Good luck with that return. Please, let us know if Heritage accepts it. I doubt they will, I've been there and done that. I no longer bid in their On-Line Auctions unless someone has looked the coins, etc. over for me. Never, ever trust the image you see by Heritage. IMHO
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
My gut feeling is that Heritage would accept a return for a fee or would offer to take the set back and sell it to the next highest bidder that is known to them after they take your bids out of the mix. If the latter case, they may want you to make up some of the funds.
There is no point in opening that. Someone already did, and then resealed it. Either none of the coins had attractive toning, or nice ones were switched out.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
Sorry it didn't work out, I too would have liked to see what's under the hood.
Edited to add... This thread has been a good reminder to check carefully and trust your instincts.
"After looking at the image of the back of the envelope it appears he is correct. The post marks don't line up correctly. So, my assumption is it was steamed open and then less-than-carefully resealed.
Please offer him our apologies and we will take it as a return with a full refund."
Good to hear they are doing the right thing. They know it wasn't as described.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
@ricko said:
Well... what is the decision??? Inquiring minds want to know......... Cheers, RickO
When I get the set I'm going to carefully examine it. If I determine it to be original, I'm going to open it. If it isn't then I'll send it back to Heritage
what are the big hiters c
@amwldcoin said:
You guys that think it is opened and resealed don't realize what the passage of time will do to things! Especially paper products!
Passage of time still can't hid the misaligned ripped stamp saying.. some part of package was opened beforehand
@lablover said:
Good luck with that return. Please, let us know if Heritage accepts it. I doubt they will, I've been there and done that. I no longer bid in their On-Line Auctions unless someone has looked the coins, etc. over for me. Never, ever trust the image you see by Heritage. IMHO
If item catalog description not accurate ,true,.... coin has a good chance of being accepted for return.....Been there
State in the lot description that it has no returns permitted on it whatsoever as the lot is arguably sealed, but has signs that it may have been opened in the past.
.
Wondercoin
Why bother, sounds like a rip with that condition imposed. I suggest it shows the way you think.
It serves Heritage not at all well to couch their descriptions so as to mislead or deceive. And in any event, that does not square with my experience with this company, which in my experience has always been honest and straightforward about describing their auction coins. They have also always been willing to personally re-examine and comment on items I have called them about.
@MACGE1 said:
I got the following message from Heritage:
"After looking at the image of the back of the envelope it appears he is correct. The post marks don't line up correctly. So, my assumption is it was steamed open and then less-than-carefully resealed.
Please offer him our apologies and we will take it as a return with a full refund."
Lot of pessimistic/negative people.
Let's say it HAS been opened...some are blaming the consignor and saying he was trying to pull a fast one. Is there ANY proof WHEN it was opened and resealed and if it WAS the consignor who did it?
The set is almost 70 years old....some detective genius PLEASE enlighten me/us on how you can tell it was the consignor (arguably, most likely NOT the original owner...given the age of the set).
Getting to the "when" it was previously opened....maybe coins were switched, maybe something was flat out taken out, and maybe someone was looking for a cherrypick or a high grade...or a toner. WHO REALLY KNOWS what the reason was and what happened?
What someone like I may look for may be completely different than what someone like Macge1, RickO, Cakes, etc, may be looking for/at. So, while it is NOT cool that it was likely opened, and the higher premium paid, someone may actually get pleasantly surprised with this set (or they may not). The thing is "who knows?".
Again, cool they are taking it back and that makes the OP happy (I didn't like the premium on it anyway), but people sure are negative with how they are pushing their own thoughts with no actual knowledge (other than the stamp is off and it was likely steamed open AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST and resealed).
@grote15 said:
Good to hear they are doing the right thing. They know it wasn't as described.
I do not think they knew when the auction description was written. It is also very probable that the consigner also felt it was an unopened set. It is almost 70 years since the set left the mint.
@MACGE1 said:
I got the set today and after careful review I can't say that I'm too confident that it hasn't been opened. The flap, seems to have been moved ever so slightly, combined with being torn on either side it doesn't look good. I really hoped to have an original set and see what was inside (I'm pretty tempted to just open this one out of sheer curiosity), so I'm pretty bummed not to have had the chance. I guess if anyone comes across original mint sets.... I'm feeling lucky.
Edited to add the obvious - back to Heritage it is I guess.
