Beginner JFK Half Dollar Album Difficulty ?

Well I am over in the UK and via trades\purchases from the kind people here on CCF, I have been able to obtain all of the P/D clad issues to date, all of the silver issues from 1964 to 1970 including the S mint marked ones.

For impaired clad proofs, I have about 18 left to obtain.

Since you are in the US and could considering doing roll searching yourself, I think you should be able to quite well at finishing in the set.

This particular album is neither difficult nor expensive, IMO. That is, if you have a coin shop nearby.
You will have difficulty completing it, or bringing it "up to date" from "roll searching" because the Mint stopped making them for "circulation" in 2002. They still do exist in the wild though, as I've found quite a few myself.....even some proofs in "post 2002 dates" !

But, just a P&D album would be relatively easy for you, with a coin shops help.

It CAN be done, searching for them "in the wild" .....many here have......but it's much more difficult, and will take a LOOOOOONNNG TIME (depending on how many thousands of dollars you're willing to search through to find what you want, and more importantly, just how dedicated you are to the task)

I do know, like with mine, when you go to put a nice uncirculated specimen right next to a "circulated" specimen, you just end up taking the "not so great" looking ones out and upgrading them....it looks SO MUCH NICER ! ......

OK, I know I am not very up on these coins yet but what exactly does that mean?

Usually considered BELOW Proof 60 grade.....

A proof coin is downgraded because of damage or signs of circulation wear. On the 70 point scale, an "impaired proof", as they're called, should always rate less than 60.

Ahhhh.......yes....it's confounding isn't it ? .....

But there are several ways that they do......and always have....and sadly ALWAYS WILL !

Kids taking them and spending them is a common one.

And thieves doing the same thing is another common one.

Folks just "hard up" with no other means to cash them in, but for face value at the nearest store (or liquor store) A friend of mine has worked at a liquor stored for 15 years as a second job, and he gets ALL KINDS OF COOL OLD CLASSIC COINS COMING IN THERE !! ....

Kindly old Grandmothers STILL CASH IN Morgan silver dollars FOR FACE VALUE AT STORES NEARLY EVERYDAY IN THIS COUNTRY SOMEWHERE ! ......
Mine has done that ! ....

This is what I decided to do......and am doing. My album contains all Uncirculated, Proof, and Silver Proofs, (and it is SOOO beautiful!!).......I think maybe I'm about 80% complete now.

I might do a "circulated" P&D only album or folder someday, in fact, I really want to, but I have this POWERFUL urge to "upgrade" everything I can all the time !!
And these Kennedys being reletively inexpensive from the coin shop, makes it so easy to do it ! ....

I would say that, based on my many years of searching, you will need to go through thousands of dollars to get a circulation set and you still might be a few coins shy of completing a 1971-2000 (minus 87 P & D). Many times, I have gone through $500 worth and gotten no 78 or 78D and some of the mid 80s are also very hard. And most of those will be in low grade.

Tough dates include 78, 78D, 82 P & D, 85 P & D, 86 P & D, 88P, 90P. I'm working on a roll set for about 5 years now and I still need 85P, 86P, 88P (this one has proven to be most difficult for me, still need 5!), 90P.

Good luck and as you search I hope you find some rare proofs or sivler pieces or some of the 2002-present pieces.

And as mentioned above the 70D is pretty difficult from circulation, as are 87 P & D and then 2001P, 2002-P & D to present are also difficult but not impossible.