Has anyone ever just bought a complete series?

OldReading

I was thumbing through a coin rag last night, since I have no money to buy anything right now...geez I picked a dumb hobby for someone who is broke all the time........ anyway, I see all these dealer ads for complete sets and I start thinking, who buys these? $700 for a complete set of Jeffs, $1000 for a set of Hairy Heads...., $6000 for a set of Washies, $27,000 for a complete set of Morgans.

On the one hand... someone putting out that kind of money surely must have a serious interest in coins. but on the other hand... anyone with that much interest in the hobby must surely know all your gonna end up with is a set of sliders and low end coins, am I right?

So who buy all these sets I see for sale. Anybody? It would also seem to take oh.......99% of the fun out of "collecting" now wouldn't it?

ewitte

I've bought some PCGS sets for below what they individually sell for. Then I sell them individually The most recent was all 40 state quarters. The 1999 series goes back on ebay immediately.

OldReading

<< <i>I've bought some PCGS sets for below what they individually sell for. Then I sell them individually >>



Just for the record, I was talking about raw coins.

xphobe

Investors mainly. But once I had completed my Whitman Roosy book from circ, I turned around and bought a BU set for $65. I figured it was a cheap upgrade. Of course, it has been a terrible investment. That was like 30 years ago, and considering inflation I prolly didn't even break even when I sold it last year.

MrSpud

I wouldn't recommend buying a set already completed from an ad in a magazine, unless you want just a set of average coins. I have bought partial sets and then upgraded some of them and also bought the ones that weren't there, it is a fun way to do it if you can get a good buy. MrsSpud once bought a complete set of Roosevelts at a coin show from a dealer who had handpicked the best coins he could find for the set. This had been his personal set that he had decided to sell. He had seen MrsSpud putting together dime sets before (dimes of all kind are her favorites) and he sold it to her for less than another dealer had offered him for the set because he wanted someone who appreciated the set to have them whereas the dealer who wanted them was going to break up the set for resale. Later the same day, the same dealer who wanted the coins for resale offered MrsSpud 50% more than what she paid for the set but she refused. The coins are in an Intercept Shield Album and most are full torch gems and high grade proofs.

Boothill40

I bought a set of circ Franklins for my son when he expressed interest in collecting with the thought that he would upgrade his coins as time passed He has since lost interest.
As for myself looking for that next coin is what makes it fun and I should have gone that route with my son---Tom

Barry

I've sold several complete sets (in Dansco albums.) If the sets have keys, then I usually pull the keys and either keep them or sell them separately. From a collector perspective, buying a complete set for the sake of having a complete set takes the fun out of collecting. However, I've heard of some folks buying a complete set to get a couple of coins they couldn't get any other way, and selling the rest of it.

Fairlaneman

<< <i>I've sold several complete sets (in Dansco albums.) If the sets have keys, then I usually pull the keys and either keep them or sell them separately. From a collector perspective, buying a complete set for the sake of having a complete set takes the fun out of collecting. However, I've heard of some folks buying a complete set to get a couple of coins they couldn't get any other way, and selling the rest of it. >>



Yep...I did it for exactly the reason you stated. Actually two sets were purchased for a look see. One complete set from a forum member and a almost complete set from Collector USA. PCGS will get some money if I get off my duff.

Ken

SanctionII

I have done it twice.

The first time was in 1998 when I was at a local shop and bought a complete set of Franklin halves in a Capital Plastic holder. [I was just getting back into the hobby and bought it for $250.00 as a replacement for a Frankie set (part MS, part circ, part proof) I had put together in a Capital Holder when I was a kid (unfortunately it was stolen from me in a house break in when I was about 28 years old)]. The coins were touted as MS; however as I spent time looking at them a few are clearly not MS (maybe not even AU). Most are however. I have spent a little time upgrading the individual coins. It I sold it today I would get more than my $250.00 purchase price (further I would keep the Capital Holder and put them in flips or a Whitman album).

The second time was about a year or two ago. I was in a shop and decided to buy a Dansco Album containing all of the MS and Proof IKE dollars. Spent $100.00 for it. Have done extensive upgrades since then and it is now a very nice set.

tsacch

When I was fresh out of college and making my first real cash, I would Teletrade a few coins per auction.....and I bought a few complete sets of BU Jefferson nickles, 1935-1985 BU Pennies, 1946 to 1985 BU Dimes, as well as single type coins.....cheap at the time and I wish I had them now rather than selling them for the classic Mustang I sold them to buy (when I was married and my mad money dried up) Oh well......still have the Mustang, but I think the coins would have been better.

Conder101

Did it just once. Ran across a seller of a complete set of English large pennys 1860 - 1967 for what seemed to me to be a good price, so I bought it.

tmot99

I made the mistake once. I bought a Roosie set in a Dansco when I first started collecting. I didn't know better than not to trust what appeared to be a big outfit. I have bought a few Danscos over the years off of ebay and have done pretty well. I have acquired a statehood quarter book including silvers for cheap (yes including the 1999 set) and a Washington quarter set for cheap.

Barndog

Some purchase sets as gifts.

cladking

These can be a good way to start collecting a high grade series if you want to do the upgrading. It is
not advisable with the clads in most cases because the quality will usually be so poor that you'll have to
replace every single coin in the set. This isn't always true and I'll occassionally see some pretty nice sets
but these are not cheap.

Coxe

Takes the fun completely out of it unless you (1) are buying it to get one or more specific pieces cherried on the sly or (2) have the full intention of upgrading some as time goes on and like having any piece there to properly attribute or (3) you are a junior Eliasberg and need to spend more time collecting other series while you assemble your hack at a nearly complete set of US coins.

morgannut2

I did once--It was a famously undesireable SBA set at a Bowers Auction awhile back. I got the proof 1981 TypeII certified and wholesaled it, so I now have negative $100 in the remaining coins. Also I got lucky and bought a complete circulated Washington set for $165 + 15% at an estate auction. I combined it with a set I had done when younger to make a really nice EF/AU set in a Dansco.

gamr0n

Each time I got shopping for coins I can't help but buy a couple of complete sets of these.

RW

<< <i>geez I picked a dumb hobby for someone who is broke all the time........ >>



Holy crap that's funny...so true! I feel your pain! LOL

ziggy29

Doesn't seem like there would be much enjoyment for doing that. For me, part of the joy and excitement is in building the collection -- in trying to find nice, individual coins that "work well" and match nicely with the others already in your collection.

It's sort of like the difference between the "thrill of the hunt" and just buying some meat at the grocery store.

DeepCoin

I bought a complete Unc Franklin set about 4 years ago from a board member. The coins are VERY nice. The set had passed between two of the more respected early board members before I bought it for $400. Once again, it is trusting the person you are dealing with.


I would NEVER have bought that set on eBay, but I am careful in that regard.