It is clear that you saw things upon inspection that were in addition to what was apparent from the photos so I am sure a reputable auction house should have no problem honoring the return - especially since their description of the set as having remained sealed is most likely erroneous based upon what many others have opined on this thread.
Glad to see not only that you got the OK for a return (as I predicted), but also that you are not getting blackballed (as may have happened in the past) from further auction participation.
Just guessing, but having Mark Feld (who at least in the past has followed this forum) on board at Heritage couldn't have hurt your case either.
@grote15 said:
Good to hear they are doing the right thing. They know it wasn't as described.
I do not think they knew when the auction description was written. It is also very probable that the consigner also felt it was an unopened set. It is almost 70 years since the set left the mint.
I suppose if the consignor weren't that well versed in what to look for or unfamiliar with proof sets, that is possible, though the tampering was pretty apparent in the pics, not to mention in hand when received by the OP.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
@Wabbit2313 said:
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
I would gladly pay $750ish for it, although I don't think the consigner would be too happy with that. I guess I'd still be willing to pay a premium for it just not $2,350.
@Wabbit2313 said:
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
I would gladly pay $750ish for it, although I don't think the consigner would be too happy with that. I guess I'd still be willing to pay a premium for it just not $2,350.
Make the offer, the answer is always NO unless you ask!
@Wabbit2313 said:
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
I would gladly pay $750ish for it, although I don't think the consigner would be too happy with that. I guess I'd still be willing to pay a premium for it just not $2,350.
Make the offer, the answer is always NO unless you ask!
I don't think it would be proper for me to do that as it may seem as I'm just trying to get it for less then I won it for.
@Wabbit2313 said:
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
I would gladly pay $750ish for it, although I don't think the consigner would be too happy with that. I guess I'd still be willing to pay a premium for it just not $2,350.
Make the offer, the answer is always NO unless you ask!
I don't think it would be proper for me to do that as it may seem as I'm just trying to get it for less then I won it for.
That set is marked forever. Heritage certainly won't resell it as unopened. I would offer a fair price you could live with telling them you are going to open it anyway. I am sure they would have to check with the consignor unless they own the set. You never know!
State in the lot description that it has no returns permitted on it whatsoever as the lot is arguably sealed, but has signs that it may have been opened in the past.
.
Wondercoin
Why bother, sounds like a rip with that condition imposed. I suggest it shows the way you think.
Surprised Wondercoin of your statement ...If it isn't right it,.... it isn't ...regardless of statements .
Heritage rep worth more than a Mint set .
It would be amazing if the rips on the corners were from the original owner in 1948 and a beautifully toned, original set of coins is sitting inside that hasn't been seen in nearly 70 years
"Surprised Wondercoin of your statement ...If it isn't right it,.... it isn't ...regardless of statements .
Heritage rep worth more than a Mint set ."
Exactly ... which is why my statement IMHO is the RIGHT way to sell the set (assuming the consignor did not want to go with my option #1 of opening the set). The fact is, it is not 100% certain if this set was tampered with by the consignor (or anyone else in the past 50+ years), which is why Heritage sold it as sealed in the first place. Even the OP told me he thought the set in his opinion was about "50-50" original after inspecting it. I believe he allowed his mother to make the final decision for him! LOL.
I would reveal the potential defect and sell it sealed IF THAT IS WHAT THE CONSIGNOR DESIRED. After all Bestday - if it was your set and you bought it in good faith as a sealed set and wanted it sold as a sealed set, the disclosure I suggested (that the set might not be actually "originally sealed" because of the seal misplacement, etc. and to bid accordingly) is potentially very damaging to the price realized and creates a fair bidding environment I believe for both the consignor and bidders IMHO.
The OP told me that when he spoke with Heritage yesterday about the set, Heritage told the OP that this set did NOT come from a dealer consignment, but from a retail customer who also consigned what I understood to be original rolls of Buffalo nickels and other mid-20th Century original rolls. Which is why (I assume) Heritage in good faith offered the set as they did - as a sealed lot in the first place, consistent with the rest of the original consignment. My suggestion protects bidders and carries out the wishes of the consignor of NOT opening what he believes to be a sealed set (assuming that is what the consignor wants).
Of course, if the consignor was OK with opening his set, I would suggest that as well as my first choice (my original suggestion #1).
