HELP! Help with cleaning pin

[curiouslittleoyster]

Hi! I received this pin in the mail today from *bay. When I placed my bid, I wasn’t paying close attention to the picture and assumed it was just dirt or house debris that I could easily clean off since it was listed as new condition. I’ve had a hard time removing this residue. Any ideas what it is and how to remove it? Also, was disappointed to see the condition of the pin underneath doesn’t look great. Would love any tips on how to clean this pin up or if I should just throw it out.

Here’s the photo from the listing:

And here’s what it looked like in person when I got it:

And how it looks now after I’ve tried to clean it (used cotton q tips dipped in alcohol and soft cloth):

Or is there anything anyone recommends to seal it to prevent it from getting gross again? It’s isolated from the rest of my pins and I’ve placed it in a sealed clear bag in the meantime. I’ve never tried to clean a pin like this before.

Thanks so much! 🙂


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[ViciousLady]

I'd try slightly warm water with some very gentle dish soap and a soft bristled toothbrush to gently work the oxidation off, and...it mostly looked like tarnish so I'd try and keep it dry. If I had to guess it was exposed to moisture to reach that level of almost corrosion.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

What a pain, I'm sorry this happened to you. I second @ViciousLady 's recommendations.

 

[Shelterkat]

Wow I can't believe the seller sent that 😵

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

I'd try slightly warm water with some very gentle dish soap and a soft bristled toothbrush to gently work the oxidation off, and...it mostly looked like tarnish so I'd try and keep it dry. If I had to guess it was exposed to moisture to reach that level of almost corrosion.

Thank you so much! I’ll try that!


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[curiouslittleoyster]

What a pain, I'm sorry this happened to you. I second @ViciousLady 's recommendations.

Thank you! I’ll report back here later this evening with the results.


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[curiouslittleoyster]

Wow I can't believe the seller sent that 😵

I was shocked when I received it but blame myself for not paying closer attention to the photo and asking questions before bidding on it just because it was listed as new. Hoping it will be salvageable. If not, lesson learned.


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[ViciousLady]

I'd honestly report it on the feedback that the item was not new as listed, and those pictures are deceiving, it could be a shine of light in the pictures, when close ups clearly show the corrosion.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Have you tried an eraser - preferably a white one as they are softer than the regular pink ones?

 

[mybabykelly]

I was shocked when I received it but blame myself for not paying closer attention to the photo and asking questions before bidding on it just because it was listed as new. Hoping it will be salvageable. If not, lesson learned.


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Hi Rae!!! So glad to see you on here again 🙂 Have you reached out to the seller to express your dissatisfaction? If they listed it as “new” and the pictures weren’t great quality, it means they misrepresented the pin.

I’ve had to reach out to sellers plenty of times in the past. And you know what, an honest seller will accept the return.

That’s why when I trade/sell I always list out all the flaws. It lessens your chances of actually making the trade/sale but it also lessens the chances of a dissatisfied customer.

You’re such a sweet person and I’d hate for you to have to bite the bullet for something you didn’t intend.

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

I'd honestly report it on the feedback that the item was not new as listed, and those pictures are deceiving, it could be a shine of light in the pictures, when close ups clearly show the corrosion.

Thank you. I’ve been feeling upset at myself for not looking more closely and asking questions before I placed my winning bid. I’ll be contacting the seller again.


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[curiouslittleoyster]

Have you tried an eraser - preferably a white one as they are softer than the regular pink ones?

I haven’t tried that. I shall try that as well. So far, it doesn’t look much better than what I’ve tried already but let me try that too.


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[curiouslittleoyster]

Hi Rae!!! So glad to see you on here again 🙂 Have you reached out to the seller to express your dissatisfaction? If they listed it as “new” and the pictures weren’t great quality, it means they misrepresented the pin.

I’ve had to reach out to sellers plenty of times in the past. And you know what, an honest seller will accept the return.

That’s why when I trade/sell I always list out all the flaws. It lessens your chances of actually making the trade/sale but it also lessens the chances of a dissatisfied customer.

You’re such a sweet person and I’d hate for you to have to bite the bullet for something you didn’t intend.

My friend!! How are you?? Yes, I’m back! 🙂 Hope to catch up with you soon too!

Thank you! I will reach out again. I reached out and expressed my concerns but they didn’t address my concerns and only told me they weren’t certain what that residue was. I will ask for a return. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to return it though because I’ve already cleaned off a good chunk of it myself and it’s no longer in the condition it arrived in.


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[curiouslittleoyster]

After trying your recommendations, here’s where I’m at now:

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[ViciousLady]

It looks a lot better, but there's still what appears to be some corrosion under the pin on pin element. Maybe try a q-tip soaked in white vinegar applied to the area a for a bit before using the soft brush again? You could also try a toothpick to gently pry/scrape those particulates out, but I would be wary of scratching/damaging the pin. It looks a LOT better though! To avoid moisture and this kind of corrosion/tarnish I keep some silica packets in my pin bag and try and keep them in dry areas out of sunlight.

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

It looks a lot better, but there's still what appears to be some corrosion under the pin on pin element. Maybe try a q-tip soaked in white vinegar applied to the area a for a bit before using the soft brush again? You could also try a toothpick to gently pry/scrape those particulates out, but I would be wary of scratching/damaging the pin. It looks a LOT better though! To avoid moisture and this kind of corrosion/tarnish I keep some silica packets in my pin bag and try and keep them in dry areas out of sunlight.

Thank you! I will try that. I’ve kept the pin isolated in another room away from any other pins just in case. I’ll get some silica packets too. I’m scared to mix this into the general pin population in case this can spread to other pins.


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