Should I completely give up on ever completing a pcgs registry set? Should I switch to NGC? Do no re

LincolnsRule · October 20, 2005 8:42AM

This is my farthest along set. I just realized that if I collected holders and not coins, I would be about finished with all but 1 or 2 pop 6 or higher coins. I'd have a 68.40+ gpa and be number 3 or 4 in the registry. I've turned down all these coins though as I already have nicer raw or lower grade coins. So I guess my set is better than a 68.40 gpa set, but if I got the rest of my raw coins graded I'd be lucky if I even had an 68.00 gpa. I can't make any improvements to my registry set without lowering the quality of the coins. Pretty strange eh!

So I don't know what to do. NGC? Keep my coins raw? I have such a jumble now of raw coins, undergraded pcgs coins, overgraded pcgs coins, correctly graded pcgs coins (about 7/96). What a mess this is.

Edited for spelling

Steve · October 20, 2005 8:59AM

Why not just ENJOY your coins. The Registry idea is just for fun. really! Do you for one moment think YOU have the third or fourth best set registry there is? Enjoy your coins, just like I do. Take a look at my Set Registry below. It is listed as 3rd finest, but I know there are hundreds of other Lincoln cent collectors who have nice or better sets also. So what! Have enjoyment from the coins and don't worry about the GPA. JMHO. Steve

STEWARTBLAYNUMIS · October 20, 2005 9:09AM

Lincolns Rule

Why don't you just relax,get away from coins for a week and try for the best sex you can find.You can't sleep with you pennies.

Stewart

DickyBetz · October 20, 2005 9:21AM

I agree with Steve on this one. Just enjoy your coins for what they are. If it is undergraded and looks nice, so what. Find a higher graded coin and put that one in your registry set and keep the nice one.

jabba · October 20, 2005 12:56PM

I found my self doing the same thing with my Morgans! I gave up the registry and I took a hard look at the Morgans I have and found most of them that where in 63-64 holder's seem weak! Ive sold/selling most of them and keeping the one's that look good and I really like. Ive allso got a 7070 type set going and have cracked a few holders. It was hard to crack the 1st one but after that it felt good to get the coin out of the darn holder that life use to revolved around.

oreville · October 20, 2005 2:32PM

<< <i>Why don't you just relax,get away from coins for a week and try for the best sex you can find.You can't sleep with you pennies. >>

Agreed with Stewart but note he did not say Liberty Walkers or Mercury dimes !

I am a married man and can proudly say that I have slept with many walkers and mercs yet still consider myself a faithful husband!

Another post to follow.

oreville · October 20, 2005 2:37PM

LincolnsRule:

At the beginning of my Owner's description, I state the following about Registry sets that I will never be able to complete:

Owner's Comments:

This is a set that will probably not be completed in my lifetime. I will always enjoy the wonder of coins I do not yet or may never own while being appreciative of the coins I have been lucky enough to acquire over the past 44 years. Even many of the coins I now have are coins I could only dream about when I was a 7 year old coin collector in 1960, a 17 year old coin collector in 1970, a 27 year old coin collector in 1980, a 37 year old collector in 1990, and a 47 year old coin collector in 2000. So fellow collectors, never let your sense of wonder and dreams die!!

MacCrimmon · October 20, 2005 2:55PM

<< <i>So fellow collectors, never let your sense of wonder and dreams die!! >>

P.S. I sleep with a Queen....two of them, in fact!!

RegistryNut · October 20, 2005 6:54PM

Me giving you advice and/or an opinion? It's always been the other way around and I certainly
appreciate the sharing of your Lincoln knowledge. I think you have registry set fever and you're too clever
and wise to burn up this way. The other forum members seem to be prescribing some good medicine.
I'd just like to add a couple simple ideas for you.

Your focus is being wasted on the wrong values. Your criteria for numismatist success seems to be grade
point average, set completion, and set ranking. Why not change these to having fun, loving your sets
because they're yours, continuing your pursuit of knowledge, and sharing this knowledge with all your
forum member buddies. If you can do this, your registry set fever will be cured. Remember: Your sets
should'nt be judged by how much everybody else loves them but by how much they are loved by you.

