Early Commem collectors, how are your sets coming along?

BigE · April 7, 2010 6:15AM

I was wanting to add some coins to my set, but have found it a little difficult to do. This seems to be for 2 reasons. There is a lack of nice high end coins and when you check auction results the prices on them seem to be declining. How do you add to your set when trends tell you the coins will be worth less down the road? Maybe there is less good stuff out there because everyone (buyers and sellers) have adopted a wait and see attitude. Any thoughts?----------BigE

CommemDude · April 7, 2010 6:22AM

Historically, commems have led the markets up and down, but this time they are trailling and seem to be just drifting downward in price. There is a plentiful supply of coins for collectors, and in most big Heritage auctions you could put an entire 50 piece set together all at once.

If you know what you like, toned vs white for example, and want to add to your set, this seems like an ideal time to buy high grades at very good prices.... waiting for low prices to go lower will work as well as refusing to buy stocks last year because the Dow was 6600 and no one wanted any.

shorecoll · April 7, 2010 6:51AM

I think high grades do have some downside risk, I'm working on 65's and 66's and nice ones seem to have stabilized. I have 32 of the 50 set and 68 of the 144, but I've slowed down recently to buy some barbers.

RedTiger · April 7, 2010 10:28AM

I bought a couple of classic commems two or three years ago, in part because prices seemed low, looked like I was getting in at a good time. I was wrong. Some prices are down another 25% since I bought. Factor in the typical retail/wholesale spread and I would take a 35% to 50% loss if sold to a dealer.

Collect what you like. Enjoy the hobby. Invest serious money elsewhere.

lcoopie · April 7, 2010 10:32AM

almost done
except for the expensive ones

pocketpiececommems · April 7, 2010 11:31AM

Lowball set complete and it too longer than an MS set.

yellowkid · April 7, 2010 11:43AM

Here is a 64 Vermont I just got to fill in until I can get a nicer one, I've picked up a couple of toned 64's that are fine for now. Acquired nice 64's a Lafayette and a Pan Pac which were big holes. I'm taking my time now, the top pieces with color are hard to find.

Edited to add I think that piece is a Connecticut.

BigE · April 7, 2010 11:47AM

Way nice for a 64 yellow kid------------------------------BigE

BigE · April 7, 2010 11:51AM

I need 30 to finish the 144, 50 is already done. Maybe I should just sell off the 144 instead of finishing it and just be happy with the 50 pieces I would keep. But wait, now is not the time to sell because they bring no money, so if they are cheap maybe I should go ahead and finish

Who knows

-----------BigE

lcoopie · April 7, 2010 11:54AM

I thought this was a Vermont?

mommam17 · April 7, 2010 11:57AM

The Vermont is now the Connecticut and the Connecticut is now the Vermont. The Charter Oak Boys.

yellowkid · April 7, 2010 12:12PM

I have nothing to say, no excuse, nothing clever....

melvin289 · April 7, 2010 12:21PM

I have 74 of the 144 and at a standstill mostly because of the economy and shallow pockets. Trying to finish a second set of BTW's and if I get that accomplished I might just give it up. All of the BTW's I have seen of late I wouldn't spend the money. The quality just isn't there with scratches and face porosity and all.

Ron

lcoopie · April 7, 2010 12:27PM

<< I have nothing to say, no excuse, nothing clever....

>>

I apologize for being a wise guy
I actually was looking for the PM button,
but didn't recognize it.

yellowkid · April 7, 2010 12:30PM

<< 

<< I have nothing to say, no excuse, nothing clever....

>>

I apologize for being a wise guy
I actually was looking for the PM button,
but didn't recognize it.

>>

Funny, that Vermont looked familiar

lcoopie · April 7, 2010 12:33PM

got it in Connecticut

BigE · April 7, 2010 12:35PM

<< I have 74 of the 144 and at a standstill mostly because of the economy and shallow pockets. Trying to finish a second set of BTW's and if I get that accomplished I might just give it up. All of the BTW's I have seen of late I wouldn't spend the money. The quality just isn't there with scratches and face porosity and all.

Ron >>

Ron, you said you were going to post pics of the Waite Raymond set you have, would love to see 'em

----------BigE

I was collecting Booker T's and Carvers when people thought you were a communist or weird or broke when you asked about them

melvin289 · April 7, 2010 12:51PM

"I was collecting Booker T's and Carvers when people thought you were a communist or weird or broke when you asked about them"

I started Purchasing coins in the late 60's in the South. It was almost if you buy this roll of 68-S lincolns I will throw in the Carver/Washington half for free.

