Who came up with the idea of short sets ?

DancingFire

and how did they decided on what dates to include in these so call short sets?

Whit

I'd guess it was invented by whoever first realized that his pockets weren't deep enough for anything but .... like me!

Seriously, for many years my impression has been that a short set was hallmarked by the relative inexpensiveness of the coins therein. Was there ever a more deliberate or definitive characterization?
Whit

davewesen

I suspect the companies that made folders. 1 or 2 pages instead of 3-6.

291fifth

I suspect they originated by accident back in the late 1950s or early 1960s when coin albums were issued in volumes. The short sets became the second book for the series. Library of Coins and Whitman Bookshelf albums come to mind. Dealers of that period and later adopted the date/mm breaks as a way to market the much more common later material. Collectors could think they had a "complete" set of something ... even though they really didn't.

shorecoll

I think 291fifth got it in one.

Walkerfan

I don't think that the Whitman folders had anything to do with it, as they were broken up into two volumes for the Walker series. Volume one-1916-1936 and volume two-1937-1947. The Walker short set is from 1941-1947. Those are the most inexpensive dates and they don't start getting tougher until before 1940, so this makes sense and is roughly the latter third of the series.

bolivarshagnasty

I don't know who came up with it, but I like it. I have modified the concept for my taste as seen in the sig line below.

KellenCoin

I do not think it was one person in particular.

RogerB

"Who came up with the idea of short sets ?"

Hmmmm --- probably collectors with long dreams and short budgets.

Raybo

@Walkerfan said:
I don't think that the Whitman folders had anything to do with it, as they were broken up into two volumes for the Walker series. Volume one-1916-1936 and volume two-1937-1947. The Walker short set is from 1941-1947. Those are the most inexpensive dates and they don't start getting tougher until before 1940, so this makes sense and is roughly the latter third of the series.

Short set (41-47) is burned in everyone's mind but in the 60's and 70's the "other short set" was the 34-40 set. My guess is that there were still rolls available at the time, correct me if I'm wrong.

Elmhurst

I think it was some promoter's idea, along the lines of the home shopping shows we have now.

abcde12345

Don't jinx the dine and dash collector. Short sets are like short stacks. Not everyone has a hearty appetite.

Overdate

I have a complete short set of buffalo nickels beginning with 1938.

TonerGuy

Dansco ?

and1har

I just completed the Kennedy Half Dollars (1964-1970) both circulation and proof.

They fit my budget.