| Author |
Replies: 28 / Views: 2,908 |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Glad to see the interest in the 7070 ratcheting back up! It got a little quiet here for awhile. My advice for the 7070 is to pick a goal and grade and then try to stick with it. I had always wanted one of each type coin when I was a kid but of course never had the resources to come close. When I picked up collecting again, I realized it was possible to put together a nice 7070 without totally breaking the bank. In my case, I wanted each coin to have enough detail on it to show the major features of the coin with some detail. So my target grade was mid-VF to XF. I also decided that a progression from older, more worn coins to AU or BU for the modern coins made a nice appearance so that allowed some leeway on the newer coins. I mostly stuck to my grade goal but on the way made a few compromises - especially with the early copper - and am now pretty satisfied (FOR NOW  ) with my set. Except I want to upgrade my Seated Half with Motto and can't for the life of me find one I am satisfied with for the price I want.  But I digress. Gosh, with 3-5 years and $30K, you should be able to build one heck of a nice set - AU at least I would think. That would be something to behold.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I started my type set with the 7070 ... but it's not as complete as I'd like for it to have been. I just got this stacking drawer set up from Vernon Coin. Each drawer has 20 2x2 compartments. I am going to buy the holders that fit, but the place I was shopping required that you place each item in your "shopping cart" as you made the selection .... not knowing that, I spent a considerable amount of time marking everything I wanted and hit the button ... one item in my cart. I didn't take the time to do it again. The 2x2s fit very securely in the compartments. I'm going to build a mahogany cabinet to house the drawers and want to add another stack of 5 ... later. The aluminum case would be great for somebody who collected old 78 rpm records. Chance 
Edited by Chancellor Sutler 11/22/2011 10:08 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
Very cool Chance--looks like a toolbox
Retired USAF 1983-2003
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7198 Posts |
Are you looking to fill an album or have the slabbed cac approved as with your commemoratives?
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
Quote: Given a 3 to 5 year time horizon ... if you had say $30K to spend over that time ... how would you approach the 7070 to create a visually uniform set of lovely coins? I would go AU or above if I had that amount myself. I figured mine up and the coins in my album were worth a year or so ago about 20k and I have the gold page. Gold has risen in price since the last time I added everything up but I still feel with 30k you can do AU+ grades throughout the whole album and even have the gold page included. An AU coin doesn't look out of place beside a BU coin and even though some coins are hard to find in AU, they are available and can be found and will not break the bank or your 30k budget once you are done. The Classic Head Large Cent I mentioned above is around 1-3k in AU problem free, they are around 8-10k in MS-62. So in cases like this I think an AU is perfectly acceptable alternative but I would still take my time and find the one that fit into the album instead of just purchasing it because it fits the bill and the hole
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
642 Posts |
I'd have to agree with Bryan and others. With 30k you should be able to build an AU+ 7070 with the Gold page included. Unless of course Gold goes crazy in the next 3-5 yrs. Would be an amazing set.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
968 Posts |
My current collecting goal is to put together my 7070. I had a bunch of coins from when I collected as a kid that have filled a number of the holes. Many of those coins are in G-F condition (some in AG, others up to AU), but I decided to fill holes with them first and focus on the holes where I have no representative coin at all. When I fill all the holes I'll go back and upgrade the lower grade fillers. So I'd recommend that if you have any holes you can fill with what you have do it, then come back to them later when all the other holes are filled.
