Date Mintmark set collecting shaky future?

veryfine

Do the current prices of various date/mintmark coins keep you from even bothering with the pursuit of series completion? If I were contemplating a Barber quarter set, I would think twice about paying thousands of dollars for an AG-3 1901-s. How about the 34-S Peace dollar or 16-D dime? At what point do you say, "I think it's time for a nice type set or a complete date set." Imagine being happy with a 1901 quarter, sans "S."
The ultimate question is: Will mintmark collecting fall out of fashion in the future?
I wonder.

STONE

I doubt it. There will always be people with enough $$$ to collect complete date and mintmark sets. I for one am nowhere near a point to shuck out several thousand dollars for an AG-3 01-S quarter. I am willing to sacrifice buying several coins in a year in order to pic up the tougher dates and get closer to finishing sets.
Maybe people will end up collecting more affordable and smaller date and mintmark sets.

cladking

I think the bigger threat to this type of collecting is the plethora of types
coming out of the mint and attracting new collectors. Many of these folks
are likely to stick with type collecting as they mature. If it were just a mat-
ter of cost this would be the heyday of date/ mintmark collecting because
of all the series in circulation that can be completed with effort.

fcloud

I had no direction for many years. I actually looked through the price guides to try to figure out what set I could afford to complete in Uncirculated. I managed to complete the Basic Mercury Dime set in uncirculated with only one exception--my 1916-D is only AU50.

I think it stops some, but there will always be someone who love to complete high end sets and will do what they need to do to make them complete.

Shamika

<< <i>Do the current prices of various date/mintmark coins keep you from even bothering with the pursuit of series completion? >>

This is why you should be sure you can finish what you started if that's important to you. I'm putting together a complete date/mm set of UNC Buffalo nickels, but I've given myself 10 years to complete it. I started early in 2001 and am just barely on schedule.

Shamika

<< <i>The ultimate question is: Will mintmark collecting fall out of fashion in the future? >>

If that were to happen, prices for the keys would drop and then people would come back to collecting them again. A simple case of supply and demand.

notwilight

Not at all. Remember this forum is a very small and non-representative slice of the collecting public. Most casual collectors don't puke at the sight of a cleaned coin, worry that they have a limited supply of high relief saints, or worry when the keys are not within their reach. I had a casual collector ask me the other day if i had a 16d dime (in any condition) so he could compete the series. I told him no and he just smiled and said no problem, he probably wouldn't ever finish it and was focusing on low grade morgans now. This guy makes well into 6 figures and his girlfriend does too so either of them could buy it but the focus with him, and most mainstream collectors, is collecting, not so much completing and it is accepted that the keys will be skipped.--Jerry

Baley

Imagine being happy with a 1901 quarter, sans "S."

OK



The ultimate question is: Will mintmark collecting fall out of fashion in the future?

Oh, I think a rare coin will always be a desirable thing, and expect 1901-S quarters to continue to be popular (read: expensive)

However, you have a good point, collecting by type is a good alternative to collecting those series with very tough "stoppers"

veryfine

<< <i>Imagine being happy with a 1901 quarter, sans "S."

OK

>>



Beautiful example of a 1901

veryfine

<< <i>

<< <i>Do the current prices of various date/mintmark coins keep you from even bothering with the pursuit of series completion? >>

This is why you should be sure you can finish what you started if that's important to you. I'm putting together a complete date/mm set of UNC Buffalo nickels, but I've given myself 10 years to complete it. I started early in 2001 and am just barely on schedule. >>


An Unc set of Buffalo nickels is both challenging and impressive, but are you concerned that time is directly proportional to price increases? 10 years is a relatively long time. Do you try to grab the "keys" right away?

veryfine

I've always thought that date set collecting is an exciting and relatively affordable approach. One can avoid the often expensive coins in a series and concentrate on better quality examples.
Imagine a complete date set of AU 55-58 or better quarters, from Barber to date. Watch out for stand-alone coins like the 21 Standing Liberty quarter, as it should soar in value, in my humble opinion.

anablep

I considered completing a date set of Morgan dollars and once I reached that goal (fairly quickly) the collection felt incomplete.

I enjoy the challenge (and variety) of trying to collect the full date/mm set and even though there are stoppers and coins that may be impossible to acquire in MS, I will aim for the entire set...

JRocco

A collection is whatever you want it to be.
There are some very hard core CBH collectors that only
collect 1827 CBH's by Overton number.
There are 49 coins in this set...imagine a collection of 49 coins
only covering one year of one series. Whatever you want and can afford works.

For me- that little MM DOES mean a lot for most series I collect that includes different mint coins.
For bust half's from 1794 to 1836, I don't concern myself with mint marks

IrishMike

Currently working on a type, year and century set. I won't spend money on 01-s that barely is identifiable but that is me. I understand why others would.

ttown

There will alway be date/mm collectors, moderns are affordable and can be collected by D/MM by anyone. I think the classic date/mm collector like me will move down to collector grade coins that can be collected by the set until these coins get pricey. My year set of CBH in F to VF can still be collected by the average joe with the 1815 being the only coin in the series that really requires some major bucks.

Shamika

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>Do the current prices of various date/mintmark coins keep you from even bothering with the pursuit of series completion? >>

This is why you should be sure you can finish what you started if that's important to you. I'm putting together a complete date/mm set of UNC Buffalo nickels, but I've given myself 10 years to complete it. I started early in 2001 and am just barely on schedule. >>

An Unc set of Buffalo nickels is both challenging and impressive, but are you concerned that time is directly proportional to price increases? 10 years is a relatively long time. Do you try to grab the "keys" right away? >>


While time is directly proportional to price increases, so is one's salary. Relatively speaking most coins in most grades maintain pace with inflation so while many Buffs go up in price, they generally don't go out of reach.

As far as collecting the keys, I buy them when I find them with the right combination of quality and price. If I can't afford it, I'll usually try to do a trade or sell one of my more common pieces. There have been instances where this doesn't financially work out well, but there have been other instances where I've come out way ahead. Call me Even Steven.

lordmarcovan

I think type collecting is far more appealing than date & mint collecting, BUT the latter will never die.

I had fun with circulated Indian cents in a Dansco, once.