Heck yes, open it. Unless it is just an investment. In which case you should store it somewhere safe and never think about it again. But that would kill me. Lance.
i would say open it but i to have to admit to many boxes from the mint unopened and a year ago while bidding on a box of 5 sets of 1972 proof first time i ever saw one box with 5 sets as the bidding hit 20 bucks i figured what the heck so i bid 25.00 as it turned out i was bidding on 5 sets at 25 each lol that box still sits on the shelf taunting me.............take pictures if you open would love to see
<< <i>i would say open it but i to have to admit to many boxes from the mint unopened and a year ago while bidding on a box of 5 sets of 1972 proof first time i ever saw one box with 5 sets as the bidding hit 20 bucks i figured what the heck so i bid 25.00 as it turned out i was bidding on 5 sets at 25 each lol that box still sits on the shelf taunting me.............take pictures if you open would love to see >>
do you know its a us set and not some foreign set? was this and online purchase? knowing where the box came from could answer some questions too we all just hope you didnt get taken and there really is a `39 (us) proof set inside
some of his coins are not even proof, but polished business strikes.
I hope you know what you are doing and good luck.
How long ago did you buy them and what type of return policy did you get? A grand is an awful lot of money to spend on a sealed box, with promises of riches
<< <i>there is a guy selling them all the time on eBay
some of his coins are not even proof, but polished business strikes.
I hope you know what you are doing and good luck.
How long ago did you buy them and what type of return policy did you get? A grand is an awful lot of money to spend on a sealed box, with promises of riches >>
Do your comments about polished business strikes pertain to coins sold as Proof sets in unopened boxes? If so, how do you know? And if not, how is it relevant? Thanks.
Mark, over the last year there have been many unopened proof sets from 1936-1942 go through eBay
some have been bought and resold as-is with picture of the box
there was a thread were the buyer knew what proofs should look like and was dissapointed when he opened the set. and found the half a polished business strike I couldn't find that thread. but found these
this seller has another 1939 unopened Proof set already on offer and a 36 and a 42. All unopened all with no pics. Who amongst us has seen an unopened boxed 1936 Proof set?
looking at his feedback it appears some have opened the set and are happy with what they found inside. Its possible the seller is legit but then again maybe the buyers have no idea what they are looking at so who really knows
<< <i>Mark, over the last year there have been many unopened proof sets from 1936-1942 go through eBay
some have been bought and resold as-is with picture of the box
there was a thread were the buyer knew what proofs should look like and was dissapointed when he opened the set. and found the half a polished business strike I couldn't find that thread. but found these
Thanks. I have seen the sets offered and threads about them, but not comments from anyone who opened one.
By the way, for those who think that such boxes/sets don't exist - I have seen opened examples of them at coin shows. That said, I too, would be dubious of them in many instances.
these unopened Proof Sets are one of the biggest likely scams on eBay. some points to consider which have been discussed by this forum in the past with no resolution and no 100% sure answers, despite all the members who should/could know from having seen these sets in the past.
-----noone knows for certain if the Proof Sets from 1936-1942 even shipped from the Mint in boxes. -----noone knows for certain what the size/shape/color/tape/markings/inner packaging of the intact Proof Sets might have been if they were shipped like that from the Mint. -----all the Proof Sets from this era offered on eBay are always "still sealed" from every seller. -----all of the sellers tend to offer the sets with no return.
from my perspective, the sellers don't really know with certainty what a "Boxed Proof Set" from 1936-1942 is actually supposed to look like, so they naturally mimic the Boxed Sets from 1950-1955 in every way. the auctions are set up like some kind of Numismatic self-fullfilling prophecy-----the set is sold "sealed" so if you open it to check the contents there is no return permitted and leaving it "still sealed" voids any hope of uncovering the scam. i don't even consider that these 1936-1942 Sealed Proof Set auctions are legitimate, too much downside.
until someone can come up with conclusive evidence about the packaging(if the sets were even shipped in such a manner from the Mint) i will remain skeptical.
Open it, and when you find the disappointing contents inside, sell it on ebay as an unopened proof set with no returns if opened. That's what the last 5 people did with it.
The original poster needs to open it while being videotaped as was previously suggested so that he has a claim for fraud if the coins are not a proof set.
If they are black and pitted he of course has no claim but perhaps can plead temporary numismatic insanity although I think that's not used by plaintiffs, only defendants.
At a local coin show I saw an original '42 proof set still in the cellos and had a rusty staple holding all the coins together. They weren't in the original box but I felt the coins were 100% original.
This has been hard because I've always wanted to purchase a 1942 proof set. I do not know what to look for when it comes to purchasing them complete. That was my father's birth year and it's a set I'd like to have original and ungraded in however they were issued from the mint [added] condition. The "unopened" proof set boxes I've seen just do not cut it for me on ebay. Aside from there and online, I've never seen these boxes for sale for the earlier 36-42 proof sets.
premium for unopened mint stuff frequently in the 10-30% range, over average seen stuff
if you want a 1942 proof set, I would buy one in a Capital holder with both nickels (from auction, storefront, or show)
or possibly buy in major slab piecemeal, as acquisition costs spread over time
as stated previously, original mint packaging is variable depending on size of order -individual coins in cellophane with staple (which frequently now is rusted) and the original packaging is probably now affecting the coins in not a good way
Comments
<< <i>Depends, did you buy it to have the box to look at or for the coins inside? >>
That's probably why I never buy unopened anything...........as it would no longer be unopened once I recieved it.
take pics
post pics
<< <i>open
take pics
post pics >>
Correction
take pics
open
take pics
post pics
<< <i>
<< <i>open
take pics
post pics >>
Correction
take pics
open
take pics
post pics >>
I stand corrected
Lance.
