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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1914948, member: 19463&quot;]Whether at a show deciding which coin to buy or at home enjoying the ones that followed me home, I place high value on sharp eyesight.&nbsp; All my life I have been quite nearsighted and worn corrective glasses.&nbsp; When younger this actually benefitted my collecting since I could see close up without my glasses.&nbsp; As I have gotten older and my eyes lost the ability to accommodate, I have started to use magnifiers.&nbsp; While I have tried many types, I have never found one that seemed to be just right for the purpose.&nbsp; Recently I even bought a small close up lens that attaches to my glasses frame and provides a closer view but it turned out to be hard to carry when not in use due to its L shape and I preferred not to wear it all the time (vanity, I guess).&nbsp;&nbsp; At home I often examine coins under a stereo dissecting microscope and appreciate the 3D view it provides but it is much to big to carry to shows.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Recently my wife whose eyes were nearsighted like mine has surgery for cataracts and, as a result, got new internal lenses that eliminated the need for glasses for distance but required she buy &#039;reading glasses&#039;.&nbsp; These vary greatly in price and quality (but some are expensive and not so great while there are some decent ones that are quite reasonable).&nbsp; I tried a pair of her readers on top of my regular glasses and found that they not only allowed me to see coins close up better but they added the 3D view I enjoyed with my stereo microscope.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I splurged and bought a $1 pair of the strongest readers (+3.25) at the local Dollar Store (where everything actually is $1).&nbsp; These provided me with a sharp, 3D image at about four inches and cost 1/10 the cheapest other magnifier I owned.&nbsp;&nbsp; Now many would not be caught dead in public wearing glasses on top of your glasses in public but these fold up to slip in a pocket so you only put them on when actually looking at a coin and, IMHO, don&#039;t look any more strange than did the 2D flip down lens which did not give nearly as clear a view.&nbsp;&nbsp; The pair I bought are a bit too big for my nose so they easily ride down where they only cover the bottom of my glasses (already trifocals so now I get a fourth distance (distance, computer, book and coin).&nbsp; Exactly how this works will differ for each user according to glasses prescription, age and whether you, like me, have enough astigmatism that taking off the regular glasses no longer works.&nbsp; If you are young and have normal eyes, you might find that a cheap pair of readers worn low on the nose will&nbsp; be all you need.&nbsp; For $1, you might give it a try.</p><p><br /></p><p>The photo below shows, for comparison, both the readers and the flip down magnifier (anyone want it?).&nbsp; There is no reason to wear both at once except to demonstrate the comparison.&nbsp; One wouldn&#039;t want to look ridiculous now, would one?</p><p>[ATTACH=full]328467[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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