I've concluded that the set registry is bad for those of us who are obsessive compulsive.

Russ

So, I start a proof Kennedy set. I'm upgrading it as I go along, moving ever higher in the rankings. But, as I upgrade I end up with extra coins, so I decide to start a second set to "dump" the "leftovers". This plan works quite nicely for a while, than I start looking at the second set and thinking that some of the coins are not as nice as they can be. The more I dwell on that, the more it bothers me.

Next thing I know, some ethereal, mystical force beyond my control takes over and I start upgrading set #2. It's like some kind of primal urge forcing me on to the "hunt", and with each kill this force becomes more powerful until it consumes my every waking [eBay] moment.

The upshot of my OCD affliction is that I now have two sets in the top 20. Should I seek help? Is there a clinic for this? Should I sue PCGS?

Russ, NCNE

BigE

I think that fat people got Burger King lately, so maybe you should try----------------------------------BigE

KlectorKid

i would try to sell the worst or every date so i have the highest graded coins of my collection for every date than i would sell the rest and upgrade.

braddick

OCD.
I think we all have it. It's a prerequisite to coin collecting.
Some of us are just more aware we have it than others who do, but don't know it (yet).

presleyh

If you think that drives you nuts, start an ms65 set of Ikes on a limited budget. I cant even snipe a deal! The 72, 74 , and 76 dates cost as much as a small car. (well at least my first car 35 years ago). Yeah i'm going nuts. Looks like i gotta make them myself.

hookedoncoins

I would just sell the lower of each coins and use the funds for other coins... The real problem when upgrading is getting a coin that looks so much nicer than your highest number valued coin (mabey has some nice toning also), but is a couple points down... which do you choose.

-Jarrett Roberts

RGL

Russ:

Do not be alarmed. You are perfectly normal. I, too, suffer from the upgrade the first set, start a second set, gee that second looks lackluster, let's upgrade it syndrome -- 7th in early Jeff proofs (the DCAM/CAM set); 16th on 90-percent complete brilliant set; and, what the hey, a third set nearly 50 percent complete with some "leftovers.'' I will get around to selling off some coins someday, but for now, they are bargains and destined to grow in value. And, I am ashamed to admit, I have more PCGS certified Jeff proofs that are not even listed since I cannot resist a good buy in my specialty ... a fourth set? Sorry, Russ, upon final review, you are very, very sick.

Keyrock

Your scaring me, at least I know I'm not the only one afflicted. I have been toying with the idea of doing the same thing as I finish my Lincoln set. I need 4 coins to finish the set and I have a bunch of pre 1930 to update so I was thinking, "How about a nice MS set in RB/BN". I think I've been actually doing this since I haven't been selling them on Ebay. It's just too hard to let them go sometimes. Now all I need to do is register the second set and I will be in big trouble.

Rich

DHeath

Russ,

Actually, your method is pure brilliance in motion. Once set #2 is worth a small fortune, I should be sold as a set, and the procedes used to acquire the final few "best" coins needed for set #1. I'm sure that thought has crossed your mind more than once. You'll hear all kinds of advice about diversity, but ignore it. It is far better to excel at one specialty than to be a scatter-gun collector of everything. I say.....you go boy!

BSqr

You got that right... no relief until completion

Russ

Don,

Your words ring of great wisdom.

Russ, NCNE

PhillyJoe

Whew, I'm glad I don't have that OCD thing. I just check myEbay when I get in at work for 20 minutes, then check newly listed items, then check back at noon and around 5:00. I don't look again until after dinner, then around midnight. If there's a Kennedy proof for sale I'm looking at it every day. I browse Teletrade, and any ebayer that's selling a '64 proof - I check out his other items. I check both the pcgs and ngc registries daily for Kennedy proof updates. Then I check the pop reports.

I'm sorry Russ is compulsive. Thank God I'm normal.

Joe

oldcameoproofsguy

I'm not OCD, I'm just very focused!

There's a difference, isn't there?

BigE

I'll bet 80% of the people that OWN registry sets have OCD-------------------------------------BigE

oreville

Russ..... collectors who do roll sets often have 20 sets of coins to agonize over once they get sick enough to break up the rolls into sets.

Lincoln set collectors have 50 sets to get depressed over (and over again!)

The scariest part is quite often none of them were even sent in for a registry set yet!

Imagine 10 lincoln registry sets from the same roll collector?

Consider yourself extremely fortunate.

DanC

<< <i>I say.....you go boy! >>



Actually Don - I'm hoping he'll go ape for Morgans or something. He keeps out-sniping me for halves.

clackamas

I would venture to say that its not only bad for the obsessive compulsive but bad for type "A" people as well. I am one of the best on the planet at what I do, and have always been a 99.9% person at any endeavor and this is leading me to an unknown realm with my Lincoln collection. I am assuming Mr. Blay, being a sculpture and all, and for that matter any of the top 10 Lincoln registry people, has far more money than I do, yet I feel compelled to someday beat them. This is a problem and I have no idea how to overcome or accept it.


