How do you feel about collecting a series you'll never complete?

Broadstruck

Collecting Hard Times Token's no collector has ever finished a complete set of Lyman Low's original 183.

Some have come close but the pressure to complete isn't there with this series.

lasvegasteddy

type collectors don't have this issue or concern
sometimes it pays to be a bottom feeder

TopographicOceans

<< <i>type collectors don't have this issue or concern
sometimes it pays to be a bottom feeder >>

I know I'll never complete my US Type Set

BillJones

Hard Times tokens? The same is even more true for Civil War tokens.

My approach is to form topical collections within the series. I called them "mini sets." For example I formed die variety sets of the unpatriotic (pro Confederate) tokens, the Lincoln varieties, the Monitor and Merrimack pieces and tokens of New England. Less you think that the sets are easy to form, they aren't, but at least they are possible. I don't collect off metals, and I don't worry about all of the obverse-reverse muleings.

MidLifeCrisis

Each coin should be able to stand on its own merit...and be a collection of one.

Completeness is not important.

RedTiger

I am a big fan of short sets. In the old, old days, people didn't even care about mintmarks, just one of each year was a complete set. So who is to say what to include in a set? The Redbook, album makers and the registry folks seem to be the decision makers now, but collectors are free to choose a road less traveled.

For tokens, a lot of folks choose a theme or a location, but there are many ways to go.

LindeDad

Oh for a 1796.
Never fear there is always winner if you play, but I forgot to get a ticket.

Boosibri

<< <i>Each coin should be able to stand on its own merit...and be a collection of one.

Completeness is not important. >>



This

Nap

I like sets that can be completed. I would have a hard time with an unfinishable set.

Although what I collect now feels like it, there is one coin that I don't own with only 4 examples known (and two distinct varieties!); two are in museums. There's another one with 7 known examples, several in museums. Hopefully metal detectorists will find a few more of these or the one collector who owns most of these will sell, and I can obtain one.

Catbert

I've never felt the compulsion to finish a "set". Maybe I'm unusual in this regard. I just prefer individual coins, regardless of type/series that make me smile.

Musky1011

The chase is better than the catch as Lemmy says..

lkeigwin

There are four R8's and another six R7's among capped bust half die marriages. Pretty much impossible for anyone to complete the series.

It doesn't trouble me. A lot more than rarity prevents me from finishing the set. Like time and money.
Lance.

Zoins

Here's an interesting question I was pondering:

Does limited desire / ability to complete a series limit the collector base and prices?

keyman64

It has never bothered me.

MrEureka

If the barrier to completion is the availability of the coins, such as it would be with Hard Times Tokens, no problem. In fact, the near impossibility of finding some coins adds to the appeal of the series.

On the other hand, if the barrier to completion is my budget, as it would be with Proof $20 Libs by date, or finest known Morgan Dollars, I'd rather collect something else.

Walkerfan

<< <i>I like sets that can be completed. I would have a hard time with an unfinishable set. >>

Zoins

<< <i>If the barrier to completion is the availability of the coins, such as it would be with Hard Times Tokens, no problem. In fact, the near impossibility of finding some coins adds to the appeal of the series.

On the other hand, if the barrier to completion is my budget, as it would be with Proof $20 Libs by date, or finest known Morgan Dollars, I'd rather collect something else. >>



This is related to what I posted above.

If sets are difficult to complete, are prices limited to a smaller collector base willing to look for rarities.

If sets can be completed, are prices driven up to the point that budget is a big determiner in completion.

If this is true, then it's certainly nice to have both types of sets to cater to different types of collectors.

BillJones

<< <i>The chase is better than the catch as Lemmy says.. >>



For me acquisition, ownership, research and observation are much better than the chase. After a few years, the chase gets very old for me.

Walkerfan

<< <i>

<< <i>The chase is better than the catch as Lemmy says.. >>



For me acquisition, ownership, research and observation are much better than the chase. After a few years, the chase gets very old for me. >>



Totally agree! The chase can be stressful and unfulfilling.

MrEureka

The chase can be stressful and unfulfilling.

