Do you ever buy complete sets of coins to cherry pick the best and get rid of the rest?
SanctionII
Posts: 12,692 ✭✭✭✭✭
For modest priced sets this can be very fun to do.
A few years ago I bought two MS sets of raw 1938-1961 Jefferson nickels. I took the best coins in the two sets and combined them into a set that is clearly better than the other set comprised of the left overs [though the left over set is nice also].
Today I bought a third such set running from 1938-1964 for modest money. This set has mostly MS coins and some circulated coins. I looked at the MS coins with a loupe before I bought the set. Some of them are very, very nice.
So I have looked at the MS coins in the third set and have compared them with the coins in the best set resulting from the combining of the two prior sets. Some of the MS coins in the third set are much, much nicer than the ones in the best of the prior two sets. So these upgrade coins from the third set will now be transferred into my best set.
The outcome is that my best set is much better today than it was yesterday.
This process is enjoyable and not very expensive. Eventually I will have to dispose of the resulting sets of lesser quality.
Do any of you do the same thing? If so, details please.
A few years ago I bought two MS sets of raw 1938-1961 Jefferson nickels. I took the best coins in the two sets and combined them into a set that is clearly better than the other set comprised of the left overs [though the left over set is nice also].
Today I bought a third such set running from 1938-1964 for modest money. This set has mostly MS coins and some circulated coins. I looked at the MS coins with a loupe before I bought the set. Some of them are very, very nice.
So I have looked at the MS coins in the third set and have compared them with the coins in the best set resulting from the combining of the two prior sets. Some of the MS coins in the third set are much, much nicer than the ones in the best of the prior two sets. So these upgrade coins from the third set will now be transferred into my best set.
The outcome is that my best set is much better today than it was yesterday.
This process is enjoyable and not very expensive. Eventually I will have to dispose of the resulting sets of lesser quality.
Do any of you do the same thing? If so, details please.
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I have with Franklins before but not in many many years. Would use all of the coins to build
different MS graded set and toned sets.
from a dealer or auction house (ebay excepted).
I buy collections from estates, or owners directly. I place ads in local papers and
have been doing so forever! I get mostly common coins and rarely get anything of
significant value. However, I have put a complete set of Morgans together, Walkers,
Mercs (minus 16d), Washies, Roosies, etc. Not a complete cent collection yet (minus
09svdb and 14d). So, it is a matter of numbers. Buy enough coins and you do get
some nice stuff every now and then.
Perhaps I'm acting like a dealer without a storefront. But, that's how I collect. Hard
to focus on one set at a time. Slowly build what you want one coin at a time and not
necessarily in the order that you would otherwise do.
I compete, happily, with my local B & M's and consistently pay more than they do. So,
it's good for the customer and good for me. But, I don't have the B & M overhead with
rents, wages, etc.
The only reason that you don't do this is that you are specializing in a series or two and
don't want to take the time to dispose of the leftovers. That's good for me! It's work and
you do have to have your sources to sell to in bulk so that you don't spend forever selling
what you don't want to keep. It also ties up a bunch of capital in the mean time.
Fun way to collect, albeit different than most folks.
bob
It is a fun way to collect and improve the quality of your collection, especially if you have contacts that you can avail yourself of when disposing of the leftovers.
If I had it my way, stupidity would be painful!
U.S. Type Set
Eventually the #1 set was completed except for the vdb-s. I then put all my wheat cents along with the coins in the #2 and down set in a bag. Mix a little and sold them in 5 lb lots. The buyers were quite pleased with their purchase and i moved on to nickels.
W.C. Fields
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Frank
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
<< <i>IIRC, even Laura has admitted to buying drecky deals in order to get at the best pieces. >>
So she delights in ditching the dregs of drecky deals.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
I did buy a set of Roosevelts when they were dabbed in a few years ago. It was a slightly better than break even deal and a few of them are still in a red 2x2 box.
Ken
just to see if they where better than the ones I had. You can always
get rid of the extra's, its finding those certain few that make your set better.
BILL
As you might guess, this has become a game of diminishing returns - the last time I din this I think there were only 2 or 3 coins that upgraded - so I don't think I'll try again unless I can acquire a set that is truly astounding.
60 years into this hobby and I'm still working on my Lincoln set!
Stewart Huckaby
mailto:stewarth@HA.com
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