eBay's latest high-volume coin vandal

I'm seeing more and more BIN listings from a particular seller that appear to be atrociously AT. In fact, instead of calling out most of their inventory as "artificially toned", they actually tag a small subset of their coins as "naturally toned". I'm even skeptical of some of those, like this recently-sold one:

1986-S BU PROOF Washington Quarter From Mint Set Natural Rainbow Color Toned P42

Judging from the seller's completed auctions, they're apparently selling like hotcakes. I guess that's appropriate, because they look like they're fresh off the griddle.

Sigh...

 

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Plenty of those can be said to be questionable, but some of these are now getting graded as problem-free coins. Maybe the correct listing title should be market acceptable instead of naturally toned.

 

What is sad to me, and I have said it all along since toning became popular, is how many perfectly nice coins are ruined to create fake toning. Collectors should prize pristine surfaces, not the color. Pristine surface coins have always carried a premium. However, many of these from the 19th century came with toning. I think somewhere along the way new collectors confused what was desirable. Its the SURFACES that are desirable, not necessarily the toning.

Now people just destroy coins by frying them. They can't even make decent fake toning. Pathetic.

 

Cooked, juiced, but no one got hurt........right?

 

Unless you're on the receiving end.......

 

A "proof" coin from a "mint set" - OK!

 

Well, proof sets are made by the Mint, right?

Calling proof sets "mint sets", and vice versa, isn't too uncommon on the Bay. Sometimes it can lead to bargains, as people searching for one miss listings that claim to advertise the other. Usually, though, it's just more noise.

 

Geeze. I just checked new BIN listings, and of the last 25 new listings, 19 belong to this seller.

It's like I'm trying to pick up a couple of nice chocolates at the store, and this one worker keeps dumping buckets of candy corn into the bins.

Edit: Batter-dipped, sugar-frosted candy corn.

 

Compared to this 1968-D for $8,812.50, the OP coin seems like a bargain.

 

This guy has been at it for some time. The number of toned coins with one owner would be enough to keep my wallet pocket firmly buttoned.

 

I have to disagree with this. The surfaces obviously matter, but it is quite clear from prices fetched with the right colorful toning on Morgans and ASEs ect that the toning is absolutely what the buyers are chasing and what matters to them.

 

Terrible looking toned crapus! Ripoff sleaze!

 

It is now, but when toned coins first started bringing good prices it was because collectors were appreciating the original, undipped surfaces dripping with luster. It simply got perverted IMHO into color means its worth more over the last decade or two.

 

That is probably true with how much things were getting dipped for the blast white look back in the day.

The right color for sure. They certainly have a look they prefer where the sky is the limit when two toned collectors want the same item.

 

I would mainly agree sir. However, I would point out that the reason coins were dipped white was to prove there was no damage under the toning. I believe toned coin collectors would be shocked how much damage is hiding under some toned coins. Any black toning is suspect, and matte black toning I can almost guarantee damage. Not to even talk about known damage that a coin was intentionally retoned to hide.

 

You may be correct about that someone else will have to dispute that if they choose too.

I definitely agree for newer collectors or collectors just entering the toning market. I would say the base of the toning market is aware though and just not overly concerned about that aspect within reason. The eye appeal is clearly what they are going for over technical grades when 200 dollar coins can turn into 4k dollar coins from the right look.

I don't mind dark toning as much as most people do. If its from the 1900s on I hate it, but there are a lot of dark seated liberties I find to be pleasing to the eye

 

Want some toning fluid?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NATURAL-COI...909010?hash=item25b70d8ed2:g:4RwAAOSwQYZWyfhz

 

That listing clearly says "fluid", but the description says

"NATURAL COIN TONING FLUID Whenever you need to nicely tone a badly cleaned or stripped silver dollar just put it next to my toning bottle inside a container and before long the tone begins to form . . Nothing touches your coin , toning is the metals natural reaction to the organic ( not chemical ) toning gasses released from the bottle . . The toning gasses are just a concentrated form of the metal toning gasses in the natural atmosphere . . A bottle will last for at least a months continual use and many coins can be treated".

 

And to think it actually took some skill to AT a coin.

 

I wonder if you could do that with 'crazy glue'? It sure as heck would bring up the fingerprints........