It's the same here as in the guitar world. A contentious topic which gets discussed at length. Opinions vary and are strongly held.

I don't polish old cymbals myself. VERY delicate clean? Sure. Mostly I just dust...when I get around to it. Other people can do what they like, but if asked I would usually advise against any strong cleaning in case you want to sell them later. Leave the choice up to the buyer. That's my motto. :2Cents:

Sounds good to me. I'll just leave them alone. Seems like with a buffing wheel and some polish one make them look totally new again.

Thanks.

You can make them look shiny, but I don't think you can't really make them look like showroom new. As zenstat says, it a contentious subject, I think most of us here tend to leave them as is unless there is some awful grunge. In that case soap and water and a soft cloth is often the weapon of choice. But there are some here that prefer to shine away. Its a personal decision. No one will come knocking at your door late at night :-)