If you had a choice RED Lincoln cent,40 years old still in the mint set cellophane and you wanted to photograph it for sale,what would you do? It's impossible to get a good photo thru the cellophane. Plus, the dings and scratches on the cello look like they are on the coin. To photo it thru the cello and explain the marks on your, MS65 Red cent, requires a leap of faith from the buyer who may be skeptical from buying into "CLAIMS" made by unscroupulous sellers. When you remove the coin from it's womb, just to get a high grade photo that shows EXACTLY what is there, again, who is going to believe you when you say, "I just removed it from the sealed mint cello,and the coin has never been touched." And if you remove it, you introduce doubt that the coin has been handled and stored properly. Improper 'handling' causes all kinds of crud to show up on the coin, and some of it doesn't show up for a long time. Like the white powdery 'infection' that grows on pristine uncirculated copper coins that you have only held on the edges with your fingers....What would you do?
Try taking it to a coin show, and show it to dealers, see what they offer. You might get more money if you were to take it to a coin club meeting where the collectors could buy it instead of dealers. hope that helps monkeyman
Thanks Monkeyman, Don't you think that the lowest offer would come from a dealer who needs to maintain an 'expense' margin to stay in business? I agree that collectors trading among themselves are better off. But my question is not directly about getting the best price. Thanks for the input.
I wouldn't worry about getting a really good pic if it's still in the cellophane. As a buyer, I wouldn't need to see as many details knowing it's still in it's original packaging, as opposed to a coin removed from it, and would feel comfortable buying it as is. But, thats just me. Guy~
i know i had a bunch of 50's and 60's mint sets. i took them all out and put them in plastic holders. you could really see the difference once they were free from the cellophane. plus some of the coins had been damaged from the cellophane and the glue. just a thought
I have a 1967 USSR mint set that is in cellophane that is yellowing, and it does pose the question as to whether it is better to keep it in the set, or to liberate the coins and put them in airtites. The set itself is becoming quite valuable, much more so than the USA coins in cellophane from that time. It is the new Russians and all their oil money that are driving up prices on all USSR and Russian stuff.
If I were you and wanted to sell any coin in a original plastic wrap, I'd just put it on ebay with the best photo possible. Then add an explanation just like the one you posted here. I would not take it out of the original enclosure since there are so many perfectionist out there that think more of the packaging than the contents. Example is the Hot Wheel cars. I've seen them for as little as $0.25 each out of the package but for several dollars and noted still in the original package. If your afraid of what someone would say about the condition of the package, do exactly what you posted and explain that. You could just state if not as you explained, just return the thing. Again, there are way to many people that just have to have the original packaging of anything.
Leave it in its cello. Take a picture and offer the picture. Once you take it out of the cello, the origin of the coin in no longer a question, its a BU cent period.
