How realistic is it to try and fill every whitman folder?

Vermonter

I'm just starting to get back into coins after being distracted by other things for many years. After a few months trying to figure out what my focus should be I realized that few things were more satisfying than pushing the last coin I needed into the last empty hole in one of those blue whitman folders.

I've more or less decided that my goal is to complete all the currently available Whitman folders. Has anyone here tried to do this? Any pros or cons?

coinnut86

This is my goal. I have yet to complete any sets, but then I'm only 19. The first whitman I'm sure I'll fill with be the 1999-2008 State Quarter one

Filling albums is lots of fun

mepot

I would think you would have so many things going,you would not be able to keep up with

them all,with no real direction.I did a type set,that way I got to look at alot of different coins,and decide what

really interested me. Then I went from there,with some specific idea of what I like.Might be a good way for you to

get back into the hobby.Good luck.

Vermonter

I've got the third Washington book done, the first Kennedy, and I think one of the lincoln books completed... it's tough because I'm also drawn to the darkside a little bit, especially British Pennies. I don't know how serious I want to be about those because I'm sure I don't want to shell out beaucoup bucks for a 10th century silver penny. Even then there's no Redbook for british coins that I can find!

coinnut86

Oh, I have some books filled, just not a complete set. I have the 2nd and 3rd Lincoln book filled (1st one is missing keys and semi) and I have the 2nd Jeffy book filled. I only have a few Kennedy's, but I don't have a book for them yet.

Vermonter

I think I might have a Jeffy album and Roosie album full too, been a while since I took a look.

I'm looking forward to having the Liberty nickel one full...

coinnut86

<< <i> I'm looking forward to having the Liberty nickel one full... >>






I'm just working on the currently minted coins

I guess I have a ways to go

RubyRed

Does it matter which condition the coins are in to put them in the whitman folders?

DaveG

Vermonter: As the guys on the World coins board (the Darkside) can tell you, the British version of the Red book is Spink's Coins of England & the UK.

Um, one question though: If you fill all the Whitman folders, aren't you just going to end up with a whole ton of inexpensive coins (that will be hard to sell for a decent price) when you're done?

I used to fill up some Whitman folders with pocket change, but I noticed that after a few years, all my shiny red cents had nice fat thumbprints on them. After a while, I moved on to nicer 19th century coins that I wouldn't want to put a thumbprint on, as well as slabbed coins.

Vermonter

That's the thing, I really don't know what I'll end up with. I've been filling them from change and bank rolls. The better stuff has come with me from years ago and I agree that buying a bunch of junk is pointless just to fill books.

At the same time it's a lot of fun so I just thought I'd see what everyone else thought.

originalisbest

Filling them with change and from bank rolls, since you admit it is fun (and I agree, it is!) is cheap and enjoyable entertainment. With relatively little outlay (you can always spend whatever you pulled from change) I find little fault with this. Also, you might luck upon some silver for face value via the bank rolls.

So have fun, already!

IwantNonCCs

I was wondering what our working definition of "currently avalable" is.

figured I would get the official list

Whitman web site

looks do-able.

I am working on various whitman bookshelf albums. The old type.
Not to tough to fill in, once you stop worrying about condition.
I remember sitting in sav-on drug store when I was like 10, dreaming about those albums
looked over them again and again.
now I can get them on ebay
and filling is inexpensive.

When I bought a bunch of junk silver at melt, decided to go through it.

Mercury dime set is 5 short of complete
Roosevelt silver set is complete. Still looking for a 69P in circulation to complete whole set to date (except proofs)
Standing liberty about 1/2 done
Washington quarters (silver) all found except the big 2
Walking liberty over 1/2 done
Franklins done except for 1955

And that is all bought last year, at melt value

Low grade Barbers in my future. I've seen some average circ lots within 10% of melt when silver was at $15. They didn't come
down in price when silver did. Soon I hope to be going there. Need to find 4 more bookshelf albums on ebay and be ready.

