Lessons learned, Break needed

The coins don't look all that bad. It's the lack of lighting in the shop that gets me honestly.

If you can't see it how can you tell?

 

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hi. i haven't read the rest of the posts, but please take it easy on yourself. we all make mistakes. don't let it burn you or give you heartache. please just look at it as a lesson and that you have gained knowledge. remember, knowledge is valuable, but the ability to apply knowledge is the key to success in any activity.
take your time and study. get a couple of david bowers' books. they make excellent , understandable reading.

once again, i have made mistakes and will probably continue to do so as i confess to being human. don't let it bother you. change your perspective and look at it objectively. hang in there and you have my very best wishes,,,sincerely...steve

 

hang in there. One thanks for sharing with us so we could all learn a little more and two the coins are still nice coins from what i see.

 

It's quite possible that the lighting setup in the shop is completely intentional... you know, kind of how a jeweller always shows you gemstones on black velvet to hide discoloration.

Bringing your own loupe with it's own light source is some good advice!

 

I agree. That's why it bothered me.

 

Well, in defense of the coin shop, lighting is as good as it is going to get. They have fluorescent lighting that under normal conditions would be adequate, but it is in an old building and they have really, really high, ornate ceilings. So the store is well lit, but it is not concentrated light because the lighting source is so high. Does this making sense. :goofer:

I do agree though with the comments about finding a magnifier with a light source - I just haven't found one that I liked yet.

 

A good coin shop should have a few elbow lights with 100 watt incandescent bulbs available for customers to use when inspecting a coin. These lights are not expensive. I recently bought a cheap one for about $15.

If the dealer does not have adequate lighting for inspecting coins I would suggest that you take your own light to the store. If the owner objects to you using your own light then maybe you shouldn't buy coins there.

 

I can see where you're coming from with the lighting due to ceiling height but agree with Hobo. Adequate lighting is a must.

The store I work in he installed track lights. They look cheesy but do a very good job. I have no problem bringing my own magfication to a shop but a light?

 

I'm on the fence here because this thread seems to have taken a turn from 'I got a little excited and won my overbid coins' to 'it's the dealer's fault for having bad lighting'.
We've ALL been caught up in the heat of the moment and buyers remorse. Accept it for what it is or was ~ impulse. You've been going to the shop for a while and you've bid several times and lost. So you knew the lighting was bad before this week but you were bidding on coins that you couldn't see that well?
Yes, there should be decent lighting ~ did that never occur to you when you were bidding and losing.
Again, we have all at one time or another: 1) bought a fake coin 2) paid too much 3) bid too high 4) overgraded our buy. Enjoy your coins or your win was a loss

 

as far as magnifiers go. i actually really like the ana and amos hobby 10x folding magnifier (opens like a switchblade) which has a built in led white light. it has a large field of vision and decent clarity, along with a good price of $15. i bought one and liked it so much, bought one for a friend. you might wish to check it out. best wishes......steve