My Continued Dilemma Breaking Open Proof/Mint Sets For Album

I can't bring myself to do it either. It just seems like that is a set, and I would regret it later if I broke it open.

Case in point. I did end up breaking this set open. I filled my Lincoln. I also had danscos for quarters dimes and halves. When I went to the Roosevelt album, I saw that I already had an 84S in the slot but in looking at it as well as some of the other proofs, I realized that they were all oxidized. I replaced this one 84 but in comparing it to the rest, there is no way on Gods green earth, that I will replace them all again.

I don't take big steps to prevent my albums exposure to the elements. In fact they just sit in a plastic tote in my closet. But we have very low humidity here in Spokane and I don't expose the albums to heat/cold. Ambient temp probably 65-70F.

Another argument in favor of keeping proofs in the cases. If I died today and my wife was left with my collection, would she have more success with mint proof sets or coins in dansco albums? I'm thinking that whether she went to a coin shop or began selling them on ebay, a proof set is tangible and most people know what to expect. Individual coin grading is subjective and often argumentative; especially with someone with little numismatic experience.

Not sure what the answer is. Perhaps just selling off the danscos w/proofs and just buying the D/P type only. I would still like to hear from you all though.

The answer is obvious to me..... get another '84 proof set, especially if you need all of the coins to fill different places in your albums. Especially if another '84 proof set won't set you back that much.

I did that once with a New Zealand proof set because I wanted one coin out of it to add to an all of World type set of Florins / 20c. pieces. Last count I had about 138 different types in silver and copper nickel. The coin that started it was a British Florin of 1849. The countries that issued these coins were either Great Britain or those of the British Commonwealth.

I also have a collection of 88 different types of square coins.
I am probably the only guy on the Planet mad enough to build such a collection!

I order many sets of each every year for Christmas Presents. Always keep some for breaking open for Albums. Been doing that for possibly over 30 years now and don't miss any old Mint made sets. If you are keeping those for an investment, then that may or many not be the best way to go. BUT, I've seen way to many proof and Uncirculated sets from the Mint selling for a fraction of the original cost anyway. Using the Red Book as an example, pages 338 and 339 in the 2011 edition you would see that the 1984 proof set is valued at several dollars less than the original cost. Even the ones there shown as an increase in value, you would never get that for them anywhere.
To sum it up, break out what you need and don't worry about tomorow.

For the less expensive, more common sets, I bought two. Many sets from the 70s, 80s, 90s are just a few dollars at shows, and dealers tend to be drowning in them. This is true for both mint and proof sets.

For the more expensive sets, I have been more selective and not filled those slots in any album except when I was able to strike upon 2x2 singles at shows with attractive price tags. For example I would be reluctant to crack open a 2010 mint set or proof set.

Dealers break mint and uncirculated sets all the time so they can sell the coins individually for a greater amount. Very often, a customer will want a year that was not released for circulation, but was produced in a mint set. The customer is happy; he gets an uncirculated example of a scarce coin.

This is a fairly common occurrence with Australian coins

I also have three intact Prestige Proof Sets that I did not crack open (gifts from my mother). Everything else lives in a Dansco album now.

I usually don't collect proofs. I get the Danscos with P/D only that way I only have to occasionally break a mint set and don't have to worry about breaking proof sets. I do have some proof sets (and I like the way proof sets look as a set) and get some proof coins but I don't have any Danscos with proofs.