To polish, or not to polish brass cased ammo of tarnish?

[His lordship.]

I just traded some older rifle cartridges, a .375 H & H and a .404 Parker Hale.  They were really tarnished up when I bought them, and I then used brass polish to brighten them up.  When I traded them to a collector, deep down inside I thought that I maybe should have left them with a patina.

I have heard people say that it hurts value.  But, these were really dark. :?

Thanks

[Collect22]

I just traded some older rifle cartridges, a .375 H & H and a .404 Parker Hale.  They were really tarnished up when I bought them, and I then used brass polish to brighten them up.  When I traded them to a collector, deep down inside I thought that I maybe should have left them with a patina.

I have heard people say that it hurts value.  But, these were really dark. :?

Thanks

Hi Chris,

I collect cartridges, and use Bronze wool to remove the tarnish.  If the cartridges are of newer manufacture, and slightly tarnished, brass polish is o.k. as long as you wipe it off completely and then wipe the brass with an oiled rag.  A light application of oil will help to prevent further tarnishing.