Is This a "Crack-out" and Dip Candidate?

danreller

This is the second time I've had this darkly toned coin up for auction. In your opinion, if this doesn't sell should I crack it out and dip it?



Does anyone have any experience in dipping darkly toned coins like this?

1860-O Seated Half


Dan

beelzebud

I can tell you that dipping it will probably not remove all the toning as it appears too deep/thick. You would be dipping for a while and be probably forced to rub the surface as well. Also cant tell if there is any underlying luster that would be brought out by doing the dipping. JMHO.

Bill

nwcs

Since it's got light wear, a dip will probably make it look unnatural. And as Bill said, it may be too late.

lordmarcovan

Dan, it looks risky. Sure, you could improve its appearance by dipping it, maybe, but then how are you going to get it back into a major-service holder without a bodybag or a net grade? It's dark, but the toning is original, right? I've definitely seen worse- I would rather have an overall-dark coin like that than one with blotchy, mottled, spotty, or uneven toning.

I personally don't think your price is that unreal, but if I were you I would lower it to your rock-bottom, break-even point (allowing a little extra for eBay fees, of course). If that IS your break-even point, then leave the price as it is and scan a bigger and brighter picture. (Not too bright as to misrepresent the toning, but bright enough to show the finer detail- I know hard it can be to scan a coin like that). In my opinion, those little eBay iPix pictures are not big enough, unless you go with the "supersize" option. Your pictures are almost big enough, though, and better than many out there. Just make them a tiny bit bigger and work on the brightness- experiment with scanning the coin at a slight angle, too. Scanning at a slight angle might capture some of the colors- it looks like the coin is not all flat grey- there is some trace of blue on the reverse, right?

I don't find the coin that objectionable. I say leave it alone and work on your picture (and price, if possible). Though a bit dark, it's really not a displeasing coin.

KlectorKid

i wouldnt dip it.. im sure some1 will come along and buy a nice origanal piecem the toning on the back is pretty nice

its4real

Set your opening price at 1 cent and let the market take it's course...AFTER getting a brighter picture. The picture is EVERYTHING on e-bay.

I bought an 1884 CC GSA Morgan for $90. The pic was terrible! Got the coin in and it must have been MS-64. Beautiful.

I took a few good shots and put it up and it sold for $215.

The pic is EVERYTHING - that's all a buyer has to go on.

dorkkarl

i don't think the coin is too dark itself, looks like the image is, considering that the white plastic looks greyish. but i also think the asking price is strong. it's a very common date, & i would think $155 is more realistic.

K S

MadMarty

If you buy it, I'll tell you one thing. PCGS does NOT like to grade dark toned coins. I had 3 proof Morgans, very dark toned (all PR65, ANACS) and PCGS would not grade them at all.

lordmarcovan

Its4real is right- a good pic makes all the difference in the world. It ain't always easy to do, but it's worth the extra effort and several different tries. I regularly buy low to midpriced foreign coins and then stick 'em back on eBay with a better pic and a more detailed, correct attribution, and I often end up doubling or tripling my money. On occasion, I have even gotten ten times my money!

And if you are willing to take the risk and gamble your investment on a "true auction" (i.e. very low start with no reserve), you might actually do better in the long run. I have put up true auctions of coins with a Buy-It-Now price. As you know, that BIN price diappears when the item gets a bid. Sometimes the bidding gets so hot-n-heavy that the thing ends up selling for more than I originally set the BIN at!

Case in point: I had a colonial copper in hideous low grade (Fair-2 and crusty, to boot). I'd paid $1.50 for the thing by buying it in a big bulk lot of coppers. I put up as best a picture as I could (nothing could have made the thing look nice). I was hoping to get $6-8 out of it, but did not put a BIN price on it. It was moderately scarce, but again, it was so ugly that I wanted it out of my sight.

It sold for $36. Several other uglies from the same lot exceeded $15 each (in other words, ten times what I had paid for them on eBay a week or two before). Why? I was selling them individually, with workable individual pictures instead of a small, featureless group picture like the previous seller had used when I bought them. And I started them at one cent with no reserve, so the bidders came in early and started competing with each other. (But at a $1.50 per coin wholesale bulk cost, I had little downside risk). Good thing I didn't use a BIN of $8 on that one particular coin- I would have cheated myself out of $28!

danreller

I just bought some JewelLuster and if that puppy doesn't sell I'm going to dip it. I don't liked darkly toned coins. I can't stand looking at it the way it is. I bought this coin from Bowers and Marena and the picture they used was digitally altered (a lot) and looked much brighter than the actual coin.

Dan

clevegreg

You might want to try NCS, they have done some great things with coins i have sent in. I will admit, however, that none of them were quite that dark. For $10.00 or so it might be a great investment.

Greg

coinnerd

Dan
Don't dip the coin. I agree with the others you will probably not be happy with the results. Greg has a good idea. If NCS feels they can't help the coin they won't mess with it.

danreller

Well, maybe you folks are right. I've never dipped a coin so I have to admit I'm venturing into unknown territory. I don't think I'll dip.

How about a pencil eraser or brasso or simichrome? Just kidding.

I wish someone would take that one off my hands. I hate dark toned coins.

Dan

heavycopper

Don't dip an expensive coin for your first time. I've dipped 3 coins that came out nicely but they all high very light toning/haze. This is so much darker that it will look very strange if you dip it. I think a buyer will pay more for a dark coin than a strange looking dipped coin. Sell it as is and take the loss.

brokenCC

It'll turn brown and ugly from what I see in the Pic.