So why collect sets at all? Why not just buy this and that, whenever you stumble on something that turns you on?

winky

I collect seated dime variety's and I will never finish that as there is over 1400 different ones.

Zoins

<< <i>The chase can be stressful and unfulfilling.

So why collect sets at all? Why not just buy this and that, whenever you stumble on something that turns you on? >>



That can be a good strategy for the 1st piece, but, once you get that 1st piece, there can be an urge to get the 2nd, 3rd, etc.

Walkerfan

<< <i>The chase can be stressful and unfulfilling.

So why collect sets at all? Why not just buy this and that, whenever you stumble on something that turns you on? >>



B/c I don't enjoy nor do I want to collect that way. I want focus and order. I'm just saying, sometimes, after YEARS of looking it can get tiresome. Sometimes, tough coins are impossible to find and other times we get very lucky. It has happened both ways for me. I enjoy the search TO AN EXTENT but, after a while, it can be frustrating. When this happens; I buy the best available to fill the hole and then just keep looking.

messydesk

Nobody lives forever, either. Doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy life.

Walkerfan

<< <i>Nobody lives forever, either. Doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy life. >>



I think that most of us enjoy life, regardless of how we collect......

ebaybuyer

I have studied and collected seated dimes for over 20 years, ive never completed the set but never really tried to, I have however built up quite a collection of the scarcer dates

Mission16

I feel like I wouldn't collect them.

Baley

I very highly doubt that I'll ever "complete" a US type set, primarily because the mint's output has gone exponential and tends toward infinity, and secondarily because, even though I've limited the date range from 1793-1999, and the scope to issues that actually circulated in commerce, it is unlikely that I will ever be able to reasonably afford (reasonably in terms of % of total assets) such things as 1796 no stars quarter eagles or 1797 half dollars, in any decent grade. BUT i will still feel very, very good when I reach >95% completion. Approaching 90% with a couple relatively tougher (again, for my budget) types the past couple years (1796 dime, 1805 half eagle, 1795 dollar) and one of these days, will get a 1793 copper coin, which will be an important milestone.

Similarly, extremely unlikely I'll ever "complete" draped bust quarters or halves by die variety and die state. Again, will be thrilled with 90+%, even an new acquisitions are fewer and farther between.

Yorkshireman

<< <i>I've never felt the compulsion to finish a "set". Maybe I'm unusual in this regard. I just prefer individual coins, regardless of type/series that make me smile. >>



I would rather have a "box of 20" in which each coin has a story an makes me happy to view than 20 different dates of one series that bore me with the monotony.

Cougar1978

no problem

I am an investor who flips material both from my table at shows and online. I may buy seveal issues of a series for a variety of reasons. Its all relative to having something I can retail.

A guy I used to share tables with at shows concentrated on better date coins, mostly Peace Dollars. He wanted material they could not walk over to the next table and buy it at bid. Many would try buy at bid or argue about paying retail but he would stand his ground around CW Trends Retail for the most part. Eventually he would get his price.

Completeting a series is not necessarily a goal in my portfolio - simply ST and LT Capital Gain.

I don;t believe there is any set way one should collect. I generally collect for fun dates associated with some life time event of mine - BD, marriage, graduation from college - BBA, MS. Birth of kids. These may be modern world gold issues or quality world currency. No hope of collecting a set of these as this is not important to me. Coin collecting should be a fun low pressure thing within in ones means. Its like my playing GTA Online - I play it my way not how someone else thinks I should play. I know of currency collectors who focus on collecting National Bank Notes issued from their Hometown or Home state during the National Banking era 1882-1929. Here condition is not as big a factor as finding the scarce item even if its just VG. I had a nice VF 1929 $10 NBN from Prospect Park Bank - Prospect, NJ I had got a great deal on at a Currency auction at a currency show. Only six or so notes were issued from this bank. I held the note a couple of years and did real well on it when a buyer came along.

Collecting a series takes a high level of interest and dedication to completeting the series. In additiion it takes lots of pocket and willingness to take coins off market so the set can be completeted. My priority would be filling the holes with decent material then working on upgrades providing this was some kind of lifetime project. Sets I would consider would be $2.50 Indian, Texas Commems, Oregon Trail Commems.

