Bright and Shiny! -- Good or Bad?

I am a Coin Dealer, and I do know something about coins. I've been in the business a long time, over 40 years,well known throughout the West Coast. Business name--Coin Connection Central, PO Box 2332, Covina, CA 91722 -- Cell: 626-589-7498!
I too was once a kid, oh yes, I was. I am a kinda of a Ripleys Believe It Or Not!, for that time. Acoin collecting kid - nerd, even when it wasn't 'fashionable' to do so, eventually turning my hobbyinto a full-time business.
Seasoned collectors know not to clean their coins, but I have found that the general public needs a bit of help in this area.
Now, thatI have been on okay for overeight years and,have dealt with thousandsof people here on okay-and offline (at Major Coin Expos, etc.), I thought I wouldthrow in my Fifty Cents worth (no pun intended).
For instance, ifyou had an antiquechair, and it needed some major overhauling, (such as - sanding, new nails, wood putty, fresh coast of stain (etc.), you would do the job, and end up with a "new and improved" antique chair. More than likely, thepeople at the Antiques TV Showwould scold you, and tell you thatthis now wonderful, pristine chair(or so you thought it was),would have been worth $2,000.00,--remember the word 'wood', but with the great "improvements" that you have done with such loving care, it should nowbring around $100.00 bucks atan auction.
Well, coins are the same way, and you candrop their value by trying to "make 'em pretty". We actually had one lady that stopped bymy table at a Coin Expo with a wet baggie fullof old silver coins stating she wanted them nice and shiny so she could get the most money for them!!??--I just about fainted!
On another level, somecoins can be and areimproved with some restoration, however this should only be done by a Michaelangelo, or another specialist in the field.
Not all cleaning is BAD! Sometimes it can be the only way a person can afford a particular piece that they have been searching for to fit in their collection, with the hopes to upgrade! JUST MAKE SURE IT IS GENUINE--and you won't lose! Remember the word geniune, not grade--any respectable dealer will, and should guarantee geniune!! If he/so states.
All in all, if you feel you have a cointhat isno so attractivelooking, PLEASE go to someone with expertise in this particular field, and have themguide you. The coin you save may be your own!
Best of luck, and good wishes!
Doc