Btw welcome to the forum
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Suggest you take pics of the box front and back and post for some experts to review.
Is the box the same size as the 1950-55 boxes?
How is it sealed.
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
<< <i>i would say open it but i to have to admit to many boxes from the mint unopened and a year ago while bidding on a box of 5 sets of 1972 proof first time i ever saw one box with 5 sets as the bidding hit 20 bucks i figured what the heck so i bid 25.00 as it turned out i was bidding on 5 sets at 25 each lol that box still sits on the shelf taunting me.............take pictures if you open would love to see
WHAT?
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was this and online purchase?
knowing where the box came from could answer some questions too
we all just hope you didnt get taken and there really is a `39 (us) proof set inside
bob
some of his coins are not even proof, but polished business strikes.
I hope you know what you are doing and good luck.
How long ago did you buy them and what type of return policy did you get?
A grand is an awful lot of money to spend on a sealed box, with promises of riches
Sure don't like the sound of that!!
<< <i>there is a guy selling them all the time on eBay
some of his coins are not even proof, but polished business strikes.
I hope you know what you are doing and good luck.
How long ago did you buy them and what type of return policy did you get?
A grand is an awful lot of money to spend on a sealed box, with promises of riches >>
Do your comments about polished business strikes pertain to coins sold as Proof sets in unopened boxes? If so, how do you know? And if not, how is it relevant? Thanks.
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
opening it is the only way to know that you bought what you paid for.
.....Otherwise I have some packages that contain 1794 mint sets that are unopened as well.
@K!!!!the deal of the century!!!!) a box but no refunds if you open them
go through eBay
some have been bought and resold as-is with picture of the box
there was a thread were the buyer knew what proofs should look like
and was dissapointed when he opened the set. and found the half a polished business strike
I couldn't find that thread. but found these
a 1941 set
a 1940 set
a 1938 set
I do not know where you bought your set Archipelago, or what your plans
for the set are
but if you hold it unopened for 10 years, and then sell it and inside is something other than what you thought it was, what recourse do you have then?
edit to add deathwish1fourstars was seller last fall involved with never ending unopened boxes
unopened proof sets from deathwish1fourstars
this seller has another 1939 unopened Proof set already on offer and a 36 and a 42. All unopened all with no pics. Who amongst us has seen an unopened boxed 1936 Proof set?
Best,
Eric
<< <i>Mark, over the last year there have been many unopened proof sets from 1936-1942
go through eBay
some have been bought and resold as-is with picture of the box
there was a thread were the buyer knew what proofs should look like
and was dissapointed when he opened the set. and found the half a polished business strike
I couldn't find that thread. but found these
a 1941 set
a 1940 set
a 1938 set
I do not know where you bought your set Archipelago, or what your plans
for the set are
but if you hold it unopened for 10 years, and then sell it and inside is something other than what you thought it was, what recourse do you have then?
edit to add deathwish1fourstars was seller last fall involved with never ending unopened boxes
unopened proof sets from deathwish1fourstars >>
Thanks. I have seen the sets offered and threads about them, but not comments from anyone who opened one.
By the way, for those who think that such boxes/sets don't exist - I have seen opened examples of them at coin shows. That said, I too, would be dubious of them in many instances.
1942 unopened on eBay
There are other signs with the tape that looks fishy
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986
We all make mistakes, maybe he can return it
-----noone knows for certain if the Proof Sets from 1936-1942 even shipped from the Mint in boxes.
-----noone knows for certain what the size/shape/color/tape/markings/inner packaging of the intact Proof Sets might have been if they were shipped like that from the Mint.
-----all the Proof Sets from this era offered on eBay are always "still sealed" from every seller.
-----all of the sellers tend to offer the sets with no return.
from my perspective, the sellers don't really know with certainty what a "Boxed Proof Set" from 1936-1942 is actually supposed to look like, so they naturally mimic the Boxed Sets from 1950-1955 in every way. the auctions are set up like some kind of Numismatic self-fullfilling prophecy-----the set is sold "sealed" so if you open it to check the contents there is no return permitted and leaving it "still sealed" voids any hope of uncovering the scam. i don't even consider that these 1936-1942 Sealed Proof Set auctions are legitimate, too much downside.
until someone can come up with conclusive evidence about the packaging(if the sets were even shipped in such a manner from the Mint) i will remain skeptical.
Box of 20
Garrow
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
there is a premium for 'unopened box' and 'original mint packaging'
as for the potential gem DCAMs,...
unsearched errors, .....
awesome toned,...
some people buy to keep and sell
some people buy to treasure hunt
If they are black and pitted he of course has no claim but perhaps can plead temporary numismatic insanity although I think that's not used by plaintiffs, only defendants.
Commems and Early Type
<< <i>downside?
there is a premium for 'unopened box' and 'original mint packaging'
as for the potential gem DCAMs,...
unsearched errors, .....
awesome toned,...
some people buy to keep and sell
some people buy to treasure hunt >>
But what would you estimate that premium to be?
if you want a 1942 proof set, I would buy one in a Capital holder with both nickels (from auction, storefront, or show)
or possibly buy in major slab piecemeal, as acquisition costs spread over time
as stated previously, original mint packaging is variable depending on size of order
-individual coins in cellophane with staple (which frequently now is rusted) and
the original packaging is probably now affecting the coins in not a good way