Wondercoin hits the Lincoln registry
jacktheknife
Posts: 1,547 ✭
Welcome, you sure are hitting the ground running. I think I was #86 when I started. Starting at that position, you'll be getting Stewart nervous in no time!!
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What is neat about the MS Lincolns is that if you elect to not compete for the "pop top" jewels, you can build a wonderful high end collection at a reasonable price. Put another way - there are roughly ten collectors out there fighting for the mega-jewels IMHO. On the other hand, there are 100+ collectors who love the "one grade under" slabbed specimens (just registered alone). As has been discussed, these are often times available for upwards of 1/50 of the "pop top" price. Now, there is a collection for me to build in super "PQ" grade! Interestingly, IMHO even if the mega "pop tops" correct downward in price at some point in the future - 90% of the collectors may be unaffected, as they do not collect those anyway. This is a great series right now for the "undergrade" coins I believe and I look forward to slowly building up a nice collection of very high quality coins.
Wondercoin
Welcome to the neighborhood. I hope to maybe get some of your castoffs. LOL
Mitch,
So you really think there are 10 people out there putting super high end sets together? With David selling in the next couple months and Mike Sadler's set on the block at FUN, I figured there were maybe 5 people really going at it hard. Stewart can barely improve on his set and Gerry is probably done as well. Tom Mershon just upgraded with one of the infamous 30-D's, so he appears to still be in the hunt. There are probably another few in the top twenty that want to get to top 5. My impression is that many more people are doing just what you are doing and putting together excellent sets in "one under" grades.
Mustangman - I hope I am not moving on your turf - you are not going back pre-59 are you?
JTK: You may be right - it may be closer to 5 than 10 ultra serious Lincoln guys. But, my point remains the same. Incidently, from my experience, there is always anywhere from 1 to a handful at best of ultra serious players in most of the post 1931 series. Lincolns are probably a series that enjoys the most "high rollers" at the moment.
Wondercoin
There are so many of the super high end coins that are plain missing
They aren't missing, Gerry has them all!!
You obviously have a magnificent set underway. What is your honest motivation in pursuing a top 5 set of MS Lincoln Cents? Investment, or you always dreamed of owning the very best MS Lincolns money could buy and now you can, or is it simply your favorite series and you want the very nicest coins available, or??? It would be neat to hear your honest rationale
Wondercoin
Hi Wondercoin,Jack the Knife
I had a great moment I would like to share.I got an upgrade this week.I wound up buying a coin that I've been chasing 13 years.This is a great feeling.
And it was not a 30 D in 67.
Stewart
Man of coins
No problem, I'll give you my honest motivation. It consists mainly of the latter two choices, but let me explain.
I began collecting Lincolns about 30 years ago, like many kids, going through bags of loose pennies. I started collecting high end coins in the late eighties (1987 to be exact). I built a pretty nice set. I met Stewart along the way, although I'm sure he wouldn't recognize me even if I walked up to him and hit on the head
I have only collected Lincolns and I am collecting them again, not for investment purposes, but for the same reason I have always collected them. Also, just a little bit because I am bitter.
Glad I could share. Yes, my goal is a complete set in highest grade obtainable.
Out with it Stewart!! Let's hear the story for Pete's sake.
Also, I have had a similar event as your 1919(s) Lincoln happen to me numerous times. It is best to not even give it a second thought. The "what if's" really take their toll, if you know what I mean.
Wondercoin
I'd been a go-through-grandpa's-change kind of Lincoln collector as a kid as well. I remember my grandmother got me a 1954 proof set to really get me going. I could still find most of the wheaties in circulation, and I even put together an UNC set in Wheaties from 1940 through 1958 with a carefully allocation of my allowance and chore money, as meager as it all was.
I kept up with the hobby passively collecting the mint issues through all the years of school/career/raising the kids. I got my dream coin in a local coin shop (1909-S VDB) that was a VF-20 in 1991 (sold it to Spooly 11 years later), but didn't really get back into it until 1999, after the kids and their colleges were close to getting done with my money.
One thing led to another then, and I was intent on gradually accumulating a really great set of Lincolns. Fortunately, I got most of the keys when things were still relatively cheap (and before not-knowing-what-you're-doing got so expensive). Things obviously started to heat up in the Lincoln market, though. After I passed Hughes in the All-Time list (among those who actually listed their collections, of course), it as pretty clear to me that I'd peaked out in terms of what I could afford. It has also become clear to me, as I looked over my shoulder, that my brief perch at the dizzying height of #4 in the series was not going to last long (that was true--Charles has already roared out of nowhere, and bumped me to #5).
As much as I love Lincolns, I looked around and realized I had a lot of wampum tied up in the set, and I was left to either haul those babies out and look at them lovingly (which I did a few times!), or move on to other things. I stewed about putting the set up for auction, obviously, and consulted a couple among the many people I profoundly respect here. Oreville recommended that I should keep the set, and keep my focus on my heart as a collector. Michael recommended that I should sell, take advantage of the market and the top 5 status, and keep lively and fresh in the hobby.
There are other many savvy collectors here, and even though I've made the decision to go with Superior at the pre-Long Beach auction in Jan, I'd like to hear what others would have done!
Anyway, I have my second tier of 66's for a lot of the dates. I may check in at #60 or so in the list when the dust settles, for old times sake. The biggest loss (besides hauling out and looking at my babies) is that I won't be able to schmooze with all the great Lincoln guys here as energetically. The people part of this hobby, as it's turned out, has been the best part.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
No I am not moving back into the older Lincoln's. Ever since I had the short set from 1940-1958 and PCGS kept promising to break uo the years on the Registry and kept not doing it, I lost interest and sold them to complete my Memorial set. I have a complete set from 1857-2003 that keeps me happy. They are all circulated back in the older years, but my grandfather had started the collection and when he passed away in 1977, I promised to someday complete the set. It still needed 112 coins, but I managed to finally finish the set. In fact, I got the 1909-s VDB Lincoln from you, as I recall. I will never be able to afford the 1856 Flying Eagle, so I purchased one of the new uncirculated copies and stuck it in the album. I have all the rest, though. Hope to see you up in the top 5 someday. Good Luck.
<< <i>Out with it Stewart!! Let's hear the story for Pete's sake. >>
Yeah, spill the beans Stewart
Some things are best left unsaid !
My point is that no matter how far you go there will always be an upgrade.Like any passionate work one has to decide when they are finished.Even Gerry has a coin that John Troy would have bent over backwards to obtain.
Stewart
David - I believe you did the right thing selling your coins as the price of Lincoln cents is beyond even what I thought imaginable.
It is ALL Gerrys fault
Welcome to the chaos. I'm still waiting for the superior catalog to see Dave's lincs. The Mrs. is expecting any day now (due the 30th) and I think it would be nice to pick up a nice upgrade on a few Lincs to remember the event....
Maybe I'll jump back into the top 10 after the next round of auctions in January.
Rich
You can see 'em now, though hopefully Superior's photography will be better than mine, and you'll be able to tell more from the catalog.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
Sooo many nice coins.
David: Of the 1917-P, 1918-P, or 1921-P, which one do you like best? Any other favorites stand out? I think you will be very pleased with your auction results as you have so many really nice coins.
And, now that Stewart got his upgrade
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...