And, finally, of course, if I truly felt the set had been tampered with I would not permit the lot in my sale at all as a sealed set. But, if I trusted the consignor and he told me that he is aware his father had the set sealed from at least the 1950's or 1960's from the time he acquired it, I would probably have have no problem auctioning the lot that way WITH MY PRECAUTIONARY WARNING TO ALL BIDDERS. And, finally, if my consignor asked me my opinion on exactly how to auction the set, I would suggest opening the set and seeing what was in there.
As always, just my 2 cents.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
Ok I'll go against the grain and bet this set is original, unopened. I've looked at the pics for a while.
Here's the thing: if you're going to be all sneaky and steam open a set to look at coins, are you going to steam the top, with govt seal overlapping and multiple stamps, or do you steam the bottom, with one stamp and nothing else?
Just look at the other envelope posted here. Definitely opened from the bottom. Which is reasonable.
Next, say you're good enough to steam the stamp up flawlessly. Do you then put a big rip in the stamp and the flap? Probably not. Also look at the rip itself. It's part of a crease going all the way to the top of the package. Which is more indicative of the whole package getting mushed at some point. That mushing may have moved the flap a bit as well, especially if the glue was still damp, like going into a mail bin after it was sealed.
Lastly, talk about a lot of work for a minor scam. It's only in the last 20-30 years that this would be worthwhile at all, correct? And even then, only to the tune of a couple grand, maybe. I'm not seeing it.
These boards have become very suspicious of late. There have been a fair few bad calls, where "obvious" fakes turn out not to be. I'll take the optimistic side.
Wondercoin .. Dealers , would say go scratch with good faith,ignoring what consignor may have thought , bought if Mint set was opened. ..IF 95 % sure was not opened, dealers would still buy set as opened .
Wondercoin.... some dealers not as up front , or another word .I will not say ..... as you are
@scubafuel said:
Ok I'll go against the grain and bet this set is original, unopened. I've looked at the pics for a while.
Here's the thing: if you're going to be all sneaky and steam open a set to look at coins, are you going to steam the top, with govt seal overlapping and multiple stamps, or do you steam the bottom, with one stamp and nothing else?
Just look at the other envelope posted here. Definitely opened from the bottom. Which is reasonable.
Next, say you're good enough to steam the stamp up flawlessly. Do you then put a big rip in the stamp and the flap? Probably not. Also look at the rip itself. It's part of a crease going all the way to the top of the package. Which is more indicative of the whole package getting mushed at some point. That mushing may have moved the flap a bit as well, especially if the glue was still damp, like going into a mail bin after it was sealed.
Lastly, talk about a lot of work for a minor scam. It's only in the last 20-30 years that this would be worthwhile at all, correct? And even then, only to the tune of a couple grand, maybe. I'm not seeing it.
These boards have become very suspicious of late. There have been a fair few bad calls, where "obvious" fakes turn out not to be. I'll take the optimistic side.
I lean toward this assumption also. I have purchased items before that I have opened to take a peak and check their initial quality only to put them right back in the OP and let them sit on a shelf for 10 plus years. If I had to guess someone opened it long ago for this very reason, not to try and scam anyone.
Successful coin BST transactions with Gerard and segoja.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
That mushing may have moved the flap a bit as well, especially if the glue was still damp, like going into a mail bin after it was sealed.
The thing was opened. You do understand when the round stamp (Bryan, TEX) is put on the envelope? It is at the post office, eons after the glue from the mint has dried.
Heritage already acknowledged they believe it has been opened.
Showed photo of the Mint set to a dealer friend Thursday ..He just laughed ,saying he has seen this many times in his years of being a dealer . He said ,obviously envelope was opened in past... bidder way over paid for lot . Heritage put no refund disclaimer to protect from crazy bidders, bidding moon money
What is his buy price for Mint set ? he stated he doesn't buy opened material unless he knows seller, his buy price? 650-$850 after seeing set opened
Too bad this wasn't original / unopened. Curious to know what happens to this set once it returns back to Heritage...will it be relisted for BIN by consignor as previously opened? If so, and reasonably priced, and the buyer is here would be cool to find out what was nestled in that foray of deception...
@grip said:
I never understood the enthusiasm for unopened material.
It's called greed. Most of the time
For some of us, as long as the premium isn't too much, it is fun to buy things unopened as it is kind of like opening presents at Christmas....you don't always know what is there when it is unwrapped.
If you go into it thinking it will be "average" or "mundane", you may be right, or you may be surprised.
If you go into it thinking you just ripped something....well, that is different.
