Has anybody sold off a set that took some time to build? Or would you never do that?
semikeycollector
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I have sold off part of a Liberty Seated Dime set. It took about 35 years on and off to complete with the collectible dates.
Some people think that I was crazy to break up the set.
With some of us completing a set compels us to sell it. Many collectors would rather hold onto the coins and enjoy them.
The thing is that I completed it after so many years and developed a healthy appetite for scarce coins. I could not afford the coins anymore that I bought 30 years ago. Better coins have gotten so expensive (said Captain obvious) that I needed to sell them to buy new coins.
What would you do when you complete a set?
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I’ve never sold a set, but I haven’t completed very many, either.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
I’ve never sold off a completed set, and because I collect mainly type set coins, the set isn’t really ever going to be totally completed until I have 1 of each type of every US coin minted, but if I ever get that far maybe I’ll sell it off then 😉
Mr_Spud
I have conflicted feelings but I have completed several medium to large sets and basically sold most of them nearly immediately.
The two sets I am currently working on are only coins I'm passionate about and they are both impossible to complete (one because of rarity and the other because it's just a typeset of stuff I like). I don't foresee selling these off other than duplicates if I upgrade from time to time.
There is a guy that spends a lot of money building Registry sets and then almost immediately sells them. He has to be losing money on a lot of them each time. I just do not understand this method.
I sold my SAE dansco that took me about 15 yrs to fill. Was complete to 2020.
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I have not done this. Down the road the economy or life circumstances could make me consider this option or a total liquidation of my collection. Hopefully it won't come to that, but you can't take it with you either.
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Keep them and start another. Another series, that is. I have never collected the same series twice.
But, I am now out of collecting series basically and am starting to sell in favor of gold.
I haven’t done it yet but it’s on my list before I leave this mortal coil. It’s also why I’ve been very diligent about collecting receipts.
I've made and sold many sets..
I always end up needing the capital for my next adventure.
🤗
Ok I have a question for this topic.. and I would like to get a few opinions.
Would a complete PCGS Lincoln cent set 09-58 let’s say AU58-66 do better at auction as a set or broken up?
Since I don't sell coins, I will never sell a set. I deal mostly in moderns sets. A lot of these sets are #1 sets ( 16 at my last count). My Kennedy sets are highly ranked but due to the deep pocketed crowds, they will never achieve a number 1 ranking.
I still strive to get the best graded coins that I can afford. I am going to make one or more of my family members very happy when I pass them down to them.
I do have many incomplete early sets but that is only to have a wider range of coins to show a small history of coins.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
I sell sets when I reach the point when I can'f afford the missing pieces or they just don't come on the market..
Depends on the value of the individual pieces. Great Collections charges 5% seller commission as well as the 10% buyer's commission. Set would not do well as there are too many variables.
Someone needs to talk me off this ledge…
I have worked for 10 years or so trying to complete a XF to AU set of Buffalo nickels…
the 25D, 26D, 27D are so difficult to locate at a reasonable price
I won't sell my sets until I have to (either because of being too old to live independently, or too poor not to sell).
In the meantime, I'm not sure that I understand the term "completed set." I have a number of sets for which I have all the coins, but there are always ones that beg for an upgrade. So they're all just a work in process.
These threads always turn morbid. 😨😣💀
I've never done this. Maybe someday....to see how well I’ve done, in the far, distance future. But it will never be because of a financial burden or hardship.
I have worked too hard and enjoy them too much to just simply deal them away.
Owning these give me a ton of pleasure and put zero financial strain on me, as I have other businesses, Real estate and investments vehicles.
I enjoy watching them appreciate, too, even when adjusted for inflation.
Value, rarity, beauty and history in my hand is tough to beat.
I do like the fact that a lot of you mentioned upgrading. I don’t usually do that, as most of my coins are in my optimal grade and I have selected examples that I really like. But, I would never begrudge someone for doing that and I can see how that could be a very cool and fun way to keep the set going, even after complete, then you just improve on it. It makes a lot of sense and I get the satisfaction out of doing that. That’s what the registry is all about. Rank and high point score. I would just rather use that money to try to put together different series to give myself a little bit of variety and diversity. Don’t get me wrong; I upgrade from time to time but not like I used to.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
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I've never sold a complete set. My Roosevelt dime silver set was completed 30 years ago. Since then its had every coin upgraded except for 3 that were MS68 already. One was recently upgraded to the same grade of 67+ ,but it had nicer color so I consider it an upgrade.
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I put together sets specifically to sell. If you have to flip a few keys here and there, it helps move the common material.
It took a few years to build an eye-appealing set of PF65-67 1936-1942 proofs, cents through halves. Within a month of finding the last coin, I sold the whole shebang.
The final coin was a haze-free, spot-free 1936 Ty.2 cent. I was like Ahab searching for Moby Dick on that one.
Sometimes I wish I could look at them all laid out again but I don’t really regret selling and fondly remember the obsessive hunt to build the set.
