How long have you been working on your "primary set"?

MrEureka

I'll define "primary set" as a pre-defined collection that is your highest collecting priority.

As you probably know from my sigline, my primary set is all coins of the Central American Republic, and I've been working on it for about 17 years. Mostly because I'm very fussy, I'm only about 30% complete.

erickso1

Year and a half. Classic Commems.

LeeBone

Complete 97 Coin PCGS Morgan Set....

Took 15+ yrs

Finished in 2006 but try to upgrade from time to time

ctf_error_coins

Twelve years on an error type set.

I am amazed all the time by finding new error types that I didn't even know existed, That's why error coins are so cool, and can hold your interest as you never know what will come up next.

camlov2

Primary Coin Set - Braided Hair cents - about 4 months
Primary Currency Set - Chico Ca Nationals - about 3 years

Eagleguy

Classic Commemoratives: 7 years

JH

johnperk747

Modern Commemorative's
Started 5 years ago, with Proof Silver dollars only
Went back 2 yrs. later and got the Half dollars.
Last year, went back and got all the MS coins, both dollar & half dollar.
ALL COINS IN PCGS HOLDERS (69"S)
(Like the fact that all the coins are different, some good & some bad

BLESSINGS

dragon

Been working on sets of 1/2, 1, and 2 Fr. Swiss sets from the twenties to 1967 for about 10 yrs. and am only about 15% complete.

droopyd

See my sig line!

coinsarefun

Only recently have I started on this venture. Before I collected what I liked and when grew tired sold and purchased others that captured my fancy
I actually gained a pretty good knowledge base on most coins this way, it was a great learning experience and would recommend this to anyone who can afford
to start out this way.

Its a completely different ballgame now.

I always said that a great collection(for me) does not need to be focused on one particular series as my interests very so greatly.
This part still holds true but now I have become more particular and research my purchase much more completely before I buy.

I will be selling quite a few different types of coins and later and focus more on condition rarity and have tremendous eye appeal.

It will be interesting what I end up with

Swampboy

6 years - Lincoln wheat cents.
About 50% there and I am happy with almost every one.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

Liberty $2.50's - 5 years.

During 2006-2008 I sold off everything else including 1950-1964 CAM/DCAM proofs along with Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and WLH short sets. Focus is good.

dpoole

2001 to date. 1932-64 Washington Quarter MS set.

Bossman88

I have been collecting Kennedy Halfs since I got the proof set in 1964.
Got into proof varieties about 25 years back, still looking for the right ones to add to my registry set.
The coins I would like to purchase just don't seem to be available on the market currently.
My time will come though. I Have had fun for over 45 years and thats the name of the game, as far as I am concerned.

Regards, Larry,

ModCrewman

I have been working on my 1950-1970 proof cameo set since Jan. 2011. Have an example of each but several that wouldn't/haven't make cameo designation, so still working on upgrades.

crypto79

2007-2008 ish I decide to specialize and do Trades.

erwindoc

Took about 3 years to finish my silver Roosie set and same time to finish clad Washingtons. My other main sets I anticipate will take a bit longer.

coindeuce

Eighteen years. Currently 88% complete, and finest by a substantial margin regarding average grade points.
Mostly upgrading in recent years, but still giving plenty of time and energy into seeking the missing links.

tradedollarnut

Started the trade dollar set in 1996. Very few upgrades possible, but when they come available I buy them.

BillJones

I started collecting type coins in the mid 1960s. I bought the last gold coin for the set this past March. It looks like I've been at this for 47 years.

I did find one up-grade piece at the sumer FUN auction, but that will be exception, not the rule.

CarlWohlforth

I just started the complete modern commemorative registry set so maybe 3 months.

Walkerfan

Bought my first Walker around 1993.

I started to seriously collect certified coins around 2005.

Much of the set was funded by the sale of my raw coins and not just the Walkers, either. So almost 20 years but got into it very obsessively at least 7 years ago.

Justacommeman

6 years plus. MJ

breakdown

Started with Buffalos in 2006 and Walkers in 2007. Finished the Buffalo set last year at Baltimore when Kathleen (at Pinnacle) sold me a very nice 28-S, a date that had been elusive to me. Will keep looking for upgrades. Three coins away from completing the Walkers but there's a lot of possible upgrades there also.

I love these two series, their designs and their histories. Not sure what I will do when I finish the Walkers but that may be a while. I have purchased exactly one Walker in 2012.

crypto79

Man I love breakdowns walkers

TahoeDale

Early and capped bust halves--

bought my first one in 1993, and started seriously in 2000. I think
I have added to the set every year, either new dates or upgrades.

And I hope I have it another 19 years. ( That I make it to 90 years young)

Then maybe I can shoot my age.

tradedollarnut

I'm working on another set but getting bored - smoebody sell me a coin!

liefgold

Gold dollars for the past 22 years, 4 to go!
Always upgrading.

Baley

I've been working on a type set of US coins 1793-1999 since 1975, and sets of draped bust quarters and half dollars by die variety and die state since 1999.

Hotfootspin

PCGS type set, since 2005.

