At the coinstore, there was a 1876 indian head cent that was CLEANED. The price is 5 bucks. Should I get it? Thanks.
personally I would only get it if it had VF or better details. Its hard to put a price on low grade and damaged coins; some days the market is strong and other days your lucky if your local bank will take it. I guess it depends on if you like it.
If it had "VF or better details" with just a simple cleaning, I highly doubt the guy would be offering it for $5.
Personally, I avoid all cleaned or otherwise damaged coins unless it is a screaming good deal (for example, a very key date at a very low price). I know 1876 is a decent date...but I would probably pass.
Buy it you can always rip someone off on ebay when you sell it. Say it was owned by an old lady in her 90s while she doing her weekly washing it fell out of her dead husbands pocket. Never hurts to give the coin a good lie or story.