very new, almost unused. Each set costs approximately 11.5 million VND.
"Old banknotes are readily available abroad, sold everywhere at cheap prices, only half or a third of the original price. But giving old banknotes as gifts for the New Year is considered unlucky, so I put a lot of effort into finding and collecting new banknotes. Because they are harder to find, their price is higher than old ones," Ms. Tuyet said.
She said that last month, customers who wanted to buy had to wait about a week for their order. But now that Tet (Lunar New Year) is approaching, demand has increased, so the store has stocked up on these items.
The seller also stated that these banknotes were all genuine, in various denominations, unique, and valid for use. She guaranteed compensation if any counterfeit money was discovered. Each banknote was individually packaged in a plastic bag, with a national flag affixed to the corner.
|
A set of lucky red envelopes from 180 countries with various denominations.Photo: PV |
Besides the unique and unprecedented collection of banknotes from 180 countries, the market also features sets of banknotes from 50-170 countries, with prices ranging from a few hundred thousand to over 8 million VND. However, the best-selling set is the 52-note collection from 28 countries, priced at 450,000-500,000 VND. These are the smallest denomination banknotes from these countries. Customers who purchase each collection will receive a complimentary red silk and brocade envelope.
Ms. Ngoc, the owner of an online shop selling this item in Hanoi, said that she sells 20-30 sets a day, and possibly more during the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year).
|
A set of 52 lucky money envelopes from 28 countries is being sold for around 450,000-500,000 VND per set. |
Besides banknotes, sets of coin-themed lucky money envelopes from various countries are also popular this year, and the prices are considerably more affordable. A set of 180-country coin envelopes costs only 1/10 of the price of banknotes, around 1.5 million VND. Coins from 120 countries cost 950,000 VND, while those from 50 countries cost 500,000 VND...
This year, the gold-plated 2 USD banknote featuring a mouse image remains popular, priced between 300,000 and 350,000 VND per note. The 100 Macau dong note, priced at 100,000 VND per note, is also in high demand.
According to Huy, the owner of an online store in Thanh Xuan (Hanoi), collectors deal in two types of banknotes: genuine notes issued by the Bank of Macau, and commemorative notes printed by companies in China at half the price. However, Huy still recommends buying genuine Macau notes because, although slightly more expensive, they offer better value as a keepsake.
