Anyone Collect Proof Sets?

My dad always gets me and my sisters the proof sets every year for christmas. I have 1999-2010.

I dont know if they will ever be worth anything, but it will be something cool to show my grandchildren if I ever go down that route, haha

While you people are doing this others are busting up their silver mint and proof sets and selling the coins for melt as quickly as they can. If it's not a cameo, it goes...

Yeah, it's certainly a good time if you're a buyer. There's a guy right now in CU who says over the weekend he broke up 2003-2005 silver proof sets and 1961-1964 sets just to sell the silver for spot. There's another guy in that same thread who says he recently busted up about 150 1960-1964 mint sets just to make room in his safe.

Been on the Mint's mailing since the late fifties, when my Mother would order one for herself and one for me. I played catch up about 12 years ago and bought them back to 1950. Would like to have the ones from the 30's and 40's but there are many other coins I'd rather spend the money on.

This topic makes me wonder what happens to all the Proof and Uncirculated sets I give out as Christmas presents every year. A long time ago I used to order almost 20 of each. Then as people slowly passed away or just vanished the amout dropped to 10 to 15 per year. I also give a Red Book with each set. I always wonder if it would be rude or ignorant to ask people what they ever did with all those since I've been doing that for 20 to 30 or more years.

I love Proof sets I collect US / World sets. I get most of mine second seller, bargain prices. No better way to fill your albums with everyone cracking. I wonder what the survival rate is for some sets?

Cheers Jim (Halfcent)

I remember getting my first proof set in 1968 as a gift. I was a young collector and was surprised to have the set with the "s" mint mark. As time went on and the sets started to stack up in the 80's I stopped ordering from the mint. As I matured in my collecting I have decided to not collect clad coins I restarted my proof sets when they came out with the silver ones in 1992. So each year the silver proof set keeps me up to date with my complete silver sets of Kennedy halves, Washington quarters and Roosevelt dimes.

I had started collecting in jr. high school because my 1st real job (besides newspaper delivery) was at a drugstore where the pharm. was a numismatic collector and showed me the beauty of the classic coinage. Came to appreciate the artistry of the Mercury dime, Morgan dollar, Walking Liberty half, Buffalo nickel, etc.
Unfortunately, I lost my early collection (while kinda extensive, it was still quite basic).
So upon starting over, I went with proof sets as a sort of linear history of coinage (yes, the 70's & 80's were droll) but have only gotten as far as '52 to 2012. Kept the '92 & up silver proof sets as well as the Premier & Prestige sets & now also have complete ASE proof set including the '06/'11/'12 (3/5/2) coins holding the gorgeous reverse proofs.
Picked up a 1943 mint BU set for the unique coinage it has to include the steel cent & silver nickel, finding the earlier proof sets a bit steep for my blue-collar pocket so will maybe just go with sharp mint sets '51 & earlier. Anything earlier or foreign hasn't piqued my interest or been in monetary grasp. Will keep plugging away & watching, waiting -