MrSpud

The only problem is they make millions of copies of folders for each denomination, it would take quite a lot of coins to fill every Whitman Folder available

Just kidding, of course. Actually it is a good goal to complete a set of as many denominations as possible. Only I'd at least go for the albums with the slides on both sides rather than the folders. I have picked up a lot of different Albums like this for very cheap because a couple of coin stores around here sell slightly used ones for just a dollar or two. I think the folders that you have to force the coin to go into the slot are more likely to cause damage to the coins, both from having to practically pound them in with your thumb (thumbprints) and also because of the glue on the backing paper. With the slide albums have to be careful you don't scrape the coins with the slide, and you can run into corrosion problems with any cardboard type folder or album if the humidity is high, but they make a nice display to look at.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>Does it matter which condition the coins are in to put them in the whitman folders? >>




Probly for the most part no. As long as you are just filling holes it won't matter much. I have seen a few "collections" like that which were mostly low grade junk tho the keys and semi-keys brought decent money. If you spend any kind of decent or serious $$ on a coin I would NOT put it in the folder unless I didn't care about maintaining its value.

johnsim03

Hey you guys - this is a cool thread.

Gives me something to think about to do when I complete my Dansco 7070,
if a single series by that time doesn't grab me...



John

Barry

About 10 years ago, when I got back into collecting as an adult, I started by filling the Whitman folders I started as a kid in the 60s and 70s. While at first it seemed pretty neat to do that, my tastes changed as I leanred more about coins and I sold them all. If that's what you want to do, by all means do it. However, I suggest you pick a few to start with - don't make it a road race to fill holes.

OTOH, if you want to do it to try to find a series that catches your interest, consider a Type Set.

perfectstrike

I stepped up to Dansco albums. All the 20th century and most of them on the 20th/19th transition. I don't ever expect to complete the gold or Morgan albums. I started a lot of these as circulated sets, but upgraded to MS and PR starting with the 1930's as my earnings grew. That's when I stpped up from Whitman to Dansco. Some of the keys are still lower grade circulated, but most of the 20th century albums have all the holes filled. I'm also looking forward to a filled Liberty nickel book, that's my most likely next completion.

David

Vermonter

I'd want everything to be problem free and in VG or better...

Putting a 1921 D Walking Liberty half in VG or F in one of those folders wouldn't do anything to it would it? I wouldn't put big dollar coins in high grades in there...

Seems like I should start going through some bags of "scrap" silver. Do you get them at dealers or refiners?

coinnut86

<< <i>

<< <i>Does it matter which condition the coins are in to put them in the whitman folders? >>




Probly for the most part no. As long as you are just filling holes it won't matter much. I have seen a few "collections" like that which were mostly low grade junk tho the keys and semi-keys brought decent money. If you spend any kind of decent or serious $$ on a coin I would NOT put it in the folder unless I didn't care about maintaining its value. >>



That is exactly how I feel.

Most of mine are VG or better, it just depends. I have bought some wheaties from members here, otherwise it has been bank rolls and change. Once I fill all of the current circulating coin albums I will probably move to a Dansco Type set (I assume that's the 7070 that everyone talks about) as well as a One-A-Year Morgan set.

With those two sets I'll probably be a little bit more concerned with the grade, as the whitman is just for the shear fun of collecting one of each type minted


Edited to add

I don't really buy a whole lot of coins for my whitmans, although like I said I have bought some wheaties from members, and I have also bought some silver washies. With the State Quarters program, the silver ones moved out of circulation a lot faster than the nickels, dimes and kennedy's

lkenefic

There will still be some tough dates/MMs to fill your Whitmans' even in G4 they'll be pricey...1909-S VDB Lincoln...1877 Indian Head Cent...1916-D Merc Dime...and the 1916 SLQ [if Whitman even puts a hole to fill in an album for it]...probably close to $2K or better for the first 3...plus $3K for the 1916 SLQ.

They ain't makin' any more of 'em so they'll at least hold value...Good Luck.

Leo

sinin1

how much money do you have?


