Time to beat dead horse again “scratched slabs” 0

[Jason Abshier]

I been buying most of my coins online the last few years I buy a lot ! World coins , old US classic coins , modern silver bullion ... I find a lot coin slabs to be scratched up badly even freshly new slabs , I used to have a love for collecting the older NGC “fatty soap bar” slabs as well I always look on back make sure hologram not ripped off by dealers stickers. Some dealers like to sell older “surviving holders” for little more premium if hologram is ruined I’ll give a discount offer most decline the offer and coin sits there collecting dust cause they thing it worth more in an older holder 🤷‍♂️
 

Then again I should ask a dealer would they wash their car with a steel wool Brillo pad and take a wood chisel to scrap off some bugs before they try to sell it to someone else for top dollars ? Some coins get tossed around in dealer inventory like it’s nothing I’ve even seen some coins that cost upward $5,000 range full of scratches just irritating don’t some sellers and dealers even consider that slab it part of package when buying a coin? Oh the joys of buffing slabs!  time for me to get my novus plastic polish out and start buffing usually when I’m done buffing out slabs those coin remain in my collection for many years they don’t get another scratch on them I’m sure there a lot of us buy coins online even with good pictures then get in mail see it’s all scratched up 

 

[James Zyskowski]

Being newish I’ve heard about problems buffing or polishing.   You mentioned Novus have heard about Meguiars plastic cleaners. Can I please pick your brain on this. My question is which product for ngc pcgs etc. have been warned about meguiars not for ngc. Ok for pcgs. How do you feel about these products and anyone else who can add in. Thanks 🤓

[Jason Abshier]

Some NGC slabs are hard to buff out with just a simple rag and some polish solution . Some scratches are so deep right over the coin you do have to sand the slab with 2000-3000 or even 8000 grit mesh you can get at auto store .The finer the scratches the easier it’s to buff out me however I use a drill press with 1” and 2” foam polishing pads , I set drill press spindle speed on slow use Novus #3 heavy scratch remover go over slab a few times with let the polish and drill press do the work I only focus on around the coin area the rest of slab I don’t care if theres tiny scratches , then I swap out a different foam pads for each polishing compound soulutions so I don’t mix up grits in polishing the slab each compound has a different grit in it to remove the finer scratches left by using heavier compound ... I use the meguiar scratch-X 2.0 is last step to polishing the slab. PCGS slabs polish a little easier. Novus #1 ? That stuff like liquid that can be used to wipe on plastic, I think it’s a anti fog soulution or something I don’t use Novus #1 ... every plastic polish has some kind of grits in to remove scratch each brand will pretty much work it’s how fine the grits are in the solution also depends on rag your using and how much pressure you’re inserting on the rag while buffing don’t use paper towels they are abrasive the leave behind hair lines ... The softest rag I found were these white fluffy rags my wife bought from dollar general in auto section of store she used them for polishing furniture around the house one side is fluffy and other side microfiber very very soft type of rag . Every rag will leave some type of scratch behind very very tiny hairline scratches it’s what it is 

Novus #3

Novus #2 

Mequiars scratch-x 2.0 

[Jason Abshier]

On another note I don’t know I haven’t looked into yet but it been on top of my head for years ... why hasn’t anyone come out with a very very thin crystal clear protection film you lay over the slab sorta like IPhone you can buy super thin glass that sticks on the face of an iPhone or iPad to protect the surface from scratches and scuffs when it gets all booger up peel it off and put a new on one simple as that . I don’t see why slabs can’t have that 

[James Zyskowski]

Thank you very much!  I foresee some practice coming up. I will study what you’ve kindly given j.  Jzyskowski 

[Jason Abshier]

I myself should reach out to a company who makes very thin temper glass screen protectors see if they can cut me to slab size for NGC slabs perhaps more of crystal clear plastic than temper glass . As for PCGS they would have to made as circle type pattern for the protector to lay down just above the coin ... it’s no brainer I have no idea why nobody came up with that Idea after all these years battling scuffs and scratches on slabs is collectors should’ve have to send coins in to be re-slabbed for severe scratches that won’t polish out a protector will make a world of difference  

[James Zyskowski]

Been thinking about this and one thing I wondered was attaching the film to the slab without having trouble removing it or leaving residue iPhone is kinda special glass or high tech poly so their cover film needs to take into account the surfaces. Very fascinating idea 💡 

[Jason Abshier]

I think iPhone screen protector is made of tempered glass no way to cut it if you try it will crack easy from what I’m told . But tempered glass is very strong harder to deeply scratch it , when you drop it of course it cracks on impact but it doesn’t shatter.
 

Then they have flexible films that are crystal clear they can be cut to basically any size or shape you want they can be peeled off easier and put back on I may look into that I send a few manufactures a email see what they say or if they can send me a few samples me thinking only around the coin needs protected from scratches the rest of slab doesn’t matter , why hasn’t NGC or PCGS offer something like that for slab coins they would make more money adding a little more protection to the coins they are grading for years collectors battled and complained about scratches on slabs there no excuse why grading companies can’t sell some type of film to lay over slabs for protection 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Jason Abshier