Is it just me...weird collecting

I'll take "cleaned" on some tougher to find coins mostly because I couldn't afford a problem free coin, but if i can afford it I much prefer coins without any issues. In the end it comes down to "do you like it for the price" if the answer is yes buy it.

 

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For an eloquent counterpoint from a far-more-advanced collector than most of us will ever be, @johnmilton describes why waiting decades to buy a problem free, original, attractive coin is vastly preferable to settling for a cleaned, details, unattractive coin: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/wh...-have-waited-buy-a-coin-that-you-want.369067/

For the record: I agree with him. If I can't have a coin I'm happy with (that is - a coin with no problems, no issues, and no "buts"), then I'd really rather just not have that coin at all.

 

‘Paying more than what it’s worth’ could be a subjective topic, I mean more like paying more than its melt value. I’ve heard many collectors and dealers say common cleaned coins not being worth more than melt and that has stuck with me all these years.

 

I have many Mint Errors that have been cleaned.
To me the coolness factor is more important..
It doesn't bother me. Some members detest it which I think is silly. But that's their business.



And a Variety

 

Just collect what pleases you. Cleaned coins need a home too. Some collect lowball sets, some like myself collect type coins that have been holed. I have a friend who collects the ugliest quarters he can find in circulation.
It doesn't matter what others think.

 

There is truth to this statement, but you need to know the consequenses.

When you buy a problem coin, the potential buyer's response is always going to be "Yes, but ..." That makes it harder to sell.

You also have to think about the possible gain that you could have gotten if you had purchased a no problem coin. Let's say the price for an 1889-CC dollar goes up 20%. You are only going to get a fraction fo that increase when you sell.

There is also the enjoyment factor. When I was very young collector and was working on an Indian Head Cent set, the first coins I got just filled holes because I didn't know any better. Then I started to study grading (Brown and Dunn Grading Guide in the early 1960s) and really looked at my coins. Some of what I saw didn't please me. I had to go back and replace them.

I really enjoy coins that are nice for the grade, and I buy the best I can afford within reason. For example a 1796 Quarter in VF is great, and a 1937 British Impaired Proof five pound coin isn't. I like to sit back and look at my coins and say,"Ahh, that's pretty." I don't want to be saying, "I am really not happy with that."

 

As best as I can recall, I do NOT have a cleaned coin.
I do have DETAILS coins (three I think).
But they are labeled damaged in some way, but not cleaned.
It's the only way I could afford them.
They would all have cost 5-figures if undamaged.

 

I resemble that remark!

 

There is one eBay seller in particular that I am positive does that exact thing. Consistently has coins appear to be very nice but then you read his feedback and there is dozens people saying the coins have been cleaned.

 

Freaking awesome... make them happy and gives and a good reason to examine every quarter that passes through their hands.

After all, if some magical power told us how to collect, /a/ everybody would be doing the same thing and /b/ it would be work, not a hobby!

 

@kanga cleaning IS damage. But it's your collection and you get to make the rules, so if your rule is no cleaning but damage on really rare pieces is OK, then that's fine.

I have one damaged 3CS in my collection, it's bent. Most of them are bent, it's the nature of the coin. And with a pop of 1 in XF for that date, plus 1 bent coin, I'll happily settle.

 

I'm sure I know the one you are referring to and I was a sucker buying a couple coins from that seller. I learned my lesson; well sort of.

 

Plus you can always downgrade!

 

I would snatch up every $3 gold I could find at melt, or even 20% above. So far, the closest I've come is spotting BIN listings on eBay that sold moments after they were posted.

I'd buy more than one because then I could pick out the one I like best, and flip the rest for enough of a profit to cover the one I kept. Here's an AU Details Polished example that got sniped at $799; here's a cleaned and holed example that went for $599, more than double melt.

 

I agree with Mountain Man and others. I enjoy the beauty of the coin whether cleaned or not. it's the history of the coin, and most importantly, eye appeal! Thanks for the post. Good luck

 

Let's face it, collecting, of any type, is based upon supply and demand, like other things, so if the demand is high and the supply is low, the public will pay a premium. The fact is that if you are collecting for the history or beauty of a coin, and the demand is high, then it makes good sense to buy a cleaned or damaged coin. At least if the supply of that coin drops to zero, you still have an example to admire when others are waiting for the "perfect" (whatever that is) coin. Just look at some of the rarest coins. The cleaned or damaged ones are still going for astronomical prices. Who knows, maybe the collectors as a whole will revert back to actually cleaning all of their coins, as they once did.

 

I do wish we would take a less aggressive stance on cleaning. I get it. And yes if I have a high quality and rare piece, I am obligated to keep that coin original for the next generation...... I do have a problem with how aggressively we approach the subject with common circulated stuff. I will never forget the thread where a lady wanted to wash her grandfather’s nicotine encrusted and well circulated Mercs. They were quite common and and she couldn’t enjoy them because they were sticky and smelled of old tobacco. This forum nearly crucified her for the mere suggestion that she put them in warm dishwater. I sent the lady a PM apologizing for the forums behavior..... Keeping coins original is our obligation as collectors. But we do need to use some sense about it.

 

The last couple of years I have mostly been enamored with bust halves, and I've bought a few seated halves too. They are hard on my budget. I've been programed to reject problem coins. I actually have relaxed this a bit. I could wait months between coins and buy some nicer pieces, sure. But a collection that is not being added to frustrates me. So many of these coins have old cleanings anyway. Coins that look original on Ebay show ancient cleanings when you get them.
I know what I can accept without being overly bothered and will go with that if I like the price.

 

I don't think I saw that thread. There are fantastic ways to *conserve* coins like this (a simple acetone bath would easily fix the problem) rather than *clean* the coins. Even a soap and water bath will change the look of the coins to something pale and unattractive, if you know what you're looking at.

 

While I enjoy the hunt for "just the right example" as much as anyone, I have to say that there's an elephant in the room. If you are in your 20s to 50s, you might expect to be able to wait longer to find a specimen that is "just right". But if you have far more years behind you than in front of you, how long can/should you wait to scratch the itch? When do you "settle"? I don't mean necessarily for a details coin, cleaned or otherwise, but for a coin that will work for your collection and budget but isn't the jewel of your minds eye.

It reminds me of those retirement financial calculators that all start out with a gently phrased question: "How long do you expect to live?"