There's no denying that a good magnifying glass is one of a numismatist's best friends. But why so expensive? Here's a suggestion: COLLEGE BOOKSTORES. I went to mine the other day and somehow wandered into the lab supply aisle. And then...EUREKA! There they were. A 10x from Hamilton Bell for $8. A 12x for $10. A 20x for $25. They're compact (about 1 1/2" long and a little less than 3/4" tall) and can be worn around the neck by attaching a chain, if that's your thing. The stainless steel construction looks apocalypse-proof to me. The lens are recessed into the steel so it doesn't get scratched. On top of that, the lens swivels into the body of the magnifying glass. How cool is that find?! For once, the bookstore hasn't ripped me off! Let me know if you want pics...
Not really considered a rip off. Just an educational tool for the economical system for advancement of inflationary pricing. Just try Edmund Scientific and request a catalog. Every possilbe lense, magnifiers, scopes of the highest possible quality for decent prices.
http://scientificsonline.com Not sure if this is the correct link to Edmund Scientific but they have massive quantities of magnifiers of the highest quality for decent prices. Table top ones with lights, without lights, hand held, head mounting and on and on and on. They items are used in Schools, hospitals, science labs, etc. so the quality is amazing.
One more thing is the amazing internet. If you go to Google and type in magnifiers, you get 7,310,000 results.
Could you please provide a link to the book store where I could purchase the magnifying glasses you recommend. Thanks! Al
al: sorry, but it was my college bookstore on campus, so they dont ship anything out. i was just suggesting that (especially for newbies and poor college students like me), it might be a good place to start. just go to a college campus near you, and browse their bookstore. also, see if they have a "hobbies/crafts" book section. ive found some interesting books on coin collecting there. for the more serious collectors, ive seen cotton gloves that could be used for handling coins. office supply stores have desk lamps, sometimes with a magnifier. if youre in hawaii, i know fisher's has quite a few. just a few suggestions as to where you can find useful stuff outside of coin-specific sites or magazines.
Mine's only a 2.5x with a smaller 5x spot lens, but it's got nice built in LEDs and the best part, a handle that converts in to a stand so you can use it without holding it. $15 at B&N. The make is Carson.
Harbor freight has 5 eye loupes for $3.99 a 2X 3X 5X 7X and 10X and they are glass lenses work great. Ice