Mark

PennyCollector

I've been working on my main set for 5 years or so but i have 3 main sets so its hard to tell

lkeigwin

My primary set changes every time I develop a new interest. My oldest sets, of wheaties, go back to the early '90's. I built a gem set, slabbed. And a raw set, XF. I was compelled to finish something I started as a kid in the 60's.

Today I focus on CBH's and early cents. Been at it several years. I stray, but always return. And when a nice wheatie comes along, usually from my friend Andy Skrabalak, I upgrade.

Here's one he sent me last week.
Lance.

GeorgeKellogg

Since 1982...

StoneyPoint

Type about 30 years

SkyMan

I've been collecting Franklins for ~ 25 years now. At the start I was serious about collecting CAM/DCAM proofs (trying to put together a full set, although I would buy the occasional toned business strike. The proof set took about 3 years to complete, although the last upgrade for the proof set was 2006. In 2003 I started seriously trying to put together a toned business strike set. It took me until 2009 to finish the toned business strike set. I'm still working on upgrades for it, the last one occurring about 1 1/2 years ago.

MrHalfDime

The goal of my "primary set" is to duplicate the task previously completed only once, by Dr. Daniel W. Valentine in 1931, by acquiring one example of each known die marriage for the entire half dime denomination, including the Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Capped Bust, Liberty Seated, and dare I say, the 1792 half disme. I began this journey in 1984, and to date I have acquired 20 of the 32 known die marriages for the Draped Bust and Flowing Hair half dimes (including all R5, R6, R7, and R8 examples), 91 of the 92 known die marriages for the Capped Bust half dimes, and over 400 of the 257 known (yes, you read that right) die marriages for the Liberty Seated half dimes. I may never complete this task, but it has been one heck of a journey for almost three decades.

CoinJunkie

<< <i>As you probably know from my sigline, my primary set is all coins of the Central American Republic, and I've been working on it for about 17 years. Mostly because I'm very fussy, I'm only about 30% complete. >>


So, if you maintain your current level of fussiness, where do you put the odds that you'll complete it in your lifetime?

Elcontador

Liberty Nickels in MS 66. 10 years. Have 1/3 of them. Set will never get completed, but that's okay.

Nysoto

It took about 10 years to build my flowing hair and draped bust half dollar set to a level that exceeded my original expectations. Rather than spending the next 10 years chasing expensive R-7 and R-8 rarity die marriages, I branched off into some early gold sets, completing a year set of 1807-1812 $5 half eagles and a Redbook set of 1834-1838 $5 Classic Head Gold. No regrets.

I have been working on a fun set for 25 years, which is Washington State medals from 1890-1993. I have bought unique or R-8 early medals for the price of a double tall latte. In ten years or so I will publish a reference on the medals.

krueger

U.S. Philippines Complete business (1903 to 1945) and proof strike date set (1903,04,05,06,08)

Started in 1975, that would be 37 years. Bought my first coin a BU 1907-S peso from Aldo Basso
who wrote the classic book on the series.

Still don't have the complete set in slabbed uncirculated grades. Have one coin left in AU 58!

Very, very few complete sets have ever been known in slabbed uncirculated grade.
even the recent auction of the fabulous Dr. Greg Pineda collection was, I believe not complete
in all the uncirculated grades.

I stand to be corrected, but I think of all the PCGS and NGC registry sets only one is complete in all slabbed uncirculated grades.
I know of one other only, a non-registry set . So I am not doing too bad to be within a whisker.

Krueger

MrEureka

<< As you probably know from my sigline, my primary set is all coins of the Central American Republic, and I've been working on it for about 17 years. Mostly because I'm very fussy, I'm only about 30% complete. >>


So, if you maintain your current level of fussiness, where do you put the odds that you'll complete it in your lifetime?


Short answer is 40%. Ultimately, it will probably come down to whether or not I outlive the owners of a certain four or five coins. Then again, maybe in a decade or two I'll start compromising on quality.

pruebas

About 14 years. And I'm only about 50% complete.

The difficult is increasing exponentially now.

Mercury

12 years. Peace dollars. I do have a coin in every spot. Any upgrades will cost another digit. I am still looking but.......

Mercury

seanq

I've been working on my date set of clipped Lincolns for over 20 years, I started in 1991 or 1992. I recently filled another hole so that leaves me just six coins shy of a full 100-year set from 1909 to 2008 (before you ask: 1909-S VDB, 1933-D, 1982 SD zinc, 1982 LD zinc, 2006 and 2008-D). When the Lincolns got slow I started a clipped type set, I'd guess I've been working on that for at least a dozen years.


Sean Reynolds

sonoranmonsoon

I have been working a silver and related dollars collection (non-gold) for about 8 years. It will never be completed, which is fine. I just upgrade it when I can.

1tommy

Just made it to 50 percent last week and started about 2 years ago on my registry set. At 55 I hope to complete this set before my time is up. Enjoy tom

DorkGirl

The Morgan collection was started by my grampa. My dad worked on it, then I finished it. So I guess about 50 years.

OldDan

US Type
Started in 1962
Keep upgrading - so will probably NEVER really finish.