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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Cherd, post: 1465505, member: 24754&quot;]Is what I did to my quarter in post #338 harsh cleaning?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve never indicated any misconceptions about coin cleaning and impact on value. Cleaning a coin reduces value, this is a fact. But impact on value is not an analogy for right or wrong, or correct verses incorrect. The value impact is dictated by prevailing opinions of collectors. The prevailing opinion also does not represent a measure or correct verses incorrect, it is simply opinion. The stigma is so ingrained into the hobby that people forget the relativism. They then go about ingraining hobby newcomers with their perspective as though it is the only acceptable way of thinking.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;People prefer nice looking coins, this has always been the primary motivation behind coin cleaning. This being the case, newcomers will naturally consider cleaning as a logical means of &quot;improving&quot; the coins that they can afford. Numismatists are fighting an uphill battle in this respect, and therefore may resort to insulting the intelligence of people in an attempt to enforce their opinion on the matter. People that appreciate cleaned coins are made out to be inferior members of the hobby. This is ultimately the thing that bothers me in the end. It really has nothing to do with coin cleaning, it is certain people&#039;s attitude toward, and default inflexibility on the subject bothers me. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is true in general, but I&#039;d say that coins and guns represent the most extreme cases. In the world of collectables the examples in perfect, original, unaltered condition certainly are at the top of the heap for price and desirability. But, the difference from one collectable to another is the perception of the non-pristine examples. I would never even think about swapping the engine out of a pristine, garage kept, fully original classic car (just like I&#039;d never condone the cleaning of a mint state coin). However, I have absolutely no problem doing it to my 65 Malibu Chevelle, which lead the typical life of a 47 year old car. I love my car, and I&#039;ll take great pride in it when (and if <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />) I ever finish restoring it. Some high-brow car collectors may not see any value in my car, as it will be far from original condition, but I will appreciate it just the same.</p><p><br /></p><p>And therein lies the difference. People do not go out and buy rust-bucket cars to put in their collections. If it is important to them, and if they can afford it, then they buy a pristine example. Otherwise they restore a not so pristine example. It is acceptable to do this because the car does not represent an original example, therefore, nothing is being lost. Coin collectors have inexplicably been wrangled into a condition where they appreciate rust-bucket coins. They appreciate them because they accept the condition as original, even though there is very little originality about them. I&#039;ll appreciate my restored car, and I appreciate my cleaned coins based on the same premise.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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