Tips for Tracking

The dreaded message, "Congratulations! You are tied for First Place among all the users that have no George Score yet," pops up on my screen whenever I check www.wheresgeorge.com to see if I have any "hits."

Over the past month, I have entered five dollar bills on Where's George, the bill-tracking Web site, to see how they've made their way across the country. I carefully wrote the URL with black and red ink in small letters along the bills' edges, then spent the money at local delis and restaurants. Still, not one of the bills I entered has ended up in the hands of someone curious enough to check out the site and participate in the tracking chain.

Frustrated, I turned to some of the top-ranked Georgers, and the site's founder, to find out ways to improve the likelihood of getting a hit. Here's some advice for tracking a dollar bill -- or most any object -- online.

The Message

Where's George reminds users: "If people can't see your message, they are unlikely to visit the Web site and hit your bills."

Making the message visible is key -- and it's more than legibly writing the URL. First, one must decide between handwriting a message or using an ink stamp, which can be made at any office-supply or stationery store. "If you enter a few bills per day, I would suggest handwriting," says Biagio Parascandolo, who has entered nearly 63,000 bills at the site in past two years. "But if you enter a lot of bills, then you should definitely use a self-inking stamp."

When deciding on the best method, keep in mind your personal writing style. "I prefer a stamp myself because my handwriting is lousy... the sheer number of bills thatWhen deciding on the best method, keep in mind your personal writing style. "I prefer a stamp myself because my handwriting is lousy... the sheer number of bills that I enter would make writing too time consuming," says Angela Ailinger, a 42-year-old waitress from Forest Park, Ga., who has entered nearly 60,000 bills since 1999.

Marking it is more than just offering the URL -- instructions must be clear and concise. After you've decided on a marking technique, Mr. Parascandolo recommends writing or stamping something short and to the point on the bill, such as "Track this bill's journey. Please enter the serial number at www.wheresgeorge.com."

Ms. Ailinger's stamp, for example, which she had made at Office Deport for $20, says "Please track my travels. Enter Series and Serial www.wheresgeorge.com."

Mr. Parascandolo, and his brother Giuseppe, an avid Georger too, both circle the bills' serial numbers and series numbers so future bill holders can easily locate the right numbers to enter at the site.

Mr. Parascandolo also recommends marking the bill around the edges if you handwrite your message. Ms. Ailinger urges Georgers to be discrete with stamping. "I don't want it marked up to the point that people will be embarrassed to have the bill or to complain to the places that I regularly spend the bills," she says.

Where to Spend

To increase your chances of getting a hit, spend your money in locations with high bill turnaround where others are likely to get it as change. If you're not lucky enough to own a pizza restaurant like the Parascandolo brothers or work as a waitress like Ms. Ailinger, seek out convenience stores, restaurants, toll booths, gas stations and grocery stores. These places are recommended by Where's George fans as the best locations to spend.

"The trick is to spend ones and fives in places where the person behind you in line will get them as change," Ms. Ailinger says.

Take note of the time of day it you are spending your bill. If you're shopping late in the day, the money could go right to the store safe and on to the bank. It may be months before your bill sees daylight.

Site founder Hank Eskin suggests not to spend large quantities of bills in one location. "The idea is just to spend your cash as you normally would and hopefully the bill hits will happen," he says. George aficionados call it "natural circulation."

Of course, you may just want to head to your local coffee shop. "There is a saying on the site that all bills eventually go through Starbucks," says Ms. Ailinger.

A Little Patience or Luck

At first, you'll likely need some patience. "If someone enters and spends 100 bills, it takes on average about 30 days," to get a reply, says Mr. Eskin. Plus, only about 5% of the bills on the site have hits. Of course, while some may have to enter 1,000 bills before getting a hit, you could get one within hours if you're just plain lucky.

Updated December 9, 2002

     

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