| THE U.S. Mint, joke, ripoff artist, or just greedy
The mint is killing the hobby as we know it. At least from a collectors standpoint. I mean it used to be possible to work on a modern set an be able to finish it. It used to be possible to buy one of everything from the mint and only spend a few bucks. Now lets look at what the mint wants us to spend to get a complete set of their wares for 2008. First spouse coins, 8, 4 in proof, 4 in unc. all 1/2 oz gold, ranging from 509 to 619. We'll call it ave 575, thats $4600. We'll skip the presidential dollars, and go to the buffalos, ignoring the 1oz 2008 celebration coin at 1188, we can buy the 4 coin sets of proof and unc for 2220 and 1960 respectively, thats only another 4180. the 4 coin american proofs 2200, the unc 2040, the silver dolars at 32 and 26 (finally some sanity). Now for only 4590 and 4290 we can purchase the platinum sets in proof and uncirculated. that takes us to proof sets, between quarters, silver quarters, proof sets, presidential dollars, and silver proof sets we get a total of 123. Thats not too bad. That just leave this years commemoratives to get a complete set of coins from the mint for 2008. The bald eagle commems, gold in proof and unc, silver in proof and unc and a clad half in proof and unc that makes 732. All together a grand total of $22,813.00. Huh what do you know, thats about 1/2 of what I bring home in a year. Who can afford all that, and what happens if the mints quality control isn't quite up to standard on the day you receive your coins and they're spotted and scratched or etc. then you incur more money sending them back to be exchanged. But really, who is the mint kidding, they have become a joke, a legal parody of the franklin mint, when it was cranking out so much crap every year. And coin clubs, orgs and others around the country wonder why it is so hard to find and keep people that are interