How do you feel about collecting a series that's easy to complete?

Nap

Similar question, despite the apparent difference. Say, Morgan dollars by date/mm. Only limiting factor is money, there are plenty coins available in any grade you'd like. Other modern series such as Franklin half dollars, Buffalo nickels, Lincoln cents, and Eisenhower dollars are pretty easy to build in high grades, assuming you're not going for only top pops.

Is the lack of challenge a let down? Do you find yourself going out of your way to make the set more challenging, such as attempting to find coins with a certain type of toning, or going for (minor) varieties?

Does a set have to have a certain "challenge" to it to keep you interested?

(Obviously not everyone collects sets, so this question is not applicable to everyone)

pocketpiececommems

You can always area challenge to any set. I would enjoy putting a
Lowball set together over an MS set but that's just me. And that's what makes collecting fun.

keyman64

I did a nice for the grade cheap raw Franklin Half Set once in 63-65 with a few FBL. It still took a bit of time to hand pick each
example. I enjoyed it....and then sold it for a tiny profit. Lol. I did include the 1955 Bugs and that is the only one I kept.
I still had a sense of accomplishment. There are plenty of ways to make a simple set more challenging and that can
lead to more enjoyment once complete.

BillJones

Usually the stuff that is easy to get is modern and does not interest me.

About the only easy stuff that I follow is a date run of Proof sets.

messydesk

I completed a 50-coin commem type set earlier this year. It technically is not hard to put this together, as you just need money, and the coins are all available. Finding coins that are really the ones you want for the set can be more challenging, however, and that search can be a bit tougher, regardless of the series.

I also recently started a BU Silver Eagle Dansco, not really for the challenge, but simply because I like the coins, had a solid date roll, and decided I'd enjoy a date run in a nice, hefty album better than I would a roll.

JCMhouston

They don't interest me that much as date/mm sets, I do have some pretty easy to complete type sets though.

ambro51

I'm hard at work on a date set of circulated roosevelt dimes 2000-2015. When completed I plan to use it for a bag of potato chips

DaveG

I think that sets that are relatively easy to complete are the perfect thing for new collectors - one gets to complete a set and learn about coins and the coin market without putting a ton of money at risk.

In the "olden days," of course, we'd use sets pulled from circulation to help educate us, but that route is rather less fun these days.

When I re-entered coin collecting about 20 years ago, I started building Dansco sets of circulated early Morgans, Mercury dimes and Walkers. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot before I lost interest because the sets were too easy to complete.

jcping

Been there and done that. I lost my interest on them quickly so that either they sat on shelf forever or they were long gone and were sold.

Even for sets that are easy to assembly, you can set a high goal, e.g., all coins are Rainbow NT. In this case, you should have fun to hunt them down if any ever existed or you need to wait for any be created

winky

No hard challenge no collecting for me. I collect seated dime variety's.

lkeigwin

Many, maybe most, sets that are easy to complete (excluding moderns) are not so easy to build if you require attractive, higher-end examples.

Take Lincoln wheaties, for example. I built an XF and above Dansco set, and also a mostly gem+ red PCGS set. The former was easy and inexpensive. The latter was much more challenging. And I have a want list of upgrades to replace those I'm unhappy with that hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. There are numerous dates and MM's that are extremely elusive when it comes to attractive, higher grade examples.

So a series may be easy to complete or not, depending on your requirements.
Lance.

DIMEMAN

>>>I'm hard at work on a date set of circulated roosevelt dimes 2000-2015. When completed I plan to use it for a bag of potato chips<<<

I love it......that's about all they are worth!!!

rhedden

Half dimes are the easiest Seated series to complete, minus the 1870-s, and it has done little to encourage people to collect sets of them. Quarters and dimes are both tougher to complete than halves (minus 1878-s), yet judging by the level of posting activity on the LSCC forums, quarters and dimes are more popular to collect by date than halves or dollars. The halves and dollars are larger coins, so we can't just say it's size alone that's hurting the half dimes. I think the challenging of completing a monster series is actually appealing to collectors.

In Bust coins, this comparison is harder to make because all of the series are expensive and have some stopper dates. In Barbers, size seems to drive popularity more than anything else.

MidLifeCrisis

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

Completeness is not important.

dlmtorts

>>>I'm hard at work on a date set of circulated roosevelt dimes 2000-2015. When completed I plan to use it for a bag of potato chips<<<


That would be a small bag of potato chips!

crazyhounddog

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

Completeness is not important. >>



I agree 100%. Very well put.

erwindoc

Just completing a set is something that should be applauded, no matter how difficult as there are plenty of series out there that are essentially impossible to complete, even with deep pockets. I have my own high grade stuff I collect for a challenge and low ball stuff when money is tight or I feel the need to accomplish something.

Zoins

The SHQs were a lot of fun

MrEureka

Until about a year ago, when I decided to clean house, I kept a few dozen coin albums on the shelf and casually filled them with inexpensive coins that came across my desk as parts of larger, more interesting deals. Often, these were coins that were too good to sell as bullion, but too cheap to market one at a time. And I would NEVER buy something for the purpose of adding it to these albums. It was just casual, therapeutic amusement.