For a truly sealed set, I think $2,350 is a reasonable price to pay and here's why:
Just in my area of Washington quarters alone, landing an MS68 coin would be worth anywhere from about $10,000 - $12,500 (for the P mint) to perhaps $20,000 - $22,500 for the D mint and somewhere in the middle for the S mint. In fact the S mint coin sold at Heritage a few years back in MS68 with color - check out what that coin fetched.
Finest known Franklins would be worth even more and even the cents, nickels and dimes could be worth upwards of $5,000 - $10,000/coin for pop tops. It would take one nice coin to "double up".
The OP knew this and was prepared to "take the gamble" as the upside was huge!
As always, just my two cents.
Wondercoin
Please visit my website at www.wondercoins.com and my ebay auctions under my user name www.wondercoin.com.
I believe it is the thrill of the hunt that drives these type of purchases. It is kinda like bad, fuzzy images that you take a chance on, sometimes it turns out good for the buyer, sometimes not. I think that some of us have been there before and hopefully there is a return policy if it turns out to be a "dud".
oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's
@wondercoin said:
For a truly sealed set, I think $2,350 is a reasonable price to pay and here's why:
Just in my area of Washington quarters alone, landing an MS68 coin would be worth anywhere from about $10,000 - $12,500 (for the P mint) to perhaps $20,000 - $22,500 for the D mint and somewhere in the middle for the S mint. In fact the S mint coin sold at Heritage a few years back in MS68 with color - check out what that coin fetched.
Finest known Franklins would be worth even more and even the cents, nickels and dimes could be worth upwards of $5,000 - $10,000/coin for pop tops. It would take one nice coin to "double up".
The OP knew this and was prepared to "take the gamble" as the upside was huge!
As always, just my two cents.
Wondercoin
lotto ticket buy.. with the odds tilted from buyer on opened set
Comments
If HA refuses the return, will you open it or ebay it?? Cheers, RickO
Good luck with that return. Please, let us know if Heritage accepts it. I doubt they will, I've been there and done that. I no longer bid in their On-Line Auctions unless someone has looked the coins, etc. over for me. Never, ever trust the image you see by Heritage. IMHO
I would definitely open it, I'm way too curious.
My gut feeling is that Heritage would accept a return for a fee or would offer to take the set back and sell it to the next highest bidder that is known to them after they take your bids out of the mix. If the latter case, they may want you to make up some of the funds.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Interesting thread. Don't take this the wrong way but I hope you can't return so you are forced to open it. I can't wait to see if you hit or not.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
There is no point in opening that. Someone already did, and then resealed it. Either none of the coins had attractive toning, or nice ones were switched out.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Sorry it didn't work out, I too would have liked to see what's under the hood.
Edited to add... This thread has been a good reminder to check carefully and trust your instincts.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
Good luck returning the set. I don't think it will be pretty.
I got the following message from Heritage:
"After looking at the image of the back of the envelope it appears he is correct. The post marks don't line up correctly. So, my assumption is it was steamed open and then less-than-carefully resealed.
Please offer him our apologies and we will take it as a return with a full refund."
Good to hear they are doing the right thing. They know it wasn't as described.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
what are the big hiters c
Passage of time still can't hid the misaligned ripped stamp saying.. some part of package was opened beforehand
If item catalog description not accurate ,true,.... coin has a good chance of being accepted for return.....Been there
Why bother, sounds like a rip with that condition imposed. I suggest it shows the way you think.
Kudos to Heritage standing behind their Auctions.. and Truth
I agree, it's a classy move.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
It serves Heritage not at all well to couch their descriptions so as to mislead or deceive. And in any event, that does not square with my experience with this company, which in my experience has always been honest and straightforward about describing their auction coins. They have also always been willing to personally re-examine and comment on items I have called them about.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
Surprise, surprise.
Return it if you can. It sure looks tampered with to me. JMO
Nice move by Heritage here.
Cool that they are taking it back.
Couple things I have noticed from this thread:
Lot of pessimistic/negative people.
Let's say it HAS been opened...some are blaming the consignor and saying he was trying to pull a fast one. Is there ANY proof WHEN it was opened and resealed and if it WAS the consignor who did it?
The set is almost 70 years old....some detective genius PLEASE enlighten me/us on how you can tell it was the consignor (arguably, most likely NOT the original owner...given the age of the set).
Getting to the "when" it was previously opened....maybe coins were switched, maybe something was flat out taken out, and maybe someone was looking for a cherrypick or a high grade...or a toner. WHO REALLY KNOWS what the reason was and what happened?
