who has been working on a single series/set for the longest time?

fc · February 21, 2006 3:11AM

who has been working on a single series/set for the longest time?

I am trying to put together a half eagle set, 1839-1908, and
I know it will probably never be complete. But getting > 75%
would be a significant achievement that will take years or
decades at my budget level.

I am approaching one year and it has been really entertaining.

what about you?!? have you been at a set for 15 years? 30 years?

LanLord · February 21, 2006 3:17AM

I have a type set that I started Christmas day 1969 or 70.

I keep making upgrades and changes to it. That is a fairly lengthy time to work on a set.

foodude · February 21, 2006 3:22AM

I've been working on my MS Franklin set since 1989. I completed it sometime in the mid-90's or so, and have been upgrading, or otherwise improving it since then.

BTW, my last improvement was obtained at FUN. I found a '58-D MS67FBL, that was a bit nicer than the '58-D MS67FBL I had in my set.

koynekwest · February 21, 2006 3:26AM

A FULLY STRUCK Mint state date set of Buffalos-just the Philly stuff except for the '31-S and '38-D-for around 35 years now. Still need the 1920, 1929, 1930, and 1931-S.

Steve27 · February 21, 2006 3:28AM

I'm still working on my Merc dime set; I started in the mid-60s.

mgoodm3 · February 21, 2006 3:35AM

top this: I started my indian cent collection in about 2003. Working on it ever since.

IrishMike · February 21, 2006 3:42AM

Two sets, lincolns and IHC's started in 1954. Finished the IHC in the 90's and started a 2nd set.

TheRaven · February 21, 2006 4:11AM

I was not even born yet when some of you guys started your sets.... amazingly long period of time.....

ccrdragon · February 21, 2006 4:12AM

indian cent and buffalo nickel sets for about 6 years now

cladking · February 21, 2006 4:17AM

I've been working on clad quarters only since 1972 but I'm probably the only one who keeps falling further behind.

I've been working on the dimes just as long but I'm keeping up with them.

slipgate · February 21, 2006 4:18AM

I've been working my entire life on getting as many coins - all types and all bills - all types, out of circulation and into my bank account. The goal is to have 1 million + dollars (preferrably plus). I'm not there yet but hope to be by the time I retire. So eventually that might be like 60 years? But I might not reach the goal either.

Coindexter · February 21, 2006 4:21AM

<< <i>I was not even born yet when some of you guys started your sets.... amazingly long period of time..... >>

That's pretty much the norm for me. It feels weird to me sometimes. It's like I'm the youngest guy here that isn't a YN. I know that isn't true, but it feels like that sometimes.

I started my type set in January of 2005. I have a long way to go before I reach Lanlord status (and I'll bet that's one hell of a type set).

BECOKA · February 21, 2006 4:21AM

I have been working on my Half Eagle set for about 2 years. 1 more and it will be complete and then it is upgrades as I can afford them. Unfortunately it is to the point that any more upgrades will equal 1 years sallary. Maybe time to focus on other sets.

by the way 1 year for your half eagle set it pretty impressive.

seanq · February 21, 2006 4:30AM

I've been building my clipped Lincoln cent set since the summer of 1998, I started with maybe half a dozen coins I'd collected as a curiosity, I now have 231 different date/mintmark combinations (out of 246 through 2005).

Sean Reynolds

CodyB · February 21, 2006 4:36AM

I just go back into coin collecting recently, so I've just been poppin modern crap into whitman folders. I'm working on a 20th Century type set though, that will probably take at least a year or so.

OKbustchaser · February 21, 2006 5:36AM

I have been working on my half dollar year set since 1965. Like Cladking I am falling behind rather than making progress since I never bothered to pick up a 2005. I also still need 1796 and 1797. I will probably find an affordable 2005 first.

braddick · February 21, 2006 5:43AM

I've been working on a 1989 (child's birthyear) set of coins for the last 40 years.

HTubbs · February 21, 2006 6:04AM

<< <i>I've been working on a 1989 (child's birthyear) set of coins for the last 40 years. >>

What?

braddick · February 21, 2006 6:06AM

I knew how tough this date was going to be in superb gem so I gave myself a few years headstart.

