Apmex Proof And Mint Sets?

It's impossible to tell from pricing what APMEX's stock looks like but they are selling the easy to find '72 for more than the less easy to find '71 that is always tarnished. This suggests to me that they cull out very few sets so they'll all be typical. The '72 sets will have a few coins that are tarnished lightly and the '71 will have several or all of the coins tarnished and some that can't be saved.

I do not recommend collecting or saving mint sets. I saved the nicest 20 sets I ever ran across and when I opened my safety deposit boxes several years ago they were a fright. Fortunately I had saved some nice Gems out of the packaging and even soaked them way back in the '70's and they are all still pristine. The problem, I believe, is partly contaminants left on them and mostly PVC in the packaging. If the packaging is kept very dry and they are stored vertically they seem to do better but even the best are hazing.

I wasn't going to keep them in the sets, was going to use them to add them to my collection albums. Figured it was cheaper to get the sets than to piece out each one. Might just do from 1999 to date to catch all the quarters they started doing. Maybe just start getting a few at a time from my LCS. There's not many around me. I have to go to the town over from me. The time I was there, I kinda got the impression he doesn't like people just hanging out in the shop. I think he mostly sells bullion. I did ask if he sold individual coins like the Lincoln Memorial cent. He did show me one of the boxes of what he had but he said to just email him what I was looking for and he can put it together. That's fine but then I'd have no idea what each price is going to be and I would feel like a cheapo if I have him put some back. I'd rather just go through the box myself. I do have his price list for mint and proof sets, so I know what those would be.