Not taking away from your credentials but in all seriousness, a lot of people on Tnet do give bad advice!
Just because you are a coin dealer does not automatically qualify you to give advice to others on what to do with their dug coppers.
Your previous statements indicate that in your business you have come across coins that have had their value ruined due to improper cleaning. While that may be true for original problem free coins, it is a whole different ballgame for dug coins, especially coppers.
A dug coin needs to be cleaned, period. There is a right way and a wrong way to clean a dug coin but in the end, the "right way" is not exactly rocket science and most detectorists who have familiarity with dug coppers know the right way to clean their coins.
It is in my opinion (as well as that of many others above) that hiring a third party to "professionally" clean your dug coppers is a waste of time and money.
Yes, a lot of people on this and other forums do give bad advice as I have read quite a bit of it while lurking and perusing posts on many forums!
Yes, just because I buy, sell and trade coins, does not automatically qualify me to give advice to others on what to do with their dug coppers, nor does it qualify many others that do the same to give advice but yet they do! Wouldn't you agree??!! I try to give the best advice, help and info that I can give based on my many years of collecting, buying, selling, trading and yes, even digging metal detected coins! A person may or may not choose to follow my or others advice, the choice is theirs to make. Don't forget that there are many members and lurkers of these forums that are newbies that are looking for advice, help and information and when I make a post to a Thread with advice, help and information, I am writing to them, not to the seasoned experts or those who think they are experts.
Yes, I have seen thousands of coins which had their' values ruined do to improper cleaning and some that were totally destroyed when it comes to value and collectibility! Just because a coin is a dug coin or a dug Copper, that does not always mean that it is a whole different ballgame for all of these. Some are in better condition and because some are scarce or rare or is of Historic significance, they should be handled and treated differently!
Yes, a dug coin needs to be cleaned, period and with some coins a light bath in soap and water and patting dry with a soft towel is all they need! You are right, cleaning a coin the right way is not rocket science and some (I have no real way to qualify most) detectorists who have familiarity with dug coppers know the right way to clean their coins. However, as I stated above, there are many member and lurkers of these forums that do not know the right way to clean coins.
Yes, there are times when using a Third Party Grading Service's Conservation Division to clean your' coins is a waste of time and money! However, there are times when it is money well spent, especially if the coin or coins in question are very scarce or rare for the Date, very scarce or rare for the Variety for the Date and Series, is of Historic significance and/or when the coin is worth thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Besides, by having a coin cleaned, conserved (preserved), certified, graded and holdered in a slab by one of these services, one is actually advertising their' find and the coin itself because these service's employees tend to talk to others in the Coin Collecting Community and especially Collectors about specific coins they receive for services. This gets the word out and may not only help with the sell of the coin, if the finder chooses to sell it but it also garners more interest and more competition for the coin and can help it fetch a much higher price when it is sold via some auction venue. Also, some coins can actually fetch 10% to as much as 50% more at auction due to being certified, graded and slabbed.
Frank