All of these sets were, in reality, easy to complete. But I made it fun by doing it the way I did it, and I never actually completed any of the sets.

I guess the point is that it doesn't matter if the set is easy to complete, as long as you don't do it the easy way.

Broadstruck

I put together a complete set of German Notgeld in CH-Gem buying raw out of Europe earlier this year. Once completed I glanced at it for a moment how neat it was which faded minutes later as the complete set was out the door a few days later.

Zoins

<< <i>I put together a complete set of German Notgeld in CH-Gem buying raw out of Europe earlier this year. Once completed I glanced at it for a moment how neat it was which faded minutes later as the complete set was out the door a few days later. >>



Did you take photos of the collection? It might be cool to have high quality photos of the set.

Shamika

<< <i>Until about a year ago, when I decided to clean house, I kept a few dozen coin albums on the shelf and casually filled them with inexpensive coins that came across my desk as parts of larger, more interesting deals. >>



I'm doing the same thing although I acquire my coins via coinboard purchases. These coins rarely have any numismatic value to speak of, but I've put together almost complete sets of Lincoln Cents, Indian Cents (with Flying Eagles), Buffalo Nickels, Liberty Nickels, Mercury Dimes, and Washington Quarters. If silver ever reaches $50/oz again, those latter two sets are toast!

Zoins

I have to say I was spoiled on completing sets as a kid. Collecting from change, I could never find a red wheat cent and they were mythically special. Then somehow I acquired a Whitman folder of red wheat cents. I don't remember if it was all complete, but there were so many red wheats there that I thought collecting red wheats was no big deal and I haven't gone back....

BryceM

The only series I've completed is a Peace dollar date/mm set. It's not hard to find the 24 coins required, but finding ones that meet my ever-tightening criteria is more challenging. Working on that set taught me tons and wasn't too frustrating to complete.

I've waited a couple years for another series to pique my interest but so far none has. I've flirted a bit with Walkers and a U.S. Type set. The easy part of both is pretty much done. It's likely I'll eventually settle on something......... but so many tempting series have real show-stoppers. It's not logical to me to spend 90% of the budget on 5% of the collection.

Everyone's quiver is different when it comes to having time, money, or both. Someday I'll have time to work on something that requires real searching.

Shamika

<< <i>I have to say I was spoiled on completing sets as a kid. Collecting from change, I could never find a red wheat cent and they were mythically special. >>



Ahhh... I remember many years ago as a kid acquiring my first red wheat cent. Indeed, I marveled at it as if it were a unicorn or some other such oddity.

Broadstruck

<< <i>

<< <i>I put together a complete set of German Notgeld in CH-Gem buying raw out of Europe earlier this year. Once completed I glanced at it for a moment how neat it was which faded minutes later as the complete set was out the door a few days later. >>



Did you take photos of the collection? It might be cool to have high quality photos of the set. >>



No as I only imaged the coppers to have something new for the weekend thread. I can always get it back as I sold it to a buddy from out of state that comes to visit a few times a year. I just spread it out on my coffee table with a number to break even and as it was a turn key set he pouched on it. Notgeld was something that fascinated me as a kid and I still own a banded set of 25 consecutive 1000 Mark notes I bought when I was 7. There was no challenge to the coinage set, as a couple orders on MAshop over a few months and I was done.

Baley

I've done Franklins and Peace dollars, and they were pretty easy. I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that is proportional to the effort expended.

TigersFan2

Today I purchased a PCGS MS-63 1922-D Peace Dollar to complete my "1922 Mint Set Without Gold." With all the different registry sets, there's always an easy-to-complete set within reach.

Already completed the following sets...

Morgan Mintmark Set
Morgan Early S
Morgan Date Set

And I'm only a 1935 or 1935-S away from completing the Peace Dollar Date Set and a 1922-S $20 away from completing the 1922 Mint Set With Gold.

I wouldn't say there's a huge satisfaction about completing an "easy" set, but there is an obsessive-compulsive desire to complete an "easy" set when I'm only 1 or 2 coins away.

ad4400

I'm four away from completing a Jefferson nickel set, albeit filled with nicely toned examples. Today I made my first purchases for a short set of wheat cents. I've felt from time to time the need to have a different collecting experience from looking at bigger ticket slabs in cases or online auctions. It was great fun finding the best I could for a few dollars here and there. I spent $8 for three pieces today and it was worth every cent.

Walkerfan

I get far more gratification from collecting challenging rarities but, if you are on a tight budget and can't afford them, then collecting an easy set is much better than doing nothing at all.

mozin

I still think the Indian Quarter Eagle set is the one to try.

Zoins

<< <i>I get far more gratification from collecting challenging rarities but, if you are on a tight budget and can't afford them, then collecting an easy set is much better than doing nothing at all. >>



Some ways to stick with rarities on a budget are to consider exonumia or the dark side.

oih82w8

My "collection" will only be complete when I am "done" with it...in other words when I am finished with coin collecting.