Everyone's advice on getting coins ready for submission....
Wolfy00002
Posts: 471
Ok folks, the time for me has come. I've been reading and reading, and oh my god reading until my eyes cross, trying to make sure I get the most for what I'm getting ready to pay a lot of hard earned money for. So to save a bunch of reading by you, and a bunch of posting by me, I'm going to try to get most of my basic questions about getting coins ready for submission here.
People, you are the pros at this, so please give me all the advice you can. My questions are as follows...
1. What do I hold my coins with (type of glove), when transferring them to the flips?
2. I have several coins with haze and or milk spots, will acetone take care of this? If so will it damage my coins at all? If it won't help, what will help remove them?
3. Please give the basic steps for doing the above procedure (i.e. dipping, rinsing, drying).
4. I've got 94 coins ready to submit. I know that's not a lot to some of you, but this is my first time, is that too many to submit at once?
Ok, I guess that will be enough to keep me busy until tommorrow, but be ready, there will be more questions, I'm sure. Thank you in advance for any advice that you have.
People, you are the pros at this, so please give me all the advice you can. My questions are as follows...
1. What do I hold my coins with (type of glove), when transferring them to the flips?
2. I have several coins with haze and or milk spots, will acetone take care of this? If so will it damage my coins at all? If it won't help, what will help remove them?
3. Please give the basic steps for doing the above procedure (i.e. dipping, rinsing, drying).
4. I've got 94 coins ready to submit. I know that's not a lot to some of you, but this is my first time, is that too many to submit at once?
Ok, I guess that will be enough to keep me busy until tommorrow, but be ready, there will be more questions, I'm sure. Thank you in advance for any advice that you have.
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I don't use gloves at all. I did when I first started, but I was fumbling too much. I just make sure to hold the coin by the edges.
Use only ET Kointainer SAFLIPS if you are submitting proof coins, and stay away from polybags. Vinyl flips will very frequently cause hazing on proofs, and some polybags will do the same.
Pack the coins securely, so they don't move around during shipping. Different people have different methods for that, but I use the corrugated cardboard Safe-T-Mailers and pack the coins two flips to each mailer. Then I rubber band the stack together and wrap in bubblewrap.
Ship your coins on a Monday morning to reduce the possibility that they'll be sitting in some transfer station over a weekend and adding time to them sitting inside the box. Use only registered mail. It is the most secure and, for higher dollar coins, the least expensive.
Russ, NCNE
1) I put a towel or cloth on my desk (just in case the gloves make things slippery) and use cotton gloves to drop the coins in the flips. Some folks are sold on bare hands. Those that are more adept with their fingers are probably right. For me, I'm a bit clumsy - I don't want to touch my surfaces (especially on my proofs).
2 and 3) Dipping the coins depends deeply on what the coin is... copper, silver, clad, and gold all react differently for dipping. Be extremely careful here... Here's another thread that has some good information about dipping towards the bottom of the thread. I'm not a dipping expert, so I'll leave that to the thread and to others that will offer up.
4) 93 is a bunch for me. You should do what you are comfortable with, but I would break it down into more submissions, with divisions at the numbers that make the postage and insurance the most sensible.
If I may, something else... Package up your coins in the flips tightly so they don't rattle around in the flip in the Post Office world. I tightly wrap mine in bubble wrap and put those in bubble envelopes to make them more immobile.
For the variety of coins you are submitting, you really should send them registered, insured, priority. You'll have a much safer trip to Newport Beach that way.
I hope this has helped you in some way.
Greg Hansen, Melbourne, FL Click here for any current EBAY auctions Multiple "Circle of Trust" transactions over 14 years on forum
2. I have several coins with haze and or milk spots, will acetone take care of this? If so will it damage my coins at all? 3. Please give the basic steps for doing the above procedure (i.e. dipping, rinsing, drying). If it won't help, what will help remove them? Haze will dip off silver coins. I use Jewel Luster. Dip for 2-3 seconds max. Immediately dunk in water. Remove coin by hand, rinse under warm running water 30 seconds, rotating, flipping, and exposing the reeds to the flow. Be sure to reposition your fingers so those parts are well rinsed. Dip in 91% alcohol. Blow dry with compressed air. Set on lint free cloth and gently press to remove any remaining alcohol. Transfer to flip. No recommended on clad, copper, nickel, gold, zinc, etc. Dipping is best practiced on inexpensive coins... I have ruined a few. Great tril coins are toned SMS Kennedy Halfs, or Brown Ikes. Will not remove milk spots.
4. I've got 94 coins ready to submit. I know that's not a lot to some of you, but this is my first time, is that too many to submit at once? That's a whole lot. Granted larger submissions save you on shipping both ways, best to wet you feet first. Pick the best 1 or two of each type you plan to submit. That will let yyou know if the lesser coins are worth it.
One item you never addressed was selecting coins to submit... examine carefully looking for cleaning (harsh--such as the grey silver over dipped look, or any lines left), strength of strike (learn for the series where the common weak points are), luster (unbroken cartwheel best, does not apply to no MS coins), and marks (number, severity, grade sensitive areas).
All these steps might savce you a lot of heart ache and expense.
Good luck with your submissions. As exhibited by the recent thread regarding Coin World's submission sampler, don't expect any degree of consistency in the grades. Also, don't be surprised if they are returned in more than one shipment...several days apart...late.
When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.
Thomas Paine
For registered mail....
Buy a roll of the gummed paper tape. Some office supply stores car this. Before wetting the paper, cut to size and "notch" the tape. First cut 4 short strips for the box corners. Nothch them so once wet you can fold over the ends on top of and on the bottom of the box. Wet and apply all 4 corners 1 by 1. Tape all 4 corners. Cut one large strip that will run all the way around the perimeter of the box. notch cut at the 4 corners so it will fold down cleanly. Wet the entire strip and align notches with corner and press firmly into place. All seams m,ust be taped.