| Author |
 Replies: 21 / Views: 3,010 |
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12815 Posts |
Tonight I was liberating some Ikes out of 2x2s and placing them in my Dansco 8176. While very carefully using an Xacto knife* to pry the abundant staples loose (are 8 really necessary?!), I had plenty of time to get lost in my thoughts. I began to think about how many times the process I was doing may have been done, both with this album and these coins (and in reverse). As I pried those insidious staples loose from the 2x2s, it occurred to me that I was filling a used Dansco that I had picked up from an LCS, an album that certainly once had been the proud keeper of many magnificent Ikes. Said album was likely sold for money or at an estate and the coins liberated and placed into 2x2s to maximize profit. The Ikes I was populating the album with may have come from another album from anywhere in the country, or world even. But there are other options too... maybe someone bought the album full and decided to remove all the coins and put them in 2x2s (then selling the album to the LCS) because that's the way they like to collect. Regardless, it gave me a little bit of happiness to think I was restoring a grand old showpiece to its former glory. A romantic notion to be sure. So, like imagining the (hi)story of specific coins in general, it is interesting to contemplate who might have been doing the same thing I did tonight. Or how the album ended up at the LCS I bought it from... and how the previous owner had filled it... Deep thoughts. Oh and yes, apparently 8 staples are indeed necessary if you want to keep people from squeezing the sides of the 2x2 to create a gap for edge-viewing to see if a coin is *really* silver as billed. Sneaky, sneaky... *No, I didn't stab my fingers with the Xacto knife, fortunately. Kids, don't try this at home. If you've gotten this far into my run-on brain dump, I am impressed. Thanks for reading.  |
|
|
|
Valued Member
United States
452 Posts |
Yeah for real, why were you doing it with an x-acto?
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12815 Posts |
Honestly it was the best, most effective tool I had on hand. It works very well on those accursed* flat-clinched staples. And you can do it effectively and safely if you're very careful, even though I DON'T recommend it.
Regardless, I was hoping you, the reader, would take something out of my post beside the wanton disregard for my own well-being.
*I'm kidding - flat-clinch staples are excellent and if I collected that way I would use them on my 2x2s.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
946 Posts |
I ALWAYS! ALWAYS crimp my staples down on the 2x2. If I have to remove the coin from the 2x2 I have a exacto knife as well. I cut the side where the ends of the staples are facing away from. I put a little slit in the plastic and pop the coin through. Avoiding the staples all in all. I do not see why people have such a hard time with this. Have your work area clear and have a steady hand. Once you make that slit put the exacto away from your work area and pop the coin out. Nothing more,nothing less.
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Most of my coins are in 2x2's . I use only flat clinch staples which in my opinion are Heaven sent. no need to flatten down the reverse side of the staples as they lay perfectly flat to the holder. but best of all I bought a staple puller from WIZARD along with the stapler and the flat staples. the puller works great every time.
highly recommended for those who use 2x2's for their coins.
Sorry if I got off OP'S thread with this post.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
211 Posts |
When there are that many staples, I just cut around the coin through the mylar and it comes out the middle.
|
|
Moderator
 Australia
16809 Posts |
Quote:
If I have to remove the coin from the 2x2 I have a exacto knife as well. I cut the side where the ends of the staples are facing away from. I put a little slit in the plastic and pop the coin through. Avoiding the staples all in all. I do not see why people have such a hard time with this. I'm assuming that the people going to a lot of trouble to de-staple a 2x2 are planning on putting the coin back into that exact same 2x2 and re-stapling it. People might do this for several reasons: - "It's still good". Yes, 2x2s are cheap, but re-using one is even cheaper. - They wish to keep the coin in the original 2x2 for sentimental reasons - it has their dad's writing on it, for example. - They've written an awful lot of stuff on the 2x2, and it's less trouble to de-staple and re-use it than to get a new 2x2 and re-write everything. - They are viewing or photographing a coin that actually belongs to someone else, so they want to return the coin in much the same condition as it was given. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
946 Posts |
If that is the case then best bet would be to leave it be then. If you really have to as mentioned above the stapler remover works wonders.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7390 Posts |
I use an exacto pen to pry up staples too. You're not alone and it works well  That said, I'm sure a staple remover may work better but why buy a steak knife when you rarely eat meat and your swiss army knife works well enough |
|
Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Quote:
When there are that many staples, I just cut around the coin through the mylar and it comes out the middle. One reason to up-size the holder, to give more room around the coin. When it is tight I just cut one side of the 2x2 and squeeze, gently let the coin slide out. I no longer reuse 2x2 holders so I have no problem doing either of these methods to remove the coin. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I used to try to save 2x2's but lately I just cut out the coins and throw the flip away. At shows I get them by the 100's for a small price so not worth trying to save some. Faster and easier that way too. A long time ago I used a screwdriver to pri the staples out but one time it slipped and ran across the face of Lincoln on a MS all red Cent. That taught me to just cut the coins out.
At coin shows I've found many dealers buy Albums and Folders from people full of coins. They then take them out, place in flips for sale. The Albums and Folders are usually thrown out. So I started asking for them and I get so many free that I too started giving them away.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
12815 Posts |
I should have never mentioned anything about staples or X-acto knives... |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
5828 Posts |
I like how this just turned into a staple/2x2 topic. I sometimes wonder about the previous owner of my Whitman Barber dime folder circa 1940. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1911 Posts |
Well Celtic, I for one agree with you about how cool it is just thinking about the history of the coins and where they have been. And also like you said, an empty album is not fulfilling its purpose and by re-filling the album you give it purpose again. Also (I am sure jbuck would agree)  of the Ikes! |
|
Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Quote:
At shows I get them by the 100's for a small price so not worth trying to save some. Faster and easier that way too. Exactly. Quote: Also (I am sure jbuck would agree) of the Ikes! I know he has a few holes left, so I do not mind if he wants to wait until completion. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1314 Posts |
There have been occasions when I wanted to reuse the 2x2, just remember to point the instrument away from the coin. It can slip and you don't want to scratch the coin.  |
| |
Replies: 21 / Views: 3,010 |
Posted 06/03/2015 02:13 am
