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  • RICK: So I'm down here in LA with Chum.

  • And we're about to go take a look at this huge collection

  • of old steel printing plates.

  • And I have a feeling they're going to be really heavy.

  • So that's the real reason why I brought Chum.

  • [laughs]

  • You want me to carry it all?

  • That's why you brought me?

  • I got a bad back.

  • CHUMLEE: Jeez, Rick.

  • Hey, how's it going, man?

  • ADAM: All right.

  • How are you doing?

  • Sorry we're late.

  • I had to eat lunch twice.

  • That's OK.

  • Here it is.

  • That's a lot of metal plates.

  • Holy [bleep].

  • So these are all the printing plates from the American

  • Banknote Company?

  • ADAM: That is correct.

  • The plates were used in printing stock certificates,

  • currency, stamps--

  • pretty much anything.

  • Can I open one of these up?

  • Yeah, go ahead and open one up.

  • I mean, have these been cataloged or anything?

  • ADAM: No.

  • They've been here for several months.

  • Chum, see, like, they have this currency

  • thing on the front of them?

  • Let's go print some money, boys.

  • [laughs]

  • ADAM: I have plates and rollers from the American

  • Banknote Company.

  • I've collected coins and currencies my whole life,

  • as long as I can remember.

  • And then the printing talked to me a lot

  • because my entire family has been in the printing business

  • for three generations.

  • So it was just interesting to me from a lot

  • of different perspectives.

  • RICK: This is pretty amazing.

  • ADAM: The American Banknote Company was founded in 1795

  • by Robert Scott, who was the original engraver

  • for the United States Mint.

  • They have engraved and printed stocks, bonds, currencies.

  • RICK: Yeah, they were printing currency for tons

  • of different countries.

  • Just about every bond certificate for the United

  • States was printed by them.

  • They had the printing technology where

  • it was really, really difficult to counterfeit their stuff.

  • ADAM: Right.

  • And they're just out of business now.

  • And you just-- - No.

  • They're-- - They're still in business?

  • ADAM: --still in business today.

  • The currencies are a lot different now.

  • And stocks and bonds are traded digitally.

  • So they just, like, sold off all their old metal plates?

  • ADAM: Yes, they did.

  • And here, you're looking at it.

  • There's a ton of people that this could appeal to.

  • You have currency collectors who would buy it,

  • bond collectors who would buy it.

  • And if you have anything specific to certain companies,

  • it could be collectible.

  • So it's all for sale though, right?

  • ADAM: Absolutely.

  • I can pick through it.

  • It's not an all or nothing deal, right?

  • Well, I'd like to do the whole thing in one deal.

  • But I'll tell you what.

  • Once you get in there start picking some things

  • and if there's some things of interest,

  • we can talk about that and open that door.

  • OK.

  • Cool.

  • Um, I'm going to call a buddy down here to help

  • me too if you don't mind.

  • ADAM: Don't mind at all.

  • RICK: I'm going to start digging through this.

  • You call Peter, and then come back and help me.

  • All right.

  • I'll be right back.

  • RICK (VOICEOVER): So we're here at a printing museum.

  • And they're actually going to take these steel plates,

  • and put them in a press, and print something.

  • Can you just, like, show me the process of how to do this?

  • Oh, certainly.

  • Can you print this one?

  • ADAM: We can print that.

  • All right.

  • Who doesn't love a good train image?

  • RICK: So if everything looks good, maybe I can make a deal.

  • [laughs]

  • Are you ready? RICK: I'm ready.

  • Yeah, yeah Let's check it out.

  • Well, step on over to our printing press.

  • So first, we're going to work the ink.

  • It's actually a very specialized ink.

  • It's very dense, very heavy.

  • What-- our first step to do here is

  • actually to get the ink into those small crevices

  • in the plate.

  • RICK: OK.

  • And while this is happening, our paper

  • is actually in the process of getting

  • softened in a bucket of water.

  • CHUMLEE: Wow.

  • So we're inked up.

  • Now Mike, my master printer, is going to take the next step

  • here to get the ink off the surface

  • and then leave the ink in those reservoirs.

  • So now you can see the train.

  • CHUMLEE: You should just leave it like that.

  • Yeah.

  • Now we're going to get that into the press.

  • RICK: Oh, this is very cool.

  • So next, we're going to get the paper.

  • CHUMLEE: Quick question-- do you have the paper

  • they used to print money on?

  • Well, I can tell you who makes it.

  • It's actually one of the oldest companies in the nation.

  • It's Crane's Paper.

  • I'll be ordering from them tonight.

  • Yeah.

  • Well, they also have a good mailing list.

  • And guess who sees their mailing lists--

  • the Secret Service.

  • The key is getting this started with the felts,

  • allowing for the pressure.

  • RICK: Whoa.

  • That's incredible.

  • This is absolutely amazing.

  • I had no idea it would look like this.

  • Well, thanks, man.

  • I really, really appreciate this.

  • I never thought printing was art.

  • It is definitely-- it's an art and a craft.

  • Enjoy it.

  • RICK: All right.

  • So you're asking 4,500 and--

  • CHUMLEE: I think that's steal, Rick.

  • RICK: Um, so you're still good at 4,500 bucks?

  • I think 4,500 is a good number.

  • You get the opportunity of the printings.

  • And that can go wherever you want to take it.

  • It's unlimited.

  • I guess we have a deal.

  • This is absolutely fabulous.

  • I, um-- now I've just got to hire this guy.

  • [laughter]

  • [music playing]

  • I'll go to my truck. And I'll write you a check.

  • - OK. - Come on.

  • All right.

  • This is a really cool place.

  • Yeah, it is.

  • RICK: Chum.

  • I'll be a few minutes, Rick.

[music playing]

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