I try to keep the varsity portion of the coin portfolio to a managable number of say 60-100 slabbed coins or so in terms of what I call the first team which I take to shows. This is 3 - 5 NGC slab storage boxes of mainly PCGS and NGC coins with a couple of ANACS, ICG for the varsity. Keeping it at a managable number saves headache in record keeping and storage / security. I do have about 850 pieces of currency but these can be easily stacked, take up less space than coins, and much lighter while traveling. Profit is much higher on currency but demand can be variable. My investment is roughly 24% of market value on the currency so I have a lot of room. If going to a buying show and flying, I may just take the currency as it can easily fill up 2 cases with most still requring to be stacked.

Zoins

<< <i>Collecting a series takes [...] a willingness to take coins off market >>



I thought this was interesting. In some sense, Any collecting involves taking pieces off the market, unless one is a dealer and the collection is always offered on the market at some price.

ms71

I haven't been a "hole filler" except when I was very young & had the Whitman folders. I'd feel very constrained. I'd soon become bored with having (perhaps) many dozens of coins with the identical design, and with chasing some number of increasingly elusive and expensive ones also with the same identical design.

mustangmanbob

I have been working on a Morgan set for years, minimum MS64.

It will never be done, as I 1) don't have the money, and 2) could not justify it if I did.

Since I know I will never complete it, the "missing" ones do not bother me, and I just occasionally upgrade one or purchase one I did not have.

At some point, the pendulum will swing, and I will be selling off, rather than acquiring, to that my heirs do not have to deal with a significant number of coins.

Nysoto

It is fine to collect a series to your own level of satisfaction. I collect mainly early US coins 1794-1812, I have sets completed by year, type, and die marriage to R-6 rarity. A person should collect what they want to their own collecting objectives, and not what the Redbook, registries, or other references list as "complete."

DIMEMAN

Right now my main focus is on my Complete Dime Complete variety set and my Capped Bust Dimes by JR#. I have had at one time all Dimes 1796 to date by year, mint and major variety. Some of the key coins like the early Bust and the 1871-74-CC Seated and 1916-D Mercury were sold in 2005 when I though I was getting out of collecting. Since then I have been buying these dates back at a slow pace and going for the CPG varieties.

Of the holes in my set (which is around 90% complete) the ones that I have never had bother me more than the ones I have had and sold and not got back yet. If that makes any sense.

The thrill is in the hunt for varieties that will be cheap when picked. And buying the big dates that can be found when money is available.

I am anxious to see what varieties will be added to the CPG coming up and will be going into the Registry sets.

I still haven't found several of the Roosie varities from the last CPG!

Let the games begin.

ambro51

What point is collecting a series you can easily complete?

jcping

<< <i>Collecting Hard Times Token's no collector has ever finished a complete set of Lyman Low's original 183. >>



Many famous US coin sets that no one ever completed. Here is an example, the largest size coins, $50 California gold completion set. A complete set that only needed 12 coins.

If you think $50 gold coins are too large, how about California fractional gold set (okay, I know many of you looked down this set). At this moment, PCGS listed 563 coins as a complete set. Among them, 32 coins are unique for its entry and another 36 entries are for R8, aka 2-3 known. If your goal is to complete this set that no one ever could complete, regardless how much money that you have, then don't start it since you will fail. If your goal is to do the best you can do and hunt for the new variety and to prove it is not a modern (aka post 1882) made, then there are a lot of fun for your venture.

TigersFan2

With all the different Registry Sets that are available, it's easy to complete sets without even consciously trying. Or there always seems to be a set that I'm just 1 or 2 coins away from completing.

Zoins

<< <i>What point is collecting a series you can easily complete? >>



Fun. It's much more fun to collect an easy to complete series with a non-collector than one that is difficult to complete.

Shamika

I have to admit, the idea of starting a series that is impossible to complete is somewhat of a turnoff. But then again I do collect coin boards knowing full well that I'll never own every variety and I still have a ball doing it.