1877 IH cent
1909 S IH cent
1909 S VDB
would all be minor coins

1856 FE cent
1894 S dime
1901 S quarter
1916 SL quarter


I would rather go box of 20 or best in series or short set

Shamika

It's possible, but even if you stick with "hole fillers", you'd be surprised how much money it will take. Besides, there are some dates in some series that are just about impossible to find.

What about the 1913 Liberty nickle. The 1856 Eagle cent. These are just two that will cost you from $10,000+ to a cool 1,000,000+ respectively.

carl

Completely nuts is how I look at some of the Whitman Albums. I hope you mean the Albums and not the folders. The folders are the things that have slots in the pages but you can't see the reverse. The Albums are the ones with the sliding plastics that allow you to see the reverse of the coins. The folders are made with a sheet of paper with glue on it and the page with the slots are put on top of that. This means the slots have glue in them which will effect your coins eventually.
Now as to your question. My Liberty Head Nickel Album has a slot for a 1913 Nickel. I've been looking for one of them but for some reason can't find one. Other Albums have slots for error coins that really don't belong to complete the set. Example 22plain cent, 55DD cent, 72DD cent. These Lincoln Cents are possible but should never have been in the Album since there are error coins of Lincoln Cents for almost every year.
How realistic is it to fill these things. I've been collectinf for well over 60 years. Now have 10 Lincoln Cent sets complete. 8 Mercury Dime books, 3 Buffalo Nickels, 2 Liberty Head Nickels, 8 Roosevelt Dimes, etc, etc, etc. All are complete except for that elusive 1913 Liberty Head Nickel. Anybody got one for a cheap price?

lkenefic

My old Whitman Folder for IHCs actually had the hole filled in with blue cardboard imprinted with the word "Rare" so that one [was] apparently not counted in current Whitman folder. Also, from the website, I didn't see any Whitman folders for Barbers...did I miss something?

L

lkenefic

yeah...I think he meant Folder and not album...at least that's what the link went to...L

construct

<< <i>Also, from the website, I didn't see any Whitman folders for Barbers...did I miss something?

L >>



I don't think you missed anything. They used to make folders for the Barber and Seated series, but I guess they don't make them anymore.

IwantNonCCs

IwantNonCCs

No "current' barber folders so those toughies are out
Flying eagle / indian folder starts at 1857 so the 1856 is out
Liberty nickle folder goes to 1912, so the 1913 not a real nickle is out.

Toughies left
1877
1916

and those may have the built in "rare" label, so that space is technically already filled.
Not sure, my kennedy folder had a rare label in the 1970-d spot, I had to get out when
a slot machine in vegas gave me one.

I have moved on to the old deluxe albums, but the point is having fun.

When you fill an album with silver at or near melt, no down side. Maybe no real
upside either, but my investments are elsewhere, this is the hobby. Trying not to
get the two confused. I used to do that, try and mix hobby/fun with investment, ended
up making bad investment decisions and not having as much fun with the hobby end.

Baley

I've more or less decided that my goal is to complete all the currently available Whitman folders. Has anyone here tried to do this? Any pros or cons?

Better idea: skip the common junk and just buy the keys to each album. Then, someday, when you go to sell them, everyone else will have all the junk and the key holes will be empty, and you'll have just the keys to sell for big profits with much smaller transaction costs.

coinnut86

<< <i>I've more or less decided that my goal is to complete all the currently available Whitman folders. Has anyone here tried to do this? Any pros or cons?

Better idea: skip the common junk and just buy the keys to each album. Then, someday, when you go to sell them, everyone else will have all the junk and the key holes will be empty, and you'll have just the keys to sell for big profits with much smaller transaction costs. >>




But it's not as fun

rec78

What's the point to collecting if you dont have a goal? Sounds like fun. I suggest to Dansco Albums. Not folders unless you just mean the current series and pull the coins from circulation..This can be fun and challenging also as some dates you dont see for some reason for a long time. Do it any way you want but have fun. Bob

ziggy29

If you have enough money to seriously pursue this and succeed, I'd suggest concentrating on the key dates first. They tend to rise the most in up markets and yet still tend to hold their value in down markets.