What someone like I may look for may be completely different than what someone like Macge1, RickO, Cakes, etc, may be looking for/at. So, while it is NOT cool that it was likely opened, and the higher premium paid, someone may actually get pleasantly surprised with this set (or they may not). The thing is "who knows?".
Again, cool they are taking it back and that makes the OP happy (I didn't like the premium on it anyway), but people sure are negative with how they are pushing their own thoughts with no actual knowledge (other than the stamp is off and it was likely steamed open AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST and resealed).
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
And follows a bunch of Blah, blah, blah.
I do not think they knew when the auction description was written. It is also very probable that the consigner also felt it was an unopened set. It is almost 70 years since the set left the mint.
Great news... at least you are spared the high premium on an unopened set.... Of course, we still do not know what was inside........Cheers, RickO
Well since it has been established it was opened prior to auction.
Why not reopen and check the contents reseal, than send it back
j/k
Glad to see not only that you got the OK for a return (as I predicted), but also that you are not getting blackballed (as may have happened in the past) from further auction participation.
Just guessing, but having Mark Feld (who at least in the past has followed this forum) on board at Heritage couldn't have hurt your case either.
I know right, enquiring minds want to know......lol
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
I would be willing to wager that the consignor is going to be a little...miffed.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
I suppose if the consignor weren't that well versed in what to look for or unfamiliar with proof sets, that is possible, though the tampering was pretty apparent in the pics, not to mention in hand when received by the OP.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
The easy/right thing to do would be to ask MACGE1 if he would keep it for the opened set price that sold the same day, and then he can open that baby up. (Of course if he would agree to keep it under those terms.) I would.
I would gladly pay $750ish for it, although I don't think the consigner would be too happy with that. I guess I'd still be willing to pay a premium for it just not $2,350.
Make the offer, the answer is always NO unless you ask!
I don't think it would be proper for me to do that as it may seem as I'm just trying to get it for less then I won it for.
That set is marked forever. Heritage certainly won't resell it as unopened. I would offer a fair price you could live with telling them you are going to open it anyway. I am sure they would have to check with the consignor unless they own the set. You never know!
Surprised Wondercoin of your statement ...If it isn't right it,.... it isn't ...regardless of statements .
Heritage rep worth more than a Mint set .
Heritage resells it ? themselves
LOL.... Lot no longer Ops.... once Heritage agreed to take it back
It would be amazing if the rips on the corners were from the original owner in 1948 and a beautifully toned, original set of coins is sitting inside that hasn't been seen in nearly 70 years
Kudos to Heritage for allowing the return.
"Surprised Wondercoin of your statement ...If it isn't right it,.... it isn't ...regardless of statements .
Heritage rep worth more than a Mint set ."
Exactly ... which is why my statement IMHO is the RIGHT way to sell the set (assuming the consignor did not want to go with my option #1 of opening the set). The fact is, it is not 100% certain if this set was tampered with by the consignor (or anyone else in the past 50+ years), which is why Heritage sold it as sealed in the first place. Even the OP told me he thought the set in his opinion was about "50-50" original after inspecting it. I believe he allowed his mother to make the final decision for him! LOL.
I would reveal the potential defect and sell it sealed IF THAT IS WHAT THE CONSIGNOR DESIRED. After all Bestday - if it was your set and you bought it in good faith as a sealed set and wanted it sold as a sealed set, the disclosure I suggested (that the set might not be actually "originally sealed" because of the seal misplacement, etc. and to bid accordingly) is potentially very damaging to the price realized and creates a fair bidding environment I believe for both the consignor and bidders IMHO.
The OP told me that when he spoke with Heritage yesterday about the set, Heritage told the OP that this set did NOT come from a dealer consignment, but from a retail customer who also consigned what I understood to be original rolls of Buffalo nickels and other mid-20th Century original rolls. Which is why (I assume) Heritage in good faith offered the set as they did - as a sealed lot in the first place, consistent with the rest of the original consignment. My suggestion protects bidders and carries out the wishes of the consignor of NOT opening what he believes to be a sealed set (assuming that is what the consignor wants).
Of course, if the consignor was OK with opening his set, I would suggest that as well as my first choice (my original suggestion #1).