Let me look back in the archives among the records and see if I can find a link to the thread I posted the Wayte Raymonds set.

I managed to get the pics posted in another thread titled: "Never Shown Y'all These Before......"

Ron

LeeG · April 7, 2010 7:56PM

They are a great value and I believe will make a come back.

Justacommeman · April 7, 2010 8:17PM

Slow! I'm half way done with my 50 piece set and I'm kind of stuck. Coins I need have not come out of the woodwork of late in droves. There are are few registry sets players back in action putting pressure on the few that come out. I believe the higher end properly graded magestic eye appeal market is still under valued. MJ

My most recent purchase which wasn't that recent........arrghh
NGC 66

johnny9434 · April 7, 2010 10:19PM

the lack of good grades/good finds and the lack of a job in this carpy economy. take your pick

Eagleguy · April 7, 2010 11:07PM

I'm done with the 50 and I need another 52 to finish the 144. it will take a while to finish the 144 because I don't have a huge interest in some of the multiple issues (BTW, W-C, Boone, etc) that I need. Still looking for the gold issues also.

JH

BillJones · April 7, 2010 11:08PM

I finished the 50 piece silver coin type set some years ago. It's a collector grade set with grades ranging from MS-63 to 66. The MS-66 coins are the issues that have little price spread between MS-64 and 66 like the Norfolk.

I started a set of the old gold commemorative coins at the FUN show. I've got 7 of the 8 types, but still need the Pan-Pac $2.50. I'd love to buy a pretty one in grades up to MS-66, but I have not been able to find anything. I put up a very strong bid (higher than anyone had bid on a MS-66 in their previous sales) in the Heritage sale in Dallas, but came up empty.

messydesk · April 7, 2010 11:19PM

33 of 50 in my registry set (see link in sig), plus one more in an NGC holder. Impending lack of funds is putting the brakes on my coin spending, so I don't see myself finishing the set anytime soon. Most of my more recent purchases have been in Heritage auctions, but there can be a lot of dreck in those (one of the reasons I don't have a Monroe).

jmj3esq · April 7, 2010 11:57PM

Its been a while since I had an addition. I am kinda thinking about quiting the set and selling a few so I can buy some coins I really want.

sbeverly · April 8, 2010 12:00AM

I'm looking for a nice Alabama.

They seem to be pretty elusive.

metalmeister · April 8, 2010 1:48AM

Years back I was putting a MS64 set together because I wanted a nice looking collection
not looking at resale . I picked coins with a "65 look" and went on my way. Later as prices
still seemed low compared to the astronomical highs of decades past started looking 65's
in certain coins. A few biggies left

ElKevvo · April 8, 2010 8:12AM

My set is coming along. I still have a few to go, picked up a couple of the keys last year (Spanish Trail, Hudson) and will hopefully finish it in the next year or two. I am just doing the 50 piece set plus a few more date/mm combos.

I think Classic Commems is one of those areas where you just have to like collecting them. I have been adding to my collection for a few years and prices have only gone down or remained the same pretty much across the board. Not big drops but many of the coins I have (mostly MS 64) sell for less than when I bought them. Just something to think about. Classic Commems have been in the doldrums for some time and based on history I don't see them breaking out and having a big price run up anytime soon outside of a well managed promotion.

K

richardshipp · April 8, 2010 8:17AM

I recently doubled the number of coins in my set... went from 1 to 2

dizzyfoxx · April 8, 2010 8:21AM

I really don't do the commems anymore but I was very much a collector a couple + years ago. Everytime I see a beautiful and uniformly toned example of any of the early commems, I think to myself, "I gotta get back into these little treasures." When they're just average looking or less, they're nothing spectacular IMO, but when they have beautiful unique toning, they are something to behold.

yellowkid · April 8, 2010 9:04AM

<< I recently doubled the number of coins in my set... went from 1 to 2

>>

Ah, but what a double!

Mowgli · April 8, 2010 9:17AM

Completed the 50-coin set in 1994 with MS 63/64s. I'm hoping I'm finally in the black.

bidask · April 8, 2010 9:21AM

Although I do not collect commems per se I may be buying a cac missouri 2*4 in p 66.....

Early Commem collectors, how are your sets coming along?

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