Icollecteverything

I wanted one of every type of Civil War Token but I knew I would never get close. Still fun though.

Quite a few different series have a few dates that make it pretty near impossible ( like the 1884 and 85 Trade Dollars with a combined mintage of 15) so you just exclude those from a "set" that are nearly unattainable for most.

SmEagle1795

One of the appealing aspects of ancients to me is that you can essentially make your own parameters. I have a relatively broad wantlist but I'm sticking to it, making my overall set able to be completed. I suspect this carries over to every other collecting discipline as well: one has to choose where to cut off. You could technically collect by type.. variety... die... die state... eventually down to needing to own every individual coin

Boosibri

I try to remove the boundaries of traditional set building. Focus on a look or a vertical cut of a horizontal series (my 1842 set cuts across multiple series which I find interesting). As someone else said, try to make each coin able to stand as a collection of one and the constraints of traditional set building fall away.

leothelyon

I still have hope that I'll complete mine. But I think many collectors get into collecting a series before they realize that they will either need to give up or settle for inferior lower grade examples of the rarer tougher dates........if they can afford them and as we know, most will settle and some have paid dearly. I got caught up with my series when I got the idea that I wanted all my coins to look similar to he last coins I added. That meant doing extensive upgrading with the coins I collected from starting out. Realizing how crappy they really looked that they would definitely need updated. No one to my knowledge has ever assembled a fully struck full step Jefferson nickel set for every date. Well, a couple of old PAK members may have come close but those sets have been broken up. Even the top registry sets, both past and present have failed to have completely fully struck examples for every date, especially for dates before 1971. They're lucky to have 50-60 percent fully struck examples from 1938 to 1970 but yet people think they have the greatest sets, far from it. My series is most difficult to assemble because very few have had the patience and desire to find and save those early die state (EDS) coins. Anyone can see what I have assembled in over 23 years, how every coins is lustrous and/or colorful and fully struck with all the details intended by the sculptor with the best of steps. I'm likely the only one who has such a collection on displayed on the internet in the world, going on 9 years. I take great pride in what I have accomplished. My collection does not have any mint state dogs in it. A few of my coins may not have perfect steps but the rest of the coin is, with the best details I can find.

And yes, I know, I'm blowing my own horn since few have but as they say in French, c'est la vie.


Leo

supertooth

Hello Folks--- As I've said many times before, you owe it to yourself to evaluate your situation and your collecting---"BEFORE"---you begin the quest. Can you finish the series? Is it important to you to finish it? How long a time to get it done? How much money and time and effort are you willing to put into it? What grades will you accept? Do you only want original skinned coins---or will you accept others? Do you want to find them yourself---or will you accept help from others? Can you stay focused for a long period of time---or do you loose interest quickly? Can you make allowances as you go along---change your attitude if you find that your original thinking isn't as correct as you once thought that it was in the beginning?

As you become more knowledgable, you will find that---even if you were OK at the start---you'll likely find that circumstances will change as the years roll onward. If you are like me, you will find fewer coins that meet your standards. Thus, you will buy fewer coins with each and every year.

And, what to do about upgrading? Do it as you go along? Or only do it once the set has been completed? Personally, I do it whenever that I can along the way.

Did you remember to allow for monetary increases. Coins do increase in value---sometimes quite a bit. Can you afford to keep spending ever increasing funds? Did you wait to buy the keys and semi-keys? Now you see that they are going up in value much more than others that you have acquired already.

In short, you should prepare for as many of these factors---AND MORE---before you begin. If you can't do this, then collect Type coinage as an example. There you can buy from many different series---but NEVER worry about completing a total set of anything. Doing that you can collect copper---silver---gold----WHATEVER.

Wishing you all the best in your collecting efforts. Bob [supertooth]

oih82w8

I have completed my 7070 Type Set several times...I just have not finished it...or is it the other way around?

Either way I am not done with it...there are usually upgrades.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

Never a concern.

1854-S $2.50 has always been beyond my means. Fancying I might own the 1848 CAL. and 1864 someday keeps me plodding along with the Philadelphia subset.