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Coming soon.... the end of an era..........
DBSTrader2
Posts: 3,546 ✭✭✭✭
Just about FIFTY years ago, my grandparents bought me my first proof set (a 1962) for my 4th birthday. I can't remember whether I was already interested in coins by then, or whether that gift started me on my lifelong love of filling holes in blue Whitman folders, but it was a start of a fifty year run of collecting annual proof sets.
While I was young & they were still healthy and vital and living in downtown Philly, we used to spend many hours when I'd visit either going thru and adding to my Whitman folder collection from circulating coins, or walking a mile or so downtown to "Smelter's Row" to search thru coffee cans full of junk silver at 4x face (and limiting my purchases because even that was too high for my allowance!)........ Even now, these are some of my fondest memories of time spent with my grandparents.
When they passed away, the annual gift of a proof set on my birthday stopped. It was not until the births of my 2 sons that first my parents & then I took up the mantle of buying them a proof set every birthday to continue the tradition.
Starting a few years ago, I decided it would be nice to fill in the missing years between my set's ending and their sets' starting. A large bulk purchase allowed me to pretty much complete my set up thru 1982, and then start each son with a set from 1983 onward (even though those were from before they were born). I figured I had them, so why not?.....
All I'm missing now from my own set are my early years (1958-1961) and 2 other years (1980 & 1981). And I only need to get around to getting 1 more 1993 for my younger son to complete both their collections . If and when I do that, between us all, we will have a 54 year run of proof sets.................
But that looks like it for me. Proof sets just don't seem to hold the same attraction for us as they used to. I guess it's a combination of many things..... one of which being that the base metal sets are terribly overpriced & hardly ever seem to retain their value. Another being that they're stored away in a safe deposit box, limiting the opportunity to be looked at & enjoyed. I guess I could have done better going after SAE's or a Morgan/Peace dollar each year, etc. With shipping & sets having more than tripled in price since I started getting them for the kids, I figure if I feel an empty spot or remorse for ending my 50-year affair with them, and want to grab any new proof sets going forward, I can pretty much do so at the local coin show, where I can pick & choose vs risk a bad product from the Mint, plus not have to pay shipping.
Maybe the boys will regain interest someday when they have their own kids (although I'll recommend they buy something else so as not to feel the pressure of "catching themselves up" as I recently did). Maybe they won't. But I think this is the year I break the streak and end my "auto-purchase" set-up with the Mint.........
What do you think? Have you run into similar thoughts either with proof sets or other collecting avenues? I'd like to hear.
- - Dave
While I was young & they were still healthy and vital and living in downtown Philly, we used to spend many hours when I'd visit either going thru and adding to my Whitman folder collection from circulating coins, or walking a mile or so downtown to "Smelter's Row" to search thru coffee cans full of junk silver at 4x face (and limiting my purchases because even that was too high for my allowance!)........ Even now, these are some of my fondest memories of time spent with my grandparents.
When they passed away, the annual gift of a proof set on my birthday stopped. It was not until the births of my 2 sons that first my parents & then I took up the mantle of buying them a proof set every birthday to continue the tradition.
Starting a few years ago, I decided it would be nice to fill in the missing years between my set's ending and their sets' starting. A large bulk purchase allowed me to pretty much complete my set up thru 1982, and then start each son with a set from 1983 onward (even though those were from before they were born). I figured I had them, so why not?.....
All I'm missing now from my own set are my early years (1958-1961) and 2 other years (1980 & 1981). And I only need to get around to getting 1 more 1993 for my younger son to complete both their collections . If and when I do that, between us all, we will have a 54 year run of proof sets.................
But that looks like it for me. Proof sets just don't seem to hold the same attraction for us as they used to. I guess it's a combination of many things..... one of which being that the base metal sets are terribly overpriced & hardly ever seem to retain their value. Another being that they're stored away in a safe deposit box, limiting the opportunity to be looked at & enjoyed. I guess I could have done better going after SAE's or a Morgan/Peace dollar each year, etc. With shipping & sets having more than tripled in price since I started getting them for the kids, I figure if I feel an empty spot or remorse for ending my 50-year affair with them, and want to grab any new proof sets going forward, I can pretty much do so at the local coin show, where I can pick & choose vs risk a bad product from the Mint, plus not have to pay shipping.
Maybe the boys will regain interest someday when they have their own kids (although I'll recommend they buy something else so as not to feel the pressure of "catching themselves up" as I recently did). Maybe they won't. But I think this is the year I break the streak and end my "auto-purchase" set-up with the Mint.........
What do you think? Have you run into similar thoughts either with proof sets or other collecting avenues? I'd like to hear.
- - Dave
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Comments
Except for the silver pre-1965 sets, most of them aren't worth a lot.
Keep them in your home were you can enjoy them.
You can get a heavy fire-proof storage box that should fit them all at Staples for around $50.
<< <i>Take those proof sets out of your safe deposit box.
Except for the silver pre-1965 sets, most of them aren't worth a lot.
Keep them in your home were you can enjoy them.
You can get a heavy fire-proof storage box that should fit them all at Staples for around $50. >>
Yep, no need to clutter up a SDB with something you can enjoy at home. Maybe that will spark the fire again? Congrats on a great run.
Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
I think you are on track with cancelling the mint autoship and picking up nicer sets at shows for less money. Gives you something to hunt, too, which can be fun.
I knew it would happen.
If you like proof sets try assembling a collection from 1950 to the present and try to find cameo proofs of the older coins. Then if you really like proof sets try putting together sets from 1936 to 1942.
As much as I'd like to go after the older, silver sets, there's just not the spare money to do so for the next 6, 7, 8, or more years, more than likely......
As I fill the safe deposit box with more papers, I'll likely have to pull out the proof sets, as suggested........
thx!
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
An interesting thought! It would certainly make sets from each year of the boys' lives as they grew a bit more personal! Not sure what I'd do with all the "pre-years" I assembled 1 each for them going back another 10 or so years, or what I'd do with mine, but it at least is getting me to thinking..............
Thx!
- - Dave
P.S. But I LIKE Morgans/Peace $'s, too! To me, they're the last of the REAL money/dollars!! Large, heavy, silver, excellent designs, and a lot of history to them (especially with a little wear vs "blast white")............ I would just need to get pics from events from OLDER family tree members to personalize THOSE!!