Aren't saflips dangerous?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Steamandlight, Jul 3, 2016.

  1. Steamandlight

    Steamandlight Active Member

    I COMPLETELY understand your confusion :p When I was growing up, I always kept/collected coins. Every world coin I came across, and any USA coins that caught my attention. I was not the kindest owner, though - I loved them, and showed that love in the rough manner of a child.

    Now, as an adult, I have changed how I handle my things, and I also want to sort, display, and catalogue my collection. There is already damage done to many, if not most, of my various coins during the time I've had them. That does not mean I need to add to the damage moving forward, especially since I cannot say for sure what the future holds, or what I will keep and what I will trade, sell, or give away over the coming years. Many, undoubtedly, I will still have and enjoy 10, 20, or 50 years down the road. And over that period of time, even already damaged coins can presumably become more damaged - and I would avoid that, now that I am assured logic did not fail me on the subject of these saflip-type holders.

    I grew up (supposedly... lol) and my interests have evolved. Now it's time to go back, and bring my old joys up to date :)

    The impetus for this, though, the reason I am going to do this now, instead of last year or a year down the road, is the large lot of silver I just acquired that I want to *start* with the right way - and while I am at it, I'll use that momentum to take care of my old collection, too.
     
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  3. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    On its' own, PVC is a hard, tough plastic used (among other things) for plumbing, capable of standing up to human waste flow. It's only with the addition of pthalates (which are also used as solvents in other applications) that PVC becomes flexible enough to use as coin flips (and shower curtains). It's these pthalates which are the enemy.
     
  4. Steamandlight

    Steamandlight Active Member

    Thank you for the information :) Definitely going to do something to avoid staple damage - either crimped staples (if I understand the term correctly - I plan to use jewelers pliers to "squish" the staple until it is firmly embedded in the cardboard, below surface level, I think), or maybe the self-adhesive ones - IF I go the way of cardboard flips after careful consideration of the answers in this thread.

    It's a good point, though, that the storage medium takes a back seat to safe handling. I *do* enjoy handling/viewing/sorting/going through my coins, though, so I really need to come up with SOMETHING.
     
  5. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    Probably the least known holder, but I consider the best for coins you want to handle is 'cointains'. I suspect they are more air tight from my experience than those that use the word in their name, inert as any, and fight tightly to the specific coin, and expensive per weight. I love them for coins I let amateur people handle, but about have to destroy them to remove a coin they fit so tight. They can drive you even more insane, so beware. here is a company showing them, probably more.
    Jim

    http://www.oldmint.com/cointains.htm
     
  6. saltysam-1

    saltysam-1 Junior Member

    Interesting on the cointains, desertgem. I have had several open up from simple handling and storage. The smaller they are the more often the problem. I transferred all mine into airtites, about 200 pieces. The rest are slabbed.
     
  7. Cascade

    Cascade CAC Variety Nerd

    Wait, so we're not supposed to store our coins wrapped in cut squares of shower curtains?! Crap... there goes my plans for tomorrow :p
     
  8. atcarroll

    atcarroll Well-Known Member

    Nah, just make a pile on a whole shower curtain and wrap 'em all up together, no need to cut it into squares.
     
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  9. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    Back when I was accumulating Morgan VAMs, these are what I used:

    http://www.stantonbooks.com/coin_safe_holders.htm

    The rim remains clearly visible enough to photograph, they're air-tight (double-sealed) and relatively easily disassembled. You can get albums for them as well.
     
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  10. 19Lyds

    19Lyds Member of the United States of Confusion

    I use heavy duty wire dikes to crimp my "clinched" staples flat. Single squeeze.

    I tried specialty pliers but it was just too much work!
     
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  11. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    It occurs to me that concrete nippers might be ideal for the job. They're meant for bending rebar and have a ton of leverage, yet are not extremely sharp and are large enough to cover the entire staple at once.

