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 Replies: 31 / Views: 4,779 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1915 Posts |
Thad,
I was hoping you would chime in. I know you have spent years perfecting conservation methods. I am mainly looking at getting rid of the debris. I do not have any coins valuable enough to be worried with conservation. As to dealers acquiring all these nice, good looking coins, I think some might have. I just do not see how there can be that many beautiful coins. I am in Houston and the shows have numerous dealers all with nice looking coins even the semi-key to common ones. This is just one show in one city. Now add in all the other shows in all the other cities, and then add all the shops around the country. If there is trully that many how do the hold value? If a dealer only acquired these nice looking coins that did not need a bath they would cost them way to much to make selling them profitable. This of course is my own opinion, but it has to make you wonder.
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
I usually find that steel wool and cleanser works just fine  Seriously, I don't like olive oil for anything except some encrusted ancients I currently have soaking in it. I would listen to BadThad's advice  swcoin.ecrater.com
Edited by vermontensium
09/05/2010 8:24 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
Quote:
I usually find that steel wool and cleanser works just fine I tried that too. Wanna buy some shiny wheat cents?  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19969 Posts |
The coin market is HUGE in the US. Millions of numismatic coins change hands everyday from dealer to dealer across the country. New material comes into the local shops every day. You'd be surprized how many people are dumping some relative or friends collection at these shops. The flow of coins is endless. Here's something to think about.. Your coins are not really yours. You're just holding them temporarily for the next collector to own. In a hundred years from today, some other guy will be wondering... "Hey, where'd the dealer get all these great coins?"  Lincoln Cent Lover!VERDI-CARE™ INVENTOR https://verdi.care/
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
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In a hundred years from today, some other guy will be wondering... "Hey, where'd the dealer get all these great coins?"
Oh, I can only hope.  |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
I heard using fresh lime juice works well with copper. I'm new at coin collecting so I'm not sure if this technique should be used for copper coins probably not because of its acidic properties. I did play with this technique with some pennies and I was surprised how the color changed, no worries the pennies were random pocket change nothing special.
As for acetone, I did hear at a coin show about using this to clean a penny I had.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Ethical or Not? Ethical.
Acetone and olive oil are often used on ancient coins to enhance them.
Just use your brains and common sense to assess the value of the coin underneath. Buyers and sellers do the same thing in this regard.
To me it is all OK if the coin is not damaged in any way by the process, and is protected in some way.
The seller will ask himself:'Will the value be increased by this process?'.... The buyer will ask himself: "Is the value decreased by the process that appears to have been applied?"
It is a bit like two kids with a bottle of lemonade and two glasses, and one kid is decided upon to pour the lemonade into the glasses. The kid watching the operation says "You pour and I will choose the fullest!"... That way, the amount poured into the glasses is VERY equal!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
I heard using fresh lime juice works well with copper. Quote:
I did play with this technique with some pennies and I was surprised how the color changed, I think your second quote tells you why you DON'T want to use it on copper. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
What your seeing many times is just known as good sales promotional tactics. Sometimes it's only the lighting that makes some coins look that way too. Which is why when you get them home they sometimes just don't look the same. And too many dealers do take the time to dip coins in something to enhance the appearances. Again, this is just salesmanship methods.
Have you ever been to an auto dealer and noticed how fantastic the cars in the showroom look? Then you see the same car on the street and barely recognize it. Great waxes, proper lighting, shinny floors, etc. all make for showmanship. Ever watch car adds on TV and notice how many times the streets are wet? Great for reflections and makes the cars look prettier. More showmanship.
Coin dealer do many similar things knowing full well how many people buy on impulse and the nicer something looks, the better the chances of a sale.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
The cracks and dings have been cleaned on that example. A clear indication of non-mint-state. When it's already in a "dirt"-y condition, how will further degradation get it closer to a collectable condition? It's like a refurbished product. My opinion is that if you can't clean the details, don't clean the surface.
@BadThad: That's why your name has to be King Farouk!
Edited by Libertad
09/06/2010 1:15 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
just carl: I consider myself semi retired but I work a 40 hour week detailing new cars for customers. Black cars are the worst to present to new car customers. Nevertheless, I can present a black car so that it presents in the sun without any spiderweb scratches in it at all. I suppose that car could be graded at MS65!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
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just carl: I consider myself semi retired but I work a 40 hour week detailing new cars for customers. Black cars are the worst to present to new car customers. Nevertheless, I can present a black car so that it presents in the sun without any spiderweb scratches in it at all. I suppose that car could be graded at MS65!
I know what you mean. Blue Coral waxes make a dark or even black car's finish appear like a mirror. Eventually that wears off and your left with the original car of course. Similar with coins. So many things can be done to make them much more presentable at a coin show or coin store. Lighting reflections sometimes makes it difficult to really see what your looking at which is why so many auto dealers and coin dealers use that system. HHMMMMM. Ever wonder how many used car salespeople now sell coins? |
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Valued Member
United States
76 Posts |
Has anyone ever tried using ketchup to clean silver? It sounds crazy , but it works great! Try it out and tell me what you think.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
That's because one of the most common ingredients in sauces, (in this case ketchup) is acetic acid, otherwise known as vinegar. It is a fairly mild acid, and so the rate of attack can be reasonably easily controlled.
I don't clean coins.
It would be better to use pure vinegar, because you can see what's going on. With ketchup, it's a bit trying to look through mud!
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Valued Member
United States
176 Posts |
But doesn't straight vinegar have a tendency to give pennies a pinkish tone. I would think being diluted by the other ingredients in the ketchup the effect might not be so pronounced.
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Replies: 31 / Views: 4,779 |
First Page
Posted 09/05/2010 8:20 pm
