Was watching "Pawn Stars" on TV last night......

guitarwes

......and the pawn shop owner bought a cleaned 1849 Colt Revolver. He took it to a local gun shop to get a professional opinion on it and the guy told him that it'd been heavily brushed and to bury it in the ground for a few weeks/months to let it rust up slightly to get back some of the patina that had been wire-brushed off by the original owner.

Anyhoo, my question is, has anyone done this with coins? I would think silver coins would be the likely candidate for this, as copper and dirt don't mix well and gold isn't affected by much.

By the way, that Pawn Shop is in Las Vegas and is open 24 hours. I imagine some of the folks on these boards have heard of it or have visited it.

-wes

rgCoinGuy

I've developed a liking for that show. Never tried burying silver coins though.

PerryHall

Usually cleaned coins are buried in Taco Bell napkins to tone them.

BillJones

Many years ago I when I purchased coins, the dealer placed them in little white envelops that had sulfur in them. I learned that if I stored a dipped or cleaned coin in them for a couple of years that most coins toned rather nicely. It worked for cleaned silver and copper, but it took time.

BTW I've been watching the Pawn Stars show too and have really enjoyed it. One of the favorites was the beat-up Coke machine. The trouble is after it was "restored" there was not much left of it that was original.. It made me wonder why you bothered to buy the body of the old Coke machine in the first place.

garsmith

When and what station is that show on, I've never seen it.

WinPitcher

It is on the history channel.


I too enjoy that show.


Steve

SilverBaron

I like the show as well.

Did you see the blurb about the single largest CASH sale

they had was $121,000 for 4 1-Kilo bars of gold?

jmj3esq

saw my first episode last night. I liked it a lot. These guys look like likeable guys as compared to some of the slime I have seen running pawn shops.

I bet their business has gone up quite a bit from this exposure.

CarsonCityGold

<< <i>One of the favorites was the beat-up Coke machine. >>



Re-watch the episode about the Coke Machine.
Look closely at the contour of the top of the box when it's old and rusty.
Look at the contour when it's been restored. Completely different shape.
Sure didn't look like the same machine and I'm not talking about because it was clean and pretty.
Am I nuts or did anyone else notice this?

cars

Cool show. I play a little game with it and say what I would pay for the item and see how close I get to deal price. Trying to see if I would be a good pawn shop owner .

Mission16

That is a cool show. I wish the shops around here had cool stuff like that.

kryptonitecomics

I like the show but it really let's you take a peek on the inside of just how much profit these guys try to make off every deal. I understand there are risks and they have to sit on stuff for months and months before they can recoup there money but it seem like they shot for several hundred percent profit on every deal

It sure doesn't make me like pawn shops anymore but then again....if an owner wants to go into a pawn shop with a piece of art appraised at $15,000 and walk away with $2500....who am I to stop them. Frankly if they aren't smart enought to take some of this stuff to auction house then......???

RichR

I liked the episode where the son pulled out a stack of Morgans and had the old man (his father, right?) looking through them...just to see if he had gone to the eye doctor.

There was even a comment on the comparitive additional value of CC mintmark coins...which I thought was a nice touch.

Don't know if I trust that other young guy though...he looks like a sneak to me! Or somebody who should be running a porn shop...rather than a pawn shop!

COALPORTER

I like the show too, I hope they don't run out of ideas too fast.

I saw the episode with the over cleaned revolver, and the store did lose money on that one.

I thougt it was funny has heck when the gun shop guy suggested that the pawn shop guy AT the gun to make it sellable as a relic. ROFL!!

YaHa

I like the show very much.. Don't have any shops around here like that.. I saw a VF Unis Kennedy coin for sale in a local pawn shop for $125. It's that coin RG or Broadstuck shows on here all the time..


Remember this fellow collectors, that show Pawn shop won't make it, you mark my word.. Anytime I like something it goes bye, bye... Bring back Deadwood and long live Woo Pigs and Joaney the Hoe..


Sweargen is on Kings and don't care for that show no how..

oxy8890

I saw this show also and thought it was pretty funny. I wouldn't suggest trying this with coins though. I found a few pennies in the dirt before and they were pretty nasty.

zeebob

I think for UNcirculated coins, people try to hide the cleaning with stuff like the Taco Bell napkin.

For circulated coins, I think they get turned in to pocket pieces so the circulation wear masks the cleaning.

I have often wondered if problem coins get dumped into a marine environment then sold to unsuspecting customers as shipwreck coins.

PerryHall

<< <i>I think for UNcirculated coins, people try to hide the cleaning with stuff like the Taco Bell napkin.

For circulated coins, I think they get turned in to pocket pieces so the circulation wear masks the cleaning.

I have often wondered if problem coins get dumped into a marine environment then sold to unsuspecting customers as shipwreck coins. >>



Saltw@ter would do more harm to coins than most cleanings so I wouls have to say no.

PerryHall

I had to change the spelling of one of the words in my prior post since it contained a forbidden word.

yellowkid

Gave up the tube here about five years ago, don't miss it, read a couple of books a week and still watch movies fom Netflix on the monitor. I think TV rots your brain.

PerryHall

<< <i>Gave up the tube here about five years ago, don't miss it, read a couple of books a week and still watch movies fom Netflix on the monitor. I think TV rots your brain. >>



And this place doesn't?

coolest

<< <i>

<< <i>One of the favorites was the beat-up Coke machine. >>



Re-watch the episode about the Coke Machine.
Look closely at the contour of the top of the box when it's old and rusty.
Look at the contour when it's been restored. Completely different shape.
Sure didn't look like the same machine and I'm not talking about because it was clean and pretty.
Am I nuts or did anyone else notice this? >>



That must have been some pretty fancy body work to create a smooth finish on that machine.