I sold off the set of Flying Eagle and Indian cents I collected in high school in the 1960s in the mid ‘70s. Fifty years later, I wish I had it. It was a circulated set in a Library of Coins folder.
I could form it again, but no problem raw coins are hard to find, and the counterfeit problem is much worse. Many dealers don’t have a big stock of raw coins.
I sold a set of Capped Bust Half dollars a few years ago when my interests changed to Trade $'s.
I completed a complete set of Morgan dollars by year a year or two ago. It's my only complete "set" I've put together. I have started to toy with the idea to sell and roll the money into the pre 1933 gold type set I'm building. Halfway there on that set.
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It's called the thrill of the chase! Having fun and meeting the challenge of completing a task.
My guess is he is spending entertainment dollars and having a blast!😎
50 piece Classic Commemorative type set, A Large Cent date set ( missing only 3 or so dates/types), 3C CN Proof set missing only the 1871. Moved onto other areas .... they were fun but lost interest over time - even with looking at them and reading about the series.
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I likely wouldn’t sell a set entirely intact since it would probably bring more if sold individually.
I have sold coins to fund the purchase coins that drew my interest regardless of type.
The set I’m building might never be completed so I don’t anticipate selling its contents anytime soon!
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Like many, what I collect could probably never be completed by me, and even if it could, it would be a timeless hunt for upgrades, at least.
Yet, maybe as weird as it sounds, I am not have never collected to "complete". Not even to "compete". The journey is much more satisfying.
But as for selling, I have had multiple incomplete sets, and I have sold down some to make smaller boxes of 5, 10 or 20 type groups of the best from what I loved then. It's always nice to have a few pieces from previous days.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Morgan's were plentiful in the early 1970's and not that expensive. I forgot that I put this set together in XF-BU, and had all but the 1893-S. I sold the set for $6000 in 1978 because I needed a down payment for my first house. I restarted this set but never got as many BU's, and I still need about 20 more. I am not planning to finish it and may start selling these shortly.
Interesting topic and Catbert is polar opposite of MarkKelley which leads me to believe that it really depends on the type of material, people, and grades involved as to which approach makes more sense.
I'm still not buying coins but instead making them which ends up costing more but, the fun along the way and the learning process is priceless to me.
Invariably my coins are overpriced on purpose so they won't sell
I sold off a set of circulated liberty nickels.
I might sell my walking liberty one day.
My current registry sets:
20th Century Type Set
Virtual DANSCO 7070
Slabbed IHC set - Missing the Anacs Slabbed coins
I only have one complete set, so no I have never sold a set. But the harsh reality is that one day I (or my heirs) will.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
I think broken up is better. People who buy complete sets want a deal usually.
There will be less competitors to buy a full set too.
I really like this set! All nice coins. A lot of fun and work to do,
I have a Registry Set of Quarter Eagle Indians that I am thinking of sending to GC, Most are CAC and couple have pedigrees. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to get the most money for myself because GC doesn’t charge a fee for coins/lot over 1k and individually they are worth between $500-999 except for the 1911d
I have a Wheat Cent collection minus the 1909-S VDB. Have mixed feelings but this year have had thoughts about it from time to time. Nobody in the family really has any interest so I dwell on taking what its worth or family selling it when I gone for less than its worth just to get rid of it.
Pocket Change Inspector
Speaking only for myself: I'm not rich enough to buy high-grade (read "uncirculated") coins of the "expensive" variety. Most of the sets I collect have a number of such coins (buffalo nickels; Mercury dimes; standing Liberty quarters; walking Liberty half dollars; Morgan dollars; Peace dollars). So I buy what I'm comfortable buying, eventually completing the set (well, except no 1893-S Morgan or 1916 standing Liberty quarter). Then get a burr under my saddle to make the lower-grade coins prettier. Rinse, repeat.
To me a completed set is one where the collector does not wish to upgrade or add anything to the set. It may not be a fully completed set by having all of the dates and mintmarks. It's just something that took focus and resources for a while and now he or she is done with it.
Yes. I had probably the most complete Morgan prooflike set. It was tough to let the coins go, but they seeded some major collections. Some were unique and many top pop. The ones I did not have, did not exist: 1893-S (I don't care about the couple holdered as such, not proofike) and 1900-O/CC. Even had an 1886/7-O in MS62PL, 1901 MS61DMPL, 1903 MS65PL, 1904 MS64DMPL, 1904-S MS65PL, ... It was nice to have them (or they have me) for years. Might confront the same with my early dollar variety and die state set sooner than later.
Yup. One big one, and several more in the works. I sold this top 10 registry set:
And turned it into this:
During that time the Peace dollars set would have appreciated some and the real estate has appreciated 100% or so.
