| Author |
 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,898 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
So, as per usual, 10-second explanation: Collecting for my nieces, keeping for posterity, etc. I want to pick up some mint sets from the family's birth years in a direct line of descent: 2012 (Baby Girl Mossberg), 2008 (Maya), 1978 (Mom), 1977 (Dad), 1959 (Grandma Heil), 1929 (Great-Grandma Ploss). Obviously a 1929 mint set is probably way out of my price range and a better bet would be "a complete set of decent-condition coins from that year," but what of the others? Am I looking at "better break the piggy, Nina" or should I be able to find these somewhere for a decent price without worrying about getting gypped on ebay? Where should I even start looking for these? |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
The bay isn't necessarily terrible. Lots of coin dealers will have mint sets they'll be excited to unload. The '59 might be tougher, but 70s ones should be easy.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
1227 Posts |
Is there a way to make sure what I'm getting is what I'm paying for (e.g. that when it says "Mint set" it doesn't mean "actually, it's a bunch of AU coins we threw together")? Other than looking for verified dealers, etc.--I've gotten burned on DVDs through verified dealers, I can only imagine something like this, where you have to trust pictures, could be worse.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The 2012 Mint Set is not available yet, it is set to go on sale May 21 at a price of $27.95. There are no official Mint Sets from 1929, the first one was not issued until 1947. The other years should be fairly affordable but there is going to be quite a bit of silver in the 1959 set so that one will be the most expensive.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
There wasn't a such thing as a 1929 US mint set, but you could, as you say, make up a set of coins from that year and put them in 3 five hole Capital holders and there would not be a half dollar for the Phila set. You could put a cardboard round or something in that hole and write 1929 P D & S set on it. This looks like a fun project to me, I may even try it since I have made up other sets to use up my Capital year set holders doing this on other years. These dates and decent grade ranges are all affordable. Go for it! Lincoln wheat cents in XF or AU 1929 1929 D 1929 S Buffalo nickels in VF or XF 1929 1929 D 1929 S Mercury dimes in VF or XF 1929 1929 D 1929 S Standing Liberty quarters in VF or XF 1929 1929 D 1929 S Walking Liberty halves in Fine or VF 1929 D 1929 S |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
TheNickelGuy, thanks for the list and compilation suggestion!! I'll have to see if I can find those holders.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2295 Posts |
ebay is the best place to compare prices. Do you have any coin dealers in your area? Look in the yellow pages either online or in a book at your library. When looking at the mint sets, make sure they contain coins from all mints and not just one of them. Sometimes, some people will just sell half the set. If you aren't sure, just post a link and we can verify it for you. And from 1959, you could also get a proof set too. 
Edited by wquinn
05/08/2012 08:46 am
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
IF you could find any coin shows in your area, you may want to try those for Mint sets and/or Proof sets. Try Google for coin show dates and locations. One thing is to ASK dealers at coin shows about what your looking for. Many dealers have stores and although they may not have what you want with them, they may well have them at their stores. Also, many dealers have sources to find and aquire what you need or want. Just ask.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
Thanks, guys! I think I'll start with 2008 (I read here on CCF that mint-set prices often drop quickly, and Baby Girl Mossberg isn't exactly going to notice if I get her set a year after her birth instead of three months before) and the 1970s sets, so I can give myself time to save up for the others.
According to coininfo.com, it looks like there's a coin show every month at the Elks Lodge right here in Scottsdale--which my mom's boss is a member of! It's not on my day(s) off, but I bet she knows the person who's in charge of it and might be able to put us in touch, which would be way easier than trying to locate shops myself by car (I'm only a tiny bit kidding when I say a Scottsdale roadmap looks like a plate of cooked spaghetti--I've gotten lost for up to four hours on suburban roads that all have the same name and finally come out only three blocks from home). Looks like there's also one every three months over in Mesa, which is spitting distance from here.
From an heirloom perspective, which would be better/nicer/easier on Aunt Nina's budget, Mints or Proofs? I need two sets of each (one for Maya and one for Baby Girl), so hundreds of dollars each is way out of my price range.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
208 Posts |
Short answer, I'd go with proof sets. Longer explination 2 reasons... 1 - Proof sets going back to 1968 will come in hard plastic holders where as the mint set up until the 2007 set were sold in a flexible plastic packaging. I not sure how to explain it, just do a search on ebay for 1990 mint set, you will see what I mean. So if they would be displayed the sets will look much nicer in the hard plastic cases. Now you could purchase coin holders, but that will obviously increase the costs. Typically when birth year coin set are given as gift, proof sets are chosen. 2 - With mint sets there are 2 sets for each year (P & D) Now you can find these sold individually, but I find that the P & D sets are typically sold together. As you look you will find that the proof sets are usually cheaper than the mint sets. I would guess this is because you are purchasing half the number of coins in a proof set vs a mint set. Edited by Rewster
05/08/2012 9:43 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
Good to know, Rewster, thanks! Given that these sets will extend back to 1959 (plus the intended created 1929), am I looking at issues once I get back past my sister and her husband's birth years?
|
|
Valued Member
United States
208 Posts |
1959 shouldn't be an issue, other than the premium you will pay as the set will contain silver coins. Just looking at ebay right now you can pick up a 1959 proof set for about $35. Proof sets 1964 and before were sold as "flat packs" (the flexible plastic packaging I poorly attempted to describe earlier) vs the hard plastic cases they are now sold in. So you also have to buy a plastic type holder for them. I am not sure how much they cost. You should see prices in that same range going back to 1956. Prior to that year, prices increase dramatically. For 1929, it would be expensive about anyway you swing it. As has been stated, there were no mint sets that year, and there were no proof sets. Any set you would find for sale would have be assembled by a consumer at some point in time, and the conditions would vary. |
| |
Replies: 11 / Views: 1,898 |
|
Posted 05/07/2012 4:17 pm
