How Do You Get The Nerve?

The funny thing is, my father had a full roll of Uncirculated1964 Kennedy half dollars still in the Mint Wrapper. BUT, the paper was so poor, falling apart, and he had Scotch Tape around it, so I just put on the cotton gloves, took them out of the wrapper and put them in a square coin tube. The coins are in beautiful shape other than some chemical on the rims and some toning. I think the paper reacted with the silver and left some kind of film on the coin rim, but I AM NOT CLEANING THEM.

I have had to sell a tub full of mint and proof sets in envelopes, I then turned the remainder over to Susan on consignment. She did a nice job with them for me.
Some were letter opened, some were opened by the end, some were simply open with the gum still intact and I could have easily and unscrupulously licked the gum and sluffed them off as "unopened".

Better yet, I could have dressed up the opened ones with the best pairs and stuck the junkier ones in the good envelopes and licked them shut.
Of course, I would not, and did not do that, but I did add 2 plus 2 together when I see that "unopened" mint sets are fetching 2 to 5 times the price of an opened set. Some people probably do that on the bay.
I suppose some are hoping for small dates, some are hoping for cameos in the proof sets.

If I were in your position, paying only $10.00 for a $20.00 set, and the 1970 D being the key, maybe getting a small date 1970 S penny or a D and S nickel with steps, I would open it up.

All you have on the line is $10.00 and for all you know, this could have been steamed opened and gummed shut again anyway, although I kind of doubt it.

Now, if you bought it to save as an "unopened" set, and paid extra to get it that way, then that's a whole different story, but you bought it for the half in the first place didn't you?

Be prepared to find nicky coins, that half in there could have some atrousious contact marks, then again, it could be a real gem.
A lot of those sets can have dinged up coins.

If you do open it, please let us know how the contents turned out to be. And if you have a camera ...

Jsut open them and add them to your album. I've done it several times and have no problem with it. When the thought came to me the first time, I looked at it as I'm not investing in coins to re-sell, I'm collecting coins and have an empty space in my album and it's still an UNC coin, just a different holder. Not likely, but if I ever buy a slab coin and need it in my album collection - you'll heard one sound ---CRACK !---

Takes a shot of vodka and just do it. :) (Especially for a $10 coin....) Just my $0.02.

I must say, the coins look really nice in the albums. The 1970S Lincoln Cent replaced a pitted 70s. I thought it might have been a "small date" but I just could not make the "7" on the date be higher. Oh well, it does look good. Also, the two nickels are the first two in my new Jefferson Dansco, off to a good start. I just need an Eisenhower and Washington Dansco now, my local shop wants 32 bucks for one.

So many people are don't want to open old things like those. Imagine if no one ever opened the old Egypian tumbs. Neve would have known about King Tut. Once you open those coin holders you'll be glad you did and just forget what they used to look like.

OK, I have TWO 2008 "Silver Mint Proof Sets". Should I crack one open for my albums and leave the other in tack?