Currently I'm in the process of selling these:
Top 5 all-time 20th Century Type set:
Partial gold type set:
A mostly-complete US type set:
I've sold a few partial sets when I lost interest or hit stoppers. The only complete set I ever remember selling was a Bookshelf album full of Barber Dimes, including the 95-O and all the semi-keys, which I sold in the mid-1990s to pay my wedding photographer. I think about how it would be nice to still have the dimes, but on the other hand I still have the wife, so I think I did well on the deal.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I sold one of my pride and joy set (I knew that I wasn't going to complete this set). The proceeds went to acquire a coin that I wanted for the longest time. The coin was the topper to the another set that I was building. I was a very difficult decision and in hindsight I made the right decision. Though, i still wonder why I did that. Sorry not going into much detail intentionally about which sets.
GC's 5% seller's commission on coins under $1,000 and lot fee does cause one to hesitate when it comes time to sell. Especially when coins can sell for under price guides. There are a lot of $500 - $999 coins being bought at their auctions by bidders thinking GC only charges bidders 10%. Given the fact they are no longer a "startup," GC could consider lowering their bar to $500.
I sold a VF/XF Indian Head Cent collection 20+ years ago. All raw, beautiful original brown pieces. It was about 75% complete. I had worked on the set for about 10 years. No 1877. Can’t quite remember the other missing dates. Wish I had it today, as many of the semi-keys have gotten very pricey.
Not sure if I’ll ever sell my complete PCGS VF Barber Quarter set, but who knows.
Dave
"The thrill of the chase" has never done much for me. It usually involves getting beaten up at auctions and overpaying. I much prefer working with dealers face to face.
To me studying what you have and learning as much as possible is where the fun lies.
But I understand that there are those who enjoy the chase. The wildest one I have heard of was the late Robbie Brown. He was one of the first, if not the first, to complete a set of all the large cent die varieties from 1793 to 1857. I heard that on the day of the auction of his first set, he was out on the floor buying the second one.
Selling a set to me means selling it intact to a buyer. How many collectors wish to do this? I can't think it would be many since the chase is the thrill. However, selling the set intact to a dealer who will then sell it individually for better return would seem to me to be the most common buying situation.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
I took the OP's question to mean selling the set intact, but I see where "selling off" could also mean breaking up. I think the meat of the question is, did anyone have the heart to get rid of something they had invested a lot of time and treasure building.
The set of dimes I mentioned above went intact to a dealer who no doubt parted it out to other collectors. I did sell a partial set of off-center clad dimes to someone here, with the mutual intention that the buyer would continue trying to complete it. I also purchased a nearly complete set of clipped Jefferson nickels from a fellow collector with that same mutual intention, and in fact I have been able to add to that set in the years since acquiring it.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
In my life time I have accumulated several sets that I was very proud of and I ended up selling most of them. I was stationed in England and put together a very nice set of English pennies starting with Victoria and ending in the 1960's. When I came back to the states I grew disinterested in the set and sold/traded it off for cash and quite a few Morgan Dollars, not high grade but medium XF/AU dollars and got a really good start on a Morgan Dollar set. A few years later I put together a really nice grouping (can't call it a set) of Bust Halves and a 7070 US Type Set with high grade coins (predates the slabbing companies). Most of the dollars were parceled out rather than sold as a set. I sold the Bust Halves to buy a car for my next assignment across the country. Later on, living in Texas, my dad had a heart attack and we needed to go home, I took my 7070 set and sold it for a pretty good chunk of change and with that we were able to drive cross country back to Georgia and spend some time with family.
We won't talk about the sets of 1950s baseball cards I put together and sold when I lost the card zest for collecting. Couldn't afford to put them back together again.
Life happens and things that are important today may lose their importance or be overcome by events and have to go. It happens.
Eventually I will sell it all. My children aren’t interested in coins and my spouse could care less about them or the value. I’d hate to leave them to an ungrateful grandchild who would probably take a first lowball offer from any Tom, Dick or Harry at the pawnshop.
I’d rather be the one to sell them since I know exactly what they are and the prices I can expect to get from them. At that point, the wife and I can go buy some more snow or lake toys.
A couple years ago I decided to sell my set of Indian head quarter eagles, some raw, some graded and it was laughable- the dealers offered about melt “sorry but there’s just no demand for these” so I stuck em back in the safe and decided to take them to the grave or let a relative sell them for melt when I’m not around to witness.
The same dealers who offered me melt are willing to sell the coins for $200 to $400 each above what they offered. I love this hobby…….
As a kid I put a lot of effort into an album set of Mercury dimes and had everything but the 16-D, the 21-D, and the 23-S, all of which I later bought as an adult. Eventually I sold them all. The 16-D was a nice no-problem PCGS F12 that would probably go 15 now and sometimes I wish I had kept it, but the whole set didn't excite me that much once it was done, and I lacked the enthusiasm to chase endless upgrades.
I've finished and partially sold off the 7070 type set a few times. Ultimately it doesn't bother me that much, and I usually find I feel more attachment to a coin or a project while I have it than I feel its loss when it's gone.
Over the last 30 years, Lincolns Wheat Cents twice (XF and Mint-State).
Sold XF to pay a tax bill.
Sold MS due to change in interests to buy Rolex, Tudor, and Omega watches.
Now I'm back to coins with Morgan Dollars. My latest delivery.
https://www.smallcopperguy.com