Do You Have Subscriptions for Coins from The US Mint?
Obiwancanoli
Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭
I have more than a few subscriptions through the Mint, all for coins which I enjoy collecting.
In this day and age, considering how tough the economy is on most people - myself being no exception - I want to trim my costs as much as possible, and am considering abandoning the subscription program in favor of a more diligent approach to ordering several items at one time and saving on S&H.
While the subscription program affords me the ease of never having to worry about ordering a particular item and keeping track thereof, it's time to reevaluate this convenience. And in doing so, now that I've reviewed the Product Schedule for 2010 - and having reasonable cause to believe this pattern will continue into 2011 - I could save enough to buy that 1917 Barber quarter I've been offered. Well, mostly, probably.
For those of you who use this approach, how many times a year do you bulk up, ordering several items at once? I could almost get away with doing so once a year, but for the fact my anxiety levels would bubble over... I'd be afraid of missing something, or waiting too long on low mintage or high popularity coins, though aside from special offers (like the UHR, Lincoln Chronicles, etc.), it doesn't seem as if this would be a problem. Of course, it's always nice to actually have them in hand, too, but I'd probably get impatient waiting so long.
I don't like the idea of waiting a year to order EVERYTHING I wanted, and wondered if there's a practical reason(s) for how others approach this, and when?
In this day and age, considering how tough the economy is on most people - myself being no exception - I want to trim my costs as much as possible, and am considering abandoning the subscription program in favor of a more diligent approach to ordering several items at one time and saving on S&H.
While the subscription program affords me the ease of never having to worry about ordering a particular item and keeping track thereof, it's time to reevaluate this convenience. And in doing so, now that I've reviewed the Product Schedule for 2010 - and having reasonable cause to believe this pattern will continue into 2011 - I could save enough to buy that 1917 Barber quarter I've been offered. Well, mostly, probably.
For those of you who use this approach, how many times a year do you bulk up, ordering several items at once? I could almost get away with doing so once a year, but for the fact my anxiety levels would bubble over... I'd be afraid of missing something, or waiting too long on low mintage or high popularity coins, though aside from special offers (like the UHR, Lincoln Chronicles, etc.), it doesn't seem as if this would be a problem. Of course, it's always nice to actually have them in hand, too, but I'd probably get impatient waiting so long.
I don't like the idea of waiting a year to order EVERYTHING I wanted, and wondered if there's a practical reason(s) for how others approach this, and when?
UBERCOINER
A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
Beats All The Lies You Can Invent
A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
Beats All The Lies You Can Invent
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Not anymore, anyway. I had two scrips each for mint sets, proof sets, silver sets, proof/unc ASEs, I think that's it. Boy, lesson learned. I'll just buy my grandaughters two silver sets these days and that's it.
I'll snag three of the upcoming first spouse medals and order them at the same time as the ss. That'll be the last in the 4-spouse/liberty subset medals.
no mas, otherwise.
Your decision is yours...and yours alone....but I prefer to buy manually and not let the mint make it for me. I do understand that people are busy and can't keep up with everything so an auto-purchase program may fit well. NO THANKS! I'll stay in control of my purchases with the mint and every other purchase.
(I used to forget sometimes.... so I started to use the subscription program again.)
It's also nice to have those subs for the silver eagles to remind the mint there is demand out there.
I was attempting to view my account, and the Mint's website kept coming back saying it "couldn't find the page you were looking for"... this has been going on now for about 3 weeks, and has happened intermittently in the past (anyone else having this problem?).
In any event, I was attempting to review my subscriptions, about half of which I terminated in hopes of bulking up on orders to save S&H down the road, small as that may be (every nickel counts, right?). When I'd mentioned this to the rep on the phone, I was surprised to learn that subscription orders are filled first, and generally about a week before release to the public. And while you can terminate a subscription beforehand, entering or re-entering a NEW subscription puts you at the end of the subscription line, in terms of order number, but it still gets processed before web or phone orders - again, about a week before normnal release (no change).
I was also told that while one may enter - or re-enter a subscription, thus ending up at the virtual end of the subscription line - these are automated, occur virtually all at the same time, and always within a day or so.
I was considering ending the ASE subscription, in part because I was also told one cannot add anything to a subscription order (all subscriptions are individually considered one order, separate for purposes of tracking, AND S&H). Of course, I was thinking I'd just call in or web-order the ASE's, combining that with others I'd had on the wish list, but considering the re-start for the 2010 ASE's, I chose to keep the subscription on these, as I'd ordered a few, and wanted no impediments to the process. I'm probably not justified in my concern here, but when the ASE's become available on the 19th, I think I'd prefer to avoid the UHR & Lincoln Chronicles-type rush at the gate, and simply settle for some peace of mind.
A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
Beats All The Lies You Can Invent
<< <i>
In any event, I was attempting to review my subscriptions, about half of which I terminated in hopes of bulking up on orders to save S&H down the road, small as that may be (every nickel counts, right?). When I'd mentioned this to the rep on the phone, I was surprised to learn that subscription orders are filled first, and generally about a week before release to the public. And while you can terminate a subscription beforehand, entering or re-entering a NEW subscription puts you at the end of the subscription line, in terms of order number, but it still gets processed before web or phone orders - again, about a week before normnal release (no change).
I was also told that while one may enter - or re-enter a subscription, thus ending up at the virtual end of the subscription line - these are automated, occur virtually all at the same time, and always within a day or so.
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Don't know if I believe that, in the past, I KNOW FOR A FACT, that subscriptions were after some of the early orders (saw it happen, personally). So, unless they have changed, it is just a belief that the CSR has and told you. If they have changed in the last 4 years, or so, then that is a good thing. I think they should be filled first.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
Beats All The Lies You Can Invent