Buying mint sets on ebay - what to look for

clackamas

Obviously none of us here would sell a mint set on ebay without cherry picking it. What has been peoples experience with buying mint sets on Ebay? Good coins? Are there certain types of sellers to target? to avoid? I am after 1968 mint sets to cherry coins for my collection.

Cladcoin?

Thanks

Brian

cladking

It used to be easy to do. You could just go through and look for quantities of five. For many
years this was the most allowed per address so sets were shipped in bags or boxes of five from
1969 until about 1991. Those who had five of each date tended to be selling nice original sets
which were often in their original packages and occasionally unopened. Bids of 10% over bid
would generally be sufficient. I haven't seen any like this for sale on e bay for a couple years
at least. Your best bet is probably to look for runs and then ask the seller if he has more sets.

ss350camaro

I would say that since most, if not all, of the mint sets were not sealed at the mint, that they are most likely already 'cherry picked'.

If the coins are still sealed in the cello, or plastic if you're doing Proofs, then you at least will be certain they're not circulated.

cladking

<< <i>I would say that since most, if not all, of the mint sets were not sealed at the mint, that they are most likely already 'cherry picked'.

If the coins are still sealed in the cello, or plastic if you're doing Proofs, then you at least will be certain they're not circulated. >>



My experience is that most of the cherrypicking is confined mostly to some specific coins
and some specific dates in the clad mint sets. With most dates like a '71 set the incidence
of monster coins simply isn't a lot less than it was twenty years ago. By the same token
though finding a nice 1970 half dollar is getting decidely tough. Even the MS-63's of these
are being slowly removed from 9with) the remaining sets by collectors. Ikes were always
extremely tough in gem but now they're probably three times as hard. SMS coins used to
have a light cameo in every third set and a full cameo in about every twenty fifth set. Now
you can expect to look in several sets to find a light cameo and full cameos and ultra cameos
are hardly worth looking for unless you stumble on fresh sets.

It's actually pretty unusual to find some dates that have been picked over at all. Sets like
the '79 and '80 simply don't get picked over much. These sets are and have always been
so cheap that they are usually destroyed when they get picked over. Monster coins are tough
in them and the price so low that few will spend the time unless they need a nice one for their
collection. Later sets (post 1990) never really got accumulated much since the price is high and
the demand for intact sets is a little better. Most of these later dates have never been profitable
to destroy so wholesalers tend to have less interest in them, and it is the wholesalers and large
retailers who destroy most of the mint sets.

The '68 set itself was one of the best made of the modern sets but it has suffered greatly over
the decades. Not only has the population been hard hit but the coins have suffered a lot of
tarnish and corrosion. Virtually 100% of the '68-P cents have at least some carbon spotting
and well over 90% have severe problems. Some of the other coins in this set are not a lot bet-
ter. These were available in large lots but as a rule the entire batch of these will look a lot like
one another. This set sold for less than the combined silver/ face value in '79/'80 and many
were destroyed for the silver and the coins were spent. The Denver coins often come PL with
satiny luster. The Philly's come even nicer but are much scarcer.

Manorcourtman

My experience is to never buy sets not in mint strapped boxes pre-98. I have several large finds which I can't talk about but all were 1k+ finds. I believe 90+% of sets from 1968-current have been cherrypicked. Just my experience.

Purple73

The '68 set itself was one of the best made of the modern sets but it has suffered greatly over
the decades. Not only has the population been hard hit but the coins have suffered a lot of
tarnish and corrosion. Virtually 100% of the '68-P cents have at least some carbon spotting
and well over 90% have severe problems. Some of the other coins in this set are not a lot bet-
ter. These were available in large lots but as a rule the entire batch of these will look a lot like
one another. This set sold for less than the combined silver/ face value in '79/'80 and many
were destroyed for the silver and the coins were spent. The Denver coins often come PL with
satiny luster. The Philly's come even nicer but are much scarcer.



Yep your right about that. I have a '68 mint set intact(both P&D) and the carbon spots you speak of on the pennies are bad.

PURPLE