Talk With You Later
RegistryNut

WaterSport · October 20, 2005 8:42PM

Last week, I was able to get to my collection in my safety despot box on the mainland. After three years, I honestly forgot what I had! I have some neat stuff! A lot of you would be blown away at the idea that Water Sport actually has a Gold Type Set! Unbelievable I know, but he even has a Washington Quarters Set, Morgan’s, you name it. I can not see all of these collections getting done. But hey, I like the Morgan’s. So I will take Gonfunko’s advice and just do a date set. We took two raw Indian cent collections and made one set of the best coins. I may even start a three piece nickel set. Now most all of this stuff I mentioned is raw, and mostly in the VG to Fine range. I DO NOT WANT EVERYTHING SLABBED! I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT REGISTERIES! This is MY collection. And the BEST thing about collecting is that there are no RULES. Just money and space limitations. But I do worry about having an”accumulation” verses a collection. So I sorted a few things to sell, upgraded some raw Lincolns in my Capital boards and looked at the other uncompleted collections so I could enjoy them and then put them all back for another day. For 35 years, this is exactly what I have done. Picked them up, and then put them away for awhile. Confused? sort of, but I am focused on getting the Lincolns done. I will never ever get a 1969 s DDO or a 1990 no S and I think it’s stupid that it is even part of the registry, but this does not stop me from getting what I can. I do not care if I am #20, heck; I am still amazed I am as high as I am with some of the bashing I have seen written for less than MS 65 coins let alone those ugly R&B examples. Some here shutter the thought of even owning one. But that is not what is important to me. The other day, I took a chance on a 1971 DDO for $50. Its between XF and AU. Just what I needed, an example, not a registry ass kicking one, just an example for my collection.

Now consider this. All of the advice above and from your fellow collectors can not tell you what to do. You need to decide. I think it’s safe for me to say that your talents are the envy of most everyone here. If I had your assets and abilities (and amazing luck?) I would simply finish a series you seem to want to do most and that is the Memorial set. It would be an achievable grade like MS 66 and once done, and have the satisfaction of completion, go for the upgrades at what ever standards you decide. I for one have my cake and eat it too. I have the regisrety, because its fun and my Raw set, because it’s much cooler than blue boxes of plastic. If you think you will have the best ever set, than consider this. Those that have reached that plateau usually end up selling them. You must also have some series cash. While the top collections are amazing, they are very distant in terms of availability, affordability and reality to the average collector. I also remind my self that for every registry collection there are hundreds of collections not registered and are of superior quality. So while you may strive to have the best, it may only be a fantasy because somewhere someone has a better collection. And while we all get caught up in the value of our collections, those that have gone before us repeatedly write and warn us that this is dangerous. You should collect first for enjoyment and consider value a secondary benefit. So do some soul searching, set some realistic goals and standards, write them down, and do it. Be it Raw, NGC, or PCGS or NTC for that matter, remember, there are no rules and do not let the registry restrict you from what you want to do most. There are people on this forum who do not have registry sets and are having a fantastic time.

jacktheknife · October 20, 2005 11:19PM

Take your time and keep pluggin' away at it. Most importantly, do it for yourself and NOT the registry.

Jack

ellewood · October 20, 2005 11:45PM

J-

Here's what I would do IF I WERE YOU. Go out and get yourself a nice digital camera and figure out how to shoot high quality images of your lincolns...whether in slabs or raw. Then, you will be able to post your whole collection (outside of the registry) for yourself and for others to see. It's seems to me that you are frustrated at the fact that some of your coins are always coming back from PCGS a point or two lower than what they should be. Crack out the ones that you think are "misgraded" and photograph them for everyone to see!!!! Everyone knows that you have a great eye for lincolns....it just seems that PCGS rarely agrees with you when you submit the top pop coins to them. I finally came to the realization that I will never own a top 10 set in the lincoln category...but that is not my goal. My goal is to collect coins...NOT SPENDING $2000 TO ACCUMULATE 1/10 OF A FRICKN' REGISTRY POINT TO OVERCOME THE GUY ONE SPOT ABOVE ME. If I slip down a few spots every year...so be it. My collection will only get better as time goes on.

P.S. The digital cam might also come in handy when and if you get lucky as Stewart suggested

jacktheknife · October 20, 2005 11:52PM

NOT SPENDING $2000 TO ACCUMULATE 1/10 OF A FRICKN' REGISTRY POINT TO OVERCOME THE GUY ONE SPOT ABOVE ME.

Amen, Ellwood!

Jack

zkcoins · October 21, 2005 3:21AM

<< <i>
P.S. The digital cam might also come in handy when and if you get lucky as Stewart suggested

>>

lloydmincy · October 21, 2005 3:44AM

"You can't sleep with your pennies"

I'm sorry, Stewart. I thought you did.

WaterSport · October 21, 2005 4:26AM

Ellwood said it best and it the least amount of space...THANKS!!!