BBN

I loved the episode with the cannon. The guy seriously had a cannon in his collection of things. Best of all it was original and still fired

RichR

I loved the episode with the guy who brings in his grandfather's(?) Civil War calvarly saber...that still might have had bloodstains on it....HELLO!

What you been doing with that sword, sonny?

PerryHall

<< <i>I loved the episode with the guy who brings in his grandfather's(?) Civil War calvarly saber...that still might have had bloodstains on it....HELLO!

What you been doing with that sword, sonny? >>



Preseving it in its original as used condition?

ProofRainbowRoosevelt

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>One of the favorites was the beat-up Coke machine. >>



Re-watch the episode about the Coke Machine.
Look closely at the contour of the top of the box when it's old and rusty.
Look at the contour when it's been restored. Completely different shape.
Sure didn't look like the same machine and I'm not talking about because it was clean and pretty.
Am I nuts or did anyone else notice this? >>



That must have been some pretty fancy body work to create a smooth finish on that machine. >>



I was amazed at the fine job they did on that machine. For all the work they put into it, the bill was much less than I expected. Good show!

Res

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>One of the favorites was the beat-up Coke machine. >>



Re-watch the episode about the Coke Machine.
Look closely at the contour of the top of the box when it's old and rusty.
Look at the contour when it's been restored. Completely different shape.
Sure didn't look like the same machine and I'm not talking about because it was clean and pretty.
Am I nuts or did anyone else notice this? >>



That must have been some pretty fancy body work to create a smooth finish on that machine. >>



I was amazed at the fine job they did on that machine. For all the work they put into it, the bill was much less than I expected. Good show! >>



Last nights show the body shop guy completely re-did that hot rod for 8 grand, including body/ painting and rebuilding the engine. Sounded like a bargain to me.

SaorAlba

When I was in high school I bought a bunch of Columbian halves that had been polished. I put them up on top of a gate out at the ranch where they sat for several years. I turned them over every few months and after a few years they looked natural again.

CoinCrazyPA

coindeuce

<< <i>I like the show as well.

Did you see the blurb about the single largest CASH sale

they had was $121,000 for 4 1-Kilo bars of gold? >>



The shop owner that paid 121K for 128.6 troy ounces can't be too swift. Unless the transaction was made when gold peaked at about $1,000 in July of 2008, that gold might as well be buried treasure.

JamesMurray

<< <i>......and the pawn shop owner bought a cleaned 1849 Colt Revolver. He took it to a local gun shop to get a professional opinion on it and the guy told him that it'd been heavily brushed and to bury it in the ground for a few weeks/months to let it rust up slightly to get back some of the patina that had been wire-brushed off by the original owner.

Anyhoo, my question is, has anyone done this with coins? I would think silver coins would be the likely candidate for this, as copper and dirt don't mix well and gold isn't affected by much.

By the way, that Pawn Shop is in Las Vegas and is open 24 hours. I imagine some of the folks on these boards have heard of it or have visited it.

-wes >>



Perhaps other metal detectorists will concur on this , but from 20 years of digging up all types of metal and in particular coins its been my experience that a silver coin or indeed a gold coin will come out of the ground as nice as it was when it went in.
This could very well be dependent on ground type but in general they come out of there glinting and gleaming , thats why we say theres no mistaking silver when digging.

yellowkid

<< <i>

<< <i>Gave up the tube here about five years ago, don't miss it, read a couple of books a week and still watch movies fom Netflix on the monitor. I think TV rots your brain. >>



And this place doesn't? >>

yellowkid

<< <i>I loved the episode with the guy who brings in his grandfather's(?) Civil War calvarly saber...that still might have had bloodstains on it....HELLO!

What you been doing with that sword, sonny? >>




I remember that episode from my tv days, it was staged, a set up and the dealer was banned from the show.

ArizonaJack

Great show.
The episode with the Chuck Berry autographed " Fender Strat " pickguard screwed onto a junker import cracked me up. The guy wanted $2500 for it.

Durmex

Anyone have the street name for the pawn shop?
Would like to check it out Labor Day week.

Thanks

scrapbuyer

Info below, I hit the wrong button.

scrapbuyer

Gold and Silver Pawn . Its on Las Vegas Blvd, halfway between the stratosphere and downtown.

astrorat

<< <i>Last nights show the body shop guy completely re-did that hot rod for 8 grand, including body/ painting and rebuilding the engine. Sounded like a bargain to me. >>



Yeah...that was a bit too much of a bargain. Many high-end paint jobs on rods run close to that amount alone. Did I hear it right that they did it in about a week?

Lane

P.S. I also like the show...kind of like an "antiques road show for rednecks!" My kinda stuff!

blu62vette

looks like they are doing marathon tonight, pretty entertaining.

topstuf

I can't watch it. The kid makes some stupid moves. Also it is too close to home.
I hated pawning.
Coors, I didn't have the GOOD stuff they get in Vegas.
Also in Vegas they CHARGE high prices and get it.
Pawnshops are hurting nationwide.
Jobless are turning in everything and there are no buyers.
NEW tools are now too cheap for a used one to even be considered.

I watched it ONCE.

Stayed up half the night remembering stuff.

ugh.

When we retired, we QUIT!

What no one realizes about pawn shops is that 98% of the customers will patch or fake ANYTHING and lie through their teeth about it. EVERY SINGLE one wants to "get one over."

Or rob ya.

ugh, again.

SilverEagles92

New episode coming on at 10PM EST.

I love this show!