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There is no limit of limited editions

RYKRYK Posts: 35,800 ✭✭✭✭✭
Over the years, I have often brought up the comparison between the explosion of baseball cards issued in the 80's and into the 90's and the mintage and marketing of current day coins, a term I call baseballcardization.

As I sit and browse the forum, I see a google ad for a 2013 Canadian Bald Eagle Lifetime Mates 1 oz. silver coin, and, hooray, there is a limit of 7500 coins that will be offered. It occurs to me that there is an unlimited supply of "limited edition" coins that are being offered by our neighbors to the north, and we are closing on them, as well. More to the point, there is probably a limited number of collectors that can or want to keep up with the stream of issues and packaging options. I know that I am personally exhausted by all of the "limited edition" SAEs getting pumped out by the Mint.

What is somewhat ironic is that we live in an era in which we hardly use coins as a medium of exchange (I did drop 4 quarters in the machine to fill my automobile tires with air today), yet we are pumping out more coins than ever before in my lifetime.

Comments

  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,932 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Can't do anything about the Mint's mass marketing......


    but, if you went into the station and asked them for air, they would activate it from the inside
    and no quarters would be required. Just that most people do not know this and they may
    reserve it for their own customers (those they know). But ask anyway, it does not hurt.

    Then you can send me 50 cents every time you save a dollar!

    bobimage
    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • I don't really know why they do it, the pressure to make a profit shouldn't be there as it is with say an upperdeck or tops. It is probably outside pressure from those looking to make a profit off of the mint. the 25th Ann ASE and the flippers turned me completely off of modern mint stuff although I respect the UHR
  • AnkurJAnkurJ Posts: 11,370 ✭✭✭✭
    I'll be a buyer of the gold pan pac that is in the works. Some stuff is just cool, limited or not.
    If you think about it, all rare coins are limited. You just don't know what the limited number is.
    All coins kept in bank vaults.
    PCGS Registries
    Box of 20
    SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,741 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Have you ever seen the Canadian coin ad in the center of Coin World? My goodness, they have what seems to be 60 or 80 new issues per year! What is the secondary market for such dross?
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 3,535
    I don't collect Canadian coins anymore, but I'm not sure there is a secondary market for most of their NCLT, except on a bullion value basis.

    If I recall correctly, several years ago some of the silver coins fell below their bullion value - to their face value.

    People tried to deposit the coins into bank accounts or exchange them for cash, but the banks wouldn't take them, nor would the RCM take them back. I think eventually the Bank of Canada stepped up and redeemed the coins for face value if you mailed them in.

    The RCM puts more nominal face values on their coins now!

    Check out the Southern Gold Society

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,553 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I don't collect Canadian coins anymore, but I'm not sure there is a secondary market for most of their NCLT, except on a bullion value basis.

    If I recall correctly, several years ago some of the silver coins fell below their bullion value - to their face value.

    People tried to deposit the coins into bank accounts or exchange them for cash, but the banks wouldn't take them, nor would the RCM take them back. I think eventually the Bank of Canada stepped up and redeemed the coins for face value if you mailed them in.

    The RCM puts more nominal face values on their coins now! >>



    I believe that happened with some of the Olympic silver coins.

    The old joke is that the "limited edition" means the limit is how many they can sell. image

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    They will keep issuing limited editions as long as there are collectors to collect them. After all, it's rarity which makes a lot of collecting interesting.
  • MedalCollectorMedalCollector Posts: 2,023 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looking at the RCM mint report, what they are doing, from their perspective, is working!
  • BaleyBaley Posts: 22,663 ✭✭✭✭✭
    someone (not me) once said, "Real collectors don't collect anything 'made for collectors'" and there may be a certain ring of truth to that.

    Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry

  • RYKRYK Posts: 35,800 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is what I am taking about. Who collects these things?

    image
  • chumleychumley Posts: 2,305 ✭✭✭✭
    cant help with the unlimited .... limited editions but we do have a gas station in town where the guy actually pumps the gas and will fill your tires for you
  • SonorandesertratSonorandesertrat Posts: 5,695 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Who collects these things? People who don't know any better, the type who bought Franklin Mint products. One mint director, testifying before Congress, admitted that these NCLT items are bad investments and went on to say that U.S. Mint T-shirts would be better buys.
    Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA

    RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'

    CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
  • MsMorrisineMsMorrisine Posts: 35,844 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It wasn't long ago the mint scaled back on issues to focus on more core products.

    Now with the 5 coin 25th anniversary sets they see money again.

    I have included comments in a few recent mint surveys about making too many special sets. Many special = none special + fatigue as RYK noted. I have a number of buffs this year, too. Monetary fatigue is another issue (CW? brings that one up). I haven't even bought first spouses yet. image I am glad they are not chasing the Chinese zodiac series that other mint's are. I can imagine it was floated and sunk. That thought is reassuring.

    I also note the survey recently asked about a single year issue Palladium coin. I suggested they use it for a big commemorative issue like MLK.(Congressional approval required)

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions

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