WS

LincolnsRule · October 21, 2005 5:40AM

Indeed Stewart, until I got my submission back I had been pretty much away from coins for a month, spending my time trying to meet girls! Still have never had a girlfriend though. Coins and math is a dangerous combination of interests!

All of you guys advice is terrific! I appreciate it, thanks! I really would like to be involved with the fun of a registry set, as all of guys are. I think it so cool you have so much fun with it! I also don't care about competing at all, just want the nicest set possible. It just would be nice to be able to somewhat show off the results of all the hard work I've done searching for the nicest possible coins.

clackamas · October 21, 2005 7:35AM

Yes, you should give up for now. You are on a college campus, there is only 1 thing I would be doing with such a target rich enviroment. My gawd if only I could do it again, even if it is Cal.

Musky1011 · October 21, 2005 8:58AM

take up meditation and you will relize that anything you own really isn't that important. you will enjoy life no matter what happens.
Coins are just a part of your life don't let them control it

When you come to this conclusion you will really enjoy the coins if not "Send all of them to me"

Advisor Jim

rabbitracks · October 22, 2005 4:40AM

Jamie, the most important part of your question is are you having fun doing what you feel is an inspiration to other collectors in this Hobby. As a Lincoln collector myself I enjoy the thrill of obtaining the coin, and then entering it into the registry, after Photoing the coin, for others to enjoy the new addition as well. I and everyone else who has answered your thread know of your keen ability to detect great looking lincolns. Don't let the powers that be let you be disappointed in every submission that you send in, just try and be greatful for the ones that do go the route that you thought that they should have. If you want all high grades then send them across the street until they change their standards you'll probably get what you desire. Until that time just try and have as much fun as you can in the hobby and out. Our lives on this earth are to short James 4:14 to not enjoy every day that we are blessed with. Do the best that you can with in your studies and you will be able to have all that you desire when the time is right. We all are in that fast food mode today (Got To Have It My Way NOW. Try to enjoy life and your rewards will follow when you least expect it to happen.

Dabigkahuna · October 23, 2005 8:47AM

Girls and Coins.

The right one only seems to come around when you're not looking.

Larry
Dabigkahuna

ellewood · October 24, 2005 11:12PM

It just would be nice to be able to somewhat show off the results of all the hard work I've done searching for the nicest possible coins.

That's exactly why you should get a camera and master photographing them. I know I would sure like to see some of the beauties that you are pulling from rolls these days!!!

I saw your post on the BST...so does that mean I will see my coins soon?

LincolnsRule · October 25, 2005 8:58AM

Yeah, your coins are on the way ellewood! Thanks!

Actually I realized what annoys me the most... if I get a correctly graded pcgs ms67rd (or ms68rd zinc cent) I can cross that date off my wantlist and never again have to look for or buy rolls of that date. But what do I do about the overgraded/undergraded coins? Keep looking? I know I have some ms66rd's for which I'll never see another coin of that date nicer. I have some ms67rd's where I still think a nicer one probably may be out there, but I don't know for sure. I guess more looking can only improve my set, but it is frustrating that after 3 years I have only crossed a total of about 6 dates off my want list (63,72-d,79,81,84-d,86). Anyway, it's really no big deal. I post (or complain!) here I guess since I don't have any coin friends to talk to besides you guys. Thanks everyone!

RegistryNut · October 25, 2005 6:16PM

I post (or complain!) here I guess since I don't have any coin friends to talk to besides you guys. Thanks everyone! >>

Hey, that's what this forum is all about. I enjoy your threads. I can also relate about non coin friends.
Is'nt it just impossible to expect these people, in your life, to understand or to celebrate anything that
relates to a coin? I have no coin friends either and I'm very thankful for my forum buddies. We don't
always agree with each other but we can usually understand the pain or the gain. Thanks to you too!

RegistryNut

RegistryNut · October 25, 2005 6:24PM

Oh BTW,
I just sold a $10 National on Ebay for $1300. I sure like that 63D you're looking at. Hate to see another
$900 bid. What dya think? Can I have it?

Talk with ya later.
RegistryNut

ellewood · October 26, 2005 2:50AM

I can also relate about non coin friends.Is'nt it just impossible to expect these people, in your life, to understand or to celebrate anything that relates to a coin? I have no coin friends either and I'm very thankful for my forum buddies. We don't
always agree with each other but we can usually understand the pain or the gain.

YOU COULDN'T OF SAID THAT ANY BETTER. NO ONE CAN RELATE TO MY FASCINATION WITH COINS!!!!! That's why I turn to the boards here as well!