Depressed about cleaned coins

Hello there... I just registered this morning and this is my first post... I'd love to get some insightful feedback from some knowledgeable collectors. I've been collecting for about five years and I collect U.S. currency, I have a type set of U.S. coins going and I have a set of XF/AU Indian Head Cents going. I'll mess with one collection for a while put it down focus on another for awhile and sort of go back and forth between them enjoying them all. ANYWAY, I don't live in an area where there are many shows and the coin dealers in my area really don't seem to have much most of the time. Consequently, alot of what I've acquired has been through mail bids and the like. It amazes me how many dealers will send out damaged coins. My real pet peeve is the cleaned coppers. Most of my indian heads are a nice chocolate brown and now I'm getting up into the more expensive ones it's especially important to keep it that way. If you're inexperienced and you buy a cleaned coin for $9 it sucks but it's not the end of the world. Now they're starting to get up into the $150 and up range and you don't want to get stuck with any ugly coins for which you paid too much. I have sent so many coins back it's just not funny. The postage and insurance gets expensive after awhile.. GIMME SOME ADIVE FELLAS.
Ernie

 

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With my more expensive coins I think its worth it to only buy sight seen. Ill save up the money and drive 5 or 6 hours to a big coin show in Ohio or Pennsylvania or some other state. (There's not exactly a whole lot of big coin shows here in WV either). OR I'll buy a slabbed coin from a reputable auction house like Heritage or David Lawrence. Then I put a common coin in the same grade in my album with the reverse side up. I too am interested in what others do. Dave in WV

 

The only way to be sure that the coin has not been cleaned is by hands on examination under magnification,

If your not sure ,, ask a lot of questions of the seller, for online buys, find an online dealer that deals straight up and try to buy as much as you can from them exclusively, two things happen when this is done ,service improves, and peace of mind is achieved at least for the most part.

for a collection a few cleaned coins are inevitable in most cases, but the price paid for the coin should reflect the condition,

Last week I bought a cleaned peace dollar ,,, I paid 7.00 for it, the seller who was not a coin dealer, but happened to have a few coins, was asking 27.50 for it, 1922-S about a 61 or there abouts, but I needed it or rather wanted it to fill a slot price was right ,coin needed in the slot, cleaned, personal collection not for sale or resale, no big deal.

 

I know that Jax is a big city. There is a Jacksonville Coin Club. A good resource. I'd suggest you join and participate.

The first weekend in Feb 05, take a nice trip to Ocala for the Ocala Coin Club Show. It's right at I75 and US27 in Steinbrenner's Ramada Inn Conference Center. Lots of good dealers with uncleaned coins.

Stick with purchasing from dealers you know and trust. There have been a number of threads naming dealers people here have used and are happy with.

If you must purchase unseen - say via ebay - for more expensive coins - try going with a slab you trust. I trust ANACs for my Indian Head Cents. They do a great job on all coppers. Of course, that's only my preference.

Welcome to the site and I hope that you'll continue to post and enjoy it here. Good luck in your coin quest.

 

FUN show is in January 7th, 8th (I think). It has been moved to Ft. Lauderdale for this year only. A much longer drive but well worth it.

 

I don't see a big problem with a coin that has been wiped slightly with a jewelers cloth or something, or any other type of cleaning that is very slight, as long as the price of the coin is dropped about a grade or two. I also believe there is a big differance between old time cleaning and new, new being the worst, with the information floating around there these days, no coins should be cleaned, period. The cleaned type coins that I will NOT buy, are those that have been cleaned using a wire brush, baking soda, and all those other types of cleaning that even the person cleaning them can tell that he is messing the coin up, but, continues to clean a few more just to make them oh so purdy. I've although found a dealer who goes above and beyond the call of honesty, even the slightest touch up on a star with a Q-tip, and he marks it cleaned, and prices it low, and will show you exactly what star was cleaned.