With 30k to spend you can put together a very nice collection and what I said above may not matter in your case. I suggest focusing on putting together the main 7070 first and then work on the gold page. I say that because as much money as 30k is, it is possible to get carried away on gold coins and sink too much money into them at the detriment of the rest of the set. Plus, I strongly suspect the melt value of gold will be less in 3-5 years than it is today (my guess is it will be in the $1000 range) so you may as well wait until you can get more for your money there.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2936 Posts |
Sorry I'm behind the power curve on this one David, but may I impart some advice from one who has traveled this road? I know your proclivity (like mine) to upscale. That was a wonderful process for me in my three iterations of the 7070. I currently have only two coins under AU and those are the first two in the series of Large Cents. Given that, I estimate an investment (and it IS an investment) of $25K thus far in my v3.0. The first trip through the process was getting my feet wet while learning about the coins and their histories. The final two were upgrading/tweaking. I have no doubt at some point I will again attack the set and try to go even higher with it (at the expense of some of my other series excepting the commemoratives of course  ) Knowing your love for minutia, there could be very few undertakings that would give you more pleasure IMHO. Bottom line, I'd do a set to do the set and then wrap around and really get into it. Whatever your decision, I know it will be something the rest of us will greatly enjoy vicariously and share your joy. PG
|
|
Moderator
  United States
15542 Posts |
Thanks for all the kind replies and exceptional advise.  Sooo ... I did purchase at last weekend's Baltimore show David Bower's Red Book series on USA Type Coins. Currently reading through the book to gain some minimal basis of knowledge on the undertaking. A few quandaries exist for me as I plan an approach to the set ... Quote: Are you looking to fill an album or have the slabbed cac approved That's a question I have not yet answered for myself ... my preference is to fill a Dansco and enjoy the coins 'in-hand' ... but knowing that I most likely will purchase some (many) of the coins from TPG for authentication purposes ... not sure yet for my enthusiasm to crack out $1K plus coins. Wondering how others have dealt with this issue?  Also hung up on working on my other sets ... first love is still classic US silver commemorative ... and I still have several upgrades needed there to seal the deal to my satisfaction. Most important ... I currently lack the knowledge needed to make an honest go at the 7070 ... appreciate the advise given by several to start small and learn as I go. I'm working to gain that knowledge ... your advise given above is valued and appreciated.  Happy Thanksgiving to all. David
|
|
Moderator
 United States
189767 Posts |
Quote: ...not sure yet for my enthusiasm to crack out $1K plus coins. Wondering how others have dealt with this issue? I have dealt with the issue by avoiding it. I have yet to buy a slabbed coin. As time goes on, it is becoming an inevitability. When time comes, I am certain it will be a lower grade coin; it may even have a details grade if the eye appeal is still there and the price is right.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Similar to jbuck, I avoided the issue by going for coins in VF or XF grades. Besides the obvious fact that money was an issue for me, there is a big jump in price for many of the AU coins. I am also a lot more comfortable putting a VF or XF coin in an album than a AU or MS coin. I mean, what could the plastic slide do to a VF coin that circulation didn't? There is also a much better supply of unslabbed coins in the lower grades.
I have cracked 4 slabs for my 7070 but none of those coins were over $300. I greatly admire the AU sets I have seen but I don't think I could bring myself to crack out so many high grade, expensive coins. I do believe there is a loss of resale value the minute a coin is cracked out.
Edited by KenKat 11/26/2011 09:48 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
759 Posts |
Just a side note for those of you who may be interested in a 7070 project but the 3 years and $30,000 comments give you pause: Well, my 7070 ranges from one AG to Proof, I love it and not only don't I see anything "off" about that grade range in the same book, but I prefer it (and I'm an analytical guy who generally needs to see everything in its perfect looking place and things tying out to 5+ decimal places). My final outlay will probably be about $1500, with more than a few coins coming from when I was a kid or gifts. I like many things about my approach. I don't have a heart attack when I pull the F 1846 Seated Liberty dollar to let some kid feel the texture and weight of a real silver dollar. That's what got me into the hobby, not slabs, populations and investment returns. Many coins have a personal story too, unlike if I tried to assemble a high grade set from scratch. There's the 3 cent CN I received from my grandfather. The IHC I found in change. The MS 1970-S SD LMC I got for free with the purchase of 2 circ Merc dimes decades ago. The 1972 DDO-001 I found in change. The 1826 Bust Half I got as a gift. The $65 Half Dime I sniped for $26. The cleaned 20 cent piece I bought when I didn't know any better. The 2005 Marines Commemorative Dollar I got because dad was a Marine. The AG 1877 Seated Half I found in the outfield during Little League practice. Etc. Etc. So if 3 years and $30K is your thing, it will be a pleasurable pursuit and no doubt spectacular, but there are other approaches that can be personally rewarding at a much lower cost.
Edited by OneBowl 11/26/2011 11:03 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
why is that? Quote: Most important ... I currently lack the knowledge needed to make an honest go at the 7070 ... I doubt that--Ive been collecting coins for 2 years and I have one--I may be doing it wrong--but I'm still doing it.
Retired USAF 1983-2003
Edited by Coinstar 11/26/2011 3:03 pm
|
| |
Replies: 28 / Views: 2,908 |