    Milwaukee-48-22-6407_1.jpg
     
  12. ewomack

    ewomack 魚の下着

    In these cases an Exacto knife, handled properly of course to avoid slitting open your skin, is your best friend. I have released numerous coins from Air-Tites using an Exacto knife. Just press the blade into the crevice between each of the capsules. Also, I always put the coins back in the holders, of course, because I've never had a problem with Air-Tites after some 15 years of steady use. I typically remove coins from their holders only to photograph them. Then they go right back in ASAP to safety. I also use the ring type. They cost a bit more but if you ever drop a coin onto a hard or pointy surface, such as the edge of a granite counter top, you will be very very happy that it's encased in hard plastic.
     
  13. icerain

    icerain Mastir spellyr

    Using the airtites with the rings are easier to open (which are the ones I use). But I'm assuming most people don't intend to open them back up again. Personally the only coins I put into these holders are ones that are more expensive. I can't imagine putting one's entire collection into airtites especially if you collect world coins. The difference in sizes is enough to drive one crazy looking for the correct rings.
     
  14. joecoincollect

    joecoincollect Well-Known Member

    image.jpg My local dealer who's had a family shop for 40 years told me cardboard 2x2s are fine as long as you push the staples down. It's impractical to house over a thousand individual world coins that I have in anything but these 2x2s. I then put them in pages and binders. They've been in here for several years, are checked regularly, and no problems have arisen. I also have another thousand in those 2x2 boxes (some are intercept brand). Again, no problems. Even many numismatic authors in books and websites maintain these 2x2s can be used temporarily for years. i come across coins all the time in older 2x2s, probably for over a decade, and they look fine. I get my holders at the shop, 100 for 3 dollars. I think we should all be grateful that these holders are so cheap and available, benefitting a greater amount of coins that might have been just left in jars or bags. Now, for expensive coins (50 dollars or more) I've been putting them in airtights for better security, then saflips so I can add a piece of paper with my notes on it. Then they also go into pages and binders. I also use dansco slide albums, plastic boxes for slabs - a whole lot of everything. The numerous methods of storage I use are well known and used by many collectors, for good reasons. You have to factor in convenience, cost, and storage space in addition to coin preservation, especially if you are a collector like me and collect with quantity first in mind, then quality. I'm not going to even think of hard plastic 2x2s or airtights for world coins a few dollars or less (and this is retail, too). Look at the pics for an idea of my storage methods image.jpg
     
  15. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    You guys have your tools all mixes up. Dikes are for cutting, not for smashing. Nippers won't bend rebar, or flatten staples. It takes a tool with flat jaws to flatten a staple.
     
  16. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    I sell this stuff for a living. Look closer at my pic - the tips of the jaw are rounded, not sharp, for bending 1/8(ish) rebar without cutting it. They're typically 8" or so, and strong enough to completely flatten a staple if you wish.
     
  17. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I have been selling tools and equipment for over 40 years now. My stores have over 97,000 items. I know tools. The type you are showing is made to bend remesh but not rebar. The tips are made to twist tie wire. Nippers have sharp jaws to cut wire. There are probably 20 different styles of these. The only way this tool is going to flatten a staple is to use it as a hammer. You need some type of a plier with flat jaws.
     
  18. TJ1952

    TJ1952 Well-Known Member

    I was thinking the same thing. Who is bending rebar with that tool and why?....no-way! I thought that tool @SuperDave posted was a tile nipper!?!

    Maybe I'll start a thread on what tools "NOT" to use on coins! :shame:
     
  19. icerain

    icerain Mastir spellyr

    You shouldn't need to bend any staples. There are flat clinch staplers, they're not too expensive to get.
     
  20. Ana Silverbell

    Ana Silverbell Well-Known Member

    I use binders such as Whitman and Littleton to hold Morgan and Peace dollars. I like the Littleton because it is a three-ring binder, which is easier to work with. As 19Lyds pointed out, I also have noticed that the coins rotate in the books. (Strangely they seem to rotate with the books standing still: Gravity? The Coin Imp?) I worry about "imparting wear" by keeping these coins in the books.

    When I mentioned this at the local coin shop, they looked at me like I was too fastidious and they were dismissive of my comment. So I have held off moving my coins from the books but it still bothers me. Any thoughts on staying or not staying with the books?
     
  21. TJ1952

    TJ1952 Well-Known Member

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