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Do You Have Subscriptions for Coins from The US Mint?

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? image
UBERCOINER

A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
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Comments

  • Nope.

    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.
  • CoinMeisterCoinMeister Posts: 642 ✭✭✭✭
    It makes good financial sense to save on shipping if you plan on ordering more than one product from the Mint. However, this process does not work on limited issues where mintage limits or the over-all popularity of an upcoming issue warrents the use of a manual ordering process. (Get into the mint website during a popular issue and deal with the very slow mint website) It is incumbant upon the buyer to decide how they wish to make any purchase. I have always been the type of person where I like to make a purchase manually. That way I can time it when I want and it limits my risk (I know the purchase was made because I did it and with funds I know are available). Further, there are instances where I may not want a mint issue. Maybe I prefer to buy it on the secondary market (for one reason or another).

    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.
    "What we are never changes, but who we are ... never stops changing."
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I used to use the subscription program..... it was very convenient. Since I moved, I have eliminated that and just order what I want. Not ordering as much as I used to, especially since the Eagle program has died. Cheers, RickO
  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭✭
    yes, but with prices going up, I'm thinking of countering with going back to ordering on my own and grouping sets to save shipping.

    (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.



    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • AMRCAMRC Posts: 4,266 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
    MLAeBayNumismatics: "The greatest hobby in the world!"
  • ObiwancanoliObiwancanoli Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭
    Becasue of a small problem with the US Mint website, I called them a few days ago and picked up on a few FYI's...

    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.
    UBERCOINER

    A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
    Beats All The Lies You Can Invent
  • BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,285 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <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.
    . >>



    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

  • CoinspongeCoinsponge Posts: 3,927 ✭✭✭
    I did have a subscription to the Spouse program where you got a special annual holder (I think) but they cancelled it on me without anything to soothe my sore feelings so I cancelled the thought of using that program for anything.
    Gold and silver are valuable but wisdom is priceless.
  • LindeDadLindeDad Posts: 18,766 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I never thought of it as a cost effective way to collect their stuff. So I never joined.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 43,796 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I plead the fifth.
  • ObiwancanoliObiwancanoli Posts: 1,065 ✭✭✭
    Just saying what I was told... not sure myself if I ought to consider it credible, especially since I've read so much negative on this forum... but hope springs eternal, eh? As long as I receive what I ordered (and in a timely manner), I'm good with it...
    UBERCOINER

    A Truth That's Told With Bad Intent
    Beats All The Lies You Can Invent

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