Key- do not fall into the trap. I have my second set registerd for my rejects and it was originally supposed to be the coins I would sell but alas only if they do not fit in my second set would I sell them and that is now not true because I could now start a third. Its all a trap, watch out!!

goyankeez

Is there a clinic for this?

If there is, let me know. Let us all know.

I think Don Heath's advice is GREAT.

clackamas

>>>Russ..... collectors who do roll sets often have 20 sets of coins to agonize over once they get sick enough to break up the rolls into sets.

See, this is where you get really sick. I now have nearly a complete roll set from 1930 to 2002 in lincoln's. It gets exponentially expensive to get rolls from earlier dates and I only get Original rolls so its even worse. The truly disturbing thought is that I have considered buying 50 of a date, all slabbed and cracking them out for a roll. This is actually a line once crossed that leads to true insanity. There is only one cure and I will not mention it since I am only 34.

ccex

I seem to have the same problem as Russ, although not with registry set class coins. When I returned to collecting in 1999 I decided to fill out an old Barber Dime set I started when I was 12 years old. I had been burned in the 1980s buying Franklin Halves and Morgans which were common enough to be promoted as "investments". I thought that a complete set of these small, mostly well worn, "slightly less than wonderful" [Fats Waller's phrase] Barber-designed coins were scarce enough to be a challenge, overlooked enough so that prices wouln't fluctuate much, and affordable enough for me to have fun.

Once I completed my first set was complete, the Whitman folder I bought as a kid seemed inadequate, so I bought a Dansco album, which I filled out as I upgraded set #1. Then I found an obscure collector's board for Barber Dimes 1/3 filled which had a couple upgrades to set #1 but became the new home for set #2. I keep upgrading, and sell off better duplicates or triplicates ocassionally to allow me to get a better coin for set #1. I also have Wayte Raymond album for set #4, and my favorite seller of Barber Dimes just sent me another Whitman folder for set #5, which is as complete as my #1 set was when I rediscovered this series in 1999.

PCGS registry set collectors don't have to spend the time carefully removing coins from albums the way I do, but I'm sure I'm not alone in my hesitance to make a minor upgrade because of all the record-keeping involved. I do enjoy playing "musical dimes", though, and now have two decent complete sets, and three more albums with plenty of holes to keep me busy. I even have some slabbed Barber Dimes, which I use as trade bait when I go to shows looking for rawVF-AU better date dimes.

I know of a few other Barber Dime collectors even more seriously addicted, who keep a set for each circulated grade.

osirisMMII

Bad Russ! Bad!! Now listen here young man.......... there will be no computer privileges for 30 days! How do you expect to get any better if you keep wanderin' around in cyberspace? Huh?? And no pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat??

lordmarcovan

We're all whacked.

Just ask one of the wives, or any "normal" person.

Check out the pic at the top of my eBay page. My boss and coworkers like to pull it up and show it to people when I'm not around, and they laugh and laugh and laugh. I even got a few wary looks at the last FUN show.

When the boss and coworkers laugh at me, I simply say,

"It's a nerd thing. You wouldn't understand."

oreville

THIS IS AN INSANITY TEST:

clackamas: You need my original BU rolls of 1929P D and S cents?

CarlWohlforth

I couldn't see starting a second Jeff set. After all if I found a nicer coin it would have to go to upgrading my first set. And selling off those dups raised more dough for upgrades!

I did stop. Well at least I switched. Yup, moved on to type sets. Russ, how about dumping that second set and working on the big daddy, the complete type set? You already have a 2 cent piece C'mon I know you want to

Bear

Did someone say that the Registry is very bad for obsessive Repulsive people.

Russ

<< <i>You already have a 2 cent piece >>



Carl,

Actually, I have five - so far.

Russ, NCNE

mdwoods

Russ, you should not share this type of info with a group like this. Once they see that others are the same as themselves, they will start thinking that maybe they are not sick at all. Next thing you know everyone will want 2, 3 or more Registry sets in the same category. They will consider this normal. MY WORD, what will happen after that???? ACG Registry sets?

Coppernicus

Russ (and others) - I feel your pain. I have a spreadsheet where I keep track of my Lincoln Registry Set. The other day, I was looking at an auction on ebay and I zipped over to my spreadsheet and typed in the coin and grade to see what it would add to my ranking. I stopped and thought, what the heck am I doing? The coins give me a lot of pleasure by themselves, but I do find myself doing "what ifs" with those that I don't have in my registered set. I wonder if I should de-list my set and go back to "pure" collecting!

I am (confused) Coppernicus