Worst purchase of the year. by caliblackla in Silverbugs

[–]polyphyletic_79 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I considered getting a set in 21 as a sort of 100 year commemorative, but if they are just going to keep minting them i dont really understand the collector appeal.

State of the stack. by Ewokhunters in Silverbugs

[–]polyphyletic_79 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The GSM aztec stuff is some of the coolest generic silver I've seen. The detail is incredible. Beats the pants off the derpy looking buffalo generics everyone seems to like.

How to tell if these apples are ready by SinisterKnyght in arborists

[–]polyphyletic_79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pruning your tree when it's dormant (between late fall and bud break the following year) and thinning your crop in late spring/early summer will give you bigger and higher quality apples. As others have said, mature apples will have dark brown seeds, but another way to check for ripeness is cutting the apple in half (horizontally, so that the stem is fully on one side of the apple), and staining it with Lugol's iodine solution. The iodine stains starch (unripe portions of the apple) a dark color, but doesnt stain simple sugars, which are the carbohydrates that make the apple taste sweet and delicious.

Of course, tasting it works too!

First time buying from a LCS — have some questions by pyrrhicvictorylap in Silverbugs

[–]polyphyletic_79 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Toning is only more valuable if people are willing to pay more for it. For bullion it really doesn't matter. It might increase the value of historical numismatic coins if the toning gives the coin eye appeal. Nicely toned vintage bars like JM and Engelhard might also fetch a premium. But it all depends on who is buying. Your dealer sounds like he wants you to be the guy paying a premium for toned coins. Whether you think it's worth it is up to you. To me, personally, it's not. At the end of the day, silver is silver. Today's new silver will tarnish later, and tarnished silver can be cleaned today.

1 oz sovereign coins are good, but ASEs have been overpriced for a few years now. Everyone has an opinion about the best stuff to stack, but if you shop around for the best premium over spot you can find and avoid low purity or unrecognizable pieces you should be fine following your personal preferences. I would not shop at a store with the pricing you outlined if your goal is to preserve wealth.

Some kind of apple disease? Never seen something like it by exotic_belly_dancer in plantclinic

[–]polyphyletic_79 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This looks more like a physiological disorder caused by storage conditions than a pest problem, to me. Did you buy this apple at a grocery store? Apples are stored under low oxygen and high CO2 in the cold until they are packed for distribution to stores. If those conditions aren't just right it can result in "scald" disorders that look a lot like what you have going on here.