XpipedreamR · February 21, 2006 6:09AM

JJM · February 21, 2006 6:11AM

I got my first morgan at age 8 or so, and am still working on / upgrading , looking at the sets for improvements, so I guess they are all perpetual works in progress,...so for me 35 yrs,............

rhedden · February 21, 2006 7:52AM

I have a near-complete set of half dimes 1794-1873-s by date/mm that was started in 1939 or so by another collector, kept intact until it was sold to me recently, and is now being upgraded where needed. I need an 1802 to finish it off. Does that count? Other than that, I have been working on large cents for 5 years by Redbook variety.

tjkillian · February 21, 2006 8:00AM

I started my indian cent collection in 1971 with my Lincolns. I've sort of put on hold my Lincolns when I discovered how nice indian cents were. I still need an 1860, 1877, and a 1908-S.

I've been working on my type set since 1985 and I am now 64% finished.

Tom

HTubbs · February 21, 2006 8:17AM

wow! I feel young!

SanctionII · February 21, 2006 8:17AM

When I was a kid in the 60's and 70's I started and completed Whitman albums of 1941 forward Lincoln cents, 1938 forward Jefferson nickels and 1946 forward Roosevelt dimes pulled from circulation. so these sets were complete when I took a 20+ break from collecting.

I started up again in 1998 and since then have completed a 1950-63 set of proof CAM/DCAM Frankies. Since I completed the set I have been in upgrade mode. I also bought a Capital holder with a complete set of AU/Mint State Frankies and have been upgrading it ever since.

Other sets/seriies are a work in progress and I do not know if they will ever be completed.

Conder101 · February 21, 2006 9:20PM

How do you define working on? On some of these sets it is a long time between additions.

I began my type set in 1972 so 34 years
My nickel 3 cent began in 1978, 29 years.
My seated half dimes in 1982, 24 years.
My early large cent variety set in 1985, 21 years
My Conder tokens in 1997, 9 years

rmoss · February 21, 2006 9:38PM

I have been working on the 144 piece Old Commem set since around 1995. It is 48% finished but the 52% I need are the expensive ones. I keep getting side tracked. I am working on my second set of Booker T. Washington's to improve on the first set. Like someone else said, I will probably never finish it but I love the series.

Rodius · February 21, 2006 10:16PM

I started my modern proof Jefferson set about 20 years ago turned it into a registry set, which i deleted and sold off some and started again. Just love those Jeffs

MrHalfDime · February 22, 2006 4:12AM

Wow! Some of these guys have been collecting for quite a long time. For myself, perhaps my own experience is a little closer to the spirit of the question. Approximately 25 years ago (ca. 1980) I narrowed my focus to the half dime denomination, and I have collected half dimes, exclusively and uninterrupted, since that time. Not just owned a collection, but actively pursued the series for a quarter century, and still going.

Conder101 · February 22, 2006 4:16AM

Oh I'm still building those sets. The only one I haven't added to in the past two years is the half dime set. And one of these days I'll pick up a 46, 65, or 67 and get a little closer.

fc · February 22, 2006 8:20AM

thanks all for the interesting posts.
amazing that some of you have been working on certain
sets for so long.

mirabela · February 22, 2006 8:24AM

I guess I've been working on a type set since 1980 or so... but I didn't realize that's what I was doing until the year before last.

rainbowroosie · February 22, 2006 11:02AM

Rainbow Roosies since 1989

Shamika · February 22, 2006 11:38AM

I started my Lincoln cent collection in 1973 (still trying to finish) and then my Buffalo collection around 1980. After a long hiatus from Buffalo nickels, I started back again in 2001 and have been focused ever since.

BicentenBen · February 22, 2006 12:40PM

Been working on a Franklin FBL set for at least three weeks now.

michael · February 23, 2006 1:04AM

type set

since middle 1960's

au58 · February 23, 2006 6:19AM

I have an Indian Cent collection in a Whitman folder that I started in 1963. The only reason I remember the year is because I have a Blue Book that I got during the same trip to the coin shop - first time I was ever in a coin shop.
This set is Fine or better, and I mean the OLD standard for Fine, you know, where you can see ALL the letters and don't have to guess what the letters are??
Now get this -- the only coin missing is the 1895!! I never found one that matched the set.
Maybe this doesn't count though, because since 1963, I have completed about 9 or 10 Indian Cent sets.

In 1966 or 1967, I ran a lawn service. The neighbors who lived on both sides of my grandmother went on vacation at the same time. When they returned, they both owed me about $20. I stopped at the coin shop on the way home and bought an 1871, and 1872, one Fine, one VF, for less than $50 total.

When I told my dad that it would be nice to have another lawn mower to keep at my grandmother's house so that I didn't have to push it half way across town, he said he would get me another one -- if I paid HALF!!

who has been working on a single series/set for the longest time?

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