And, finally, of course, if I truly felt the set had been tampered with I would not permit the lot in my sale at all as a sealed set. But, if I trusted the consignor and he told me that he is aware his father had the set sealed from at least the 1950's or 1960's from the time he acquired it, I would probably have have no problem auctioning the lot that way WITH MY PRECAUTIONARY WARNING TO ALL BIDDERS. And, finally, if my consignor asked me my opinion on exactly how to auction the set, I would suggest opening the set and seeing what was in there.
As always, just my 2 cents.
Wondercoin
Ok I'll go against the grain and bet this set is original, unopened. I've looked at the pics for a while.
Here's the thing: if you're going to be all sneaky and steam open a set to look at coins, are you going to steam the top, with govt seal overlapping and multiple stamps, or do you steam the bottom, with one stamp and nothing else?
Just look at the other envelope posted here. Definitely opened from the bottom. Which is reasonable.
Next, say you're good enough to steam the stamp up flawlessly. Do you then put a big rip in the stamp and the flap? Probably not. Also look at the rip itself. It's part of a crease going all the way to the top of the package. Which is more indicative of the whole package getting mushed at some point. That mushing may have moved the flap a bit as well, especially if the glue was still damp, like going into a mail bin after it was sealed.
Lastly, talk about a lot of work for a minor scam. It's only in the last 20-30 years that this would be worthwhile at all, correct? And even then, only to the tune of a couple grand, maybe. I'm not seeing it.
These boards have become very suspicious of late. There have been a fair few bad calls, where "obvious" fakes turn out not to be. I'll take the optimistic side.
Wondercoin .. Dealers , would say go scratch with good faith,ignoring what consignor may have thought , bought if Mint set was opened. ..IF 95 % sure was not opened, dealers would still buy set as opened .
Wondercoin.... some dealers not as up front , or another word .I will not say ..... as you are
I lean toward this assumption also. I have purchased items before that I have opened to take a peak and check their initial quality only to put them right back in the OP and let them sit on a shelf for 10 plus years. If I had to guess someone opened it long ago for this very reason, not to try and scam anyone.
Successful card BST transactions with cbcnow, brogurt, gstarling, Bravesfan 007, and rajah 424.
What are the highlight coins in 1948 Mint set ,to make a home run profit from individual coins in set ?
That mushing may have moved the flap a bit as well, especially if the glue was still damp, like going into a mail bin after it was sealed.
The thing was opened. You do understand when the round stamp (Bryan, TEX) is put on the envelope? It is at the post office, eons after the glue from the mint has dried.
Heritage already acknowledged they believe it has been opened.
Showed photo of the Mint set to a dealer friend Thursday ..He just laughed ,saying he has seen this many times in his years of being a dealer . He said ,obviously envelope was opened in past... bidder way over paid for lot . Heritage put no refund disclaimer to protect from crazy bidders, bidding moon money
What is his buy price for Mint set ? he stated he doesn't buy opened material unless he knows seller, his buy price? 650-$850 after seeing set opened
I never understood the enthusiasm for unopened material.
It's called greed. Most of the time
Too bad this wasn't original / unopened. Curious to know what happens to this set once it returns back to Heritage...will it be relisted for BIN by consignor as previously opened? If so, and reasonably priced, and the buyer is here would be cool to find out what was nestled in that foray of deception...
For some of us, as long as the premium isn't too much, it is fun to buy things unopened as it is kind of like opening presents at Christmas....you don't always know what is there when it is unwrapped.
If you go into it thinking it will be "average" or "mundane", you may be right, or you may be surprised.
If you go into it thinking you just ripped something....well, that is different.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
For a truly sealed set, I think $2,350 is a reasonable price to pay and here's why:
Just in my area of Washington quarters alone, landing an MS68 coin would be worth anywhere from about $10,000 - $12,500 (for the P mint) to perhaps $20,000 - $22,500 for the D mint and somewhere in the middle for the S mint. In fact the S mint coin sold at Heritage a few years back in MS68 with color - check out what that coin fetched.
Finest known Franklins would be worth even more and even the cents, nickels and dimes could be worth upwards of $5,000 - $10,000/coin for pop tops. It would take one nice coin to "double up".
The OP knew this and was prepared to "take the gamble" as the upside was huge!
As always, just my two cents.
Wondercoin
I believe it is the thrill of the hunt that drives these type of purchases. It is kinda like bad, fuzzy images that you take a chance on, sometimes it turns out good for the buyer, sometimes not. I think that some of us have been there before and hopefully there is a return policy if it turns out to be a "dud".
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