Yard Sale then what?

My question is....say you just picked up a nice coin at a yard-sale. The guy munching on Micky-D's french fries was just handling the same coin. You get the coin home...then what?

What do the pros do with this coin? In my case, most likely a silver one, but it could be gold.

 

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Well first off, if you can buy a gold coin for cheap at a yard sale, CONGRATULATIONS!
Now, are you inquiring about CLEANING the coin??? That is a big no no, if you don't know what you are doing, and very few people do know what they are doing!
I'd never clean my raw coins, or enhance them in any way

 

Well, first off take a pic and share.

 

we'll need a pic of this coin.

 

No, no. Not cleaning as in rubbing, wiping or buffing, :hammer: but I know that oils are not good for the coin. Even from clean fingers.
Is this a job for the coin-shop or is there some conserving one can do at home with a few inexpensive items? Or do nothing?

 

and this is all hypothetical...I have no coin to take pictures of, but thanks, anyway :bow:

 

"most likely a silver one, but it could be gold. "

Did you mean this figuratively or that you cannot tell whether it's silver or gold based on the condition?

Can you upload a photo of the coin?

There are a LOT of active threads on cleaning and acetone use, be sure to read through them in the new posts.

 

Sorry, no coin bought at yard sale.

In my dream I stumble upon a 1893-S Morgan in Fine condition and the guy wants $50 for it

 

I would take the French fries and run off the heck with the coin. Now if they were golden fries you got a good deal I would never buy a coin that somebody was handling after he ate fries like I said I would just take the golden fries and run off.

JC

 

go back & get another order of fries.

 

Just Coins, that may be the best suggestion on this topic. Not sure why I brought it up.

THE END

 

It didn't have a happily ever after ending....
Now I'm sad... LOL!

Okay new ending...

Dave actually got the gold coin at the yard sale, got it graded, and it was real, the coin was a 1911 D $2.5 Indian, and it graded MS65, and we all lived happily ever after... Especially dave, after he sold that baby! LOL!!!

 

Couldn't help it... had to share, since no one is sharing their french fries. =p

 

I don't consider myself a pro. That said, I do buy coins at yard sales and flea markets. And I have obtained some wonderful coins that way plus some key dates. Prices paid to private sellers are cheap. Just a few examples:
At one yard sale I asked about coins. The old lady went in the house and came out with an old box of stuff. They were her brother-in-law's. She says make an offer. I offered $3 and took the box home. There were four 1862
Brittish large pennys, five US large cents and some small US silver.
Another place had a jar of coins in the guy's car. When asked if he had coins he went to the car and got them. I paid $25 and there were 6 SBA dollars,
eight Kennedy halves-there's $10 right there in face value. So my net cost was $15. But the best was an older 1894 Liberty nickel in XF. Then some other coins but the total value was far more than the price paid. Not all coins purchased this way have problems.

 

Thanks everyone for cheering me up! Now I know what I'm having for lunch :goofer:

Dave

 

I believe a quick acetone dip would remove any oils that would cause a future finger print toning pattern.

 

Pizza? With Golden Pepperonis?

 

No, Chee-burger, Chee-burger!

And I will follow that Acetone post.

 

Well, if the guy was handling the coin at sale with greasy fingers, I'd have to assume he's always handled the coin that way, with no regard to cleanliness whatsoever. So, there are probably a lot of older prints already etched into the coin from this guy that no amount of dipping will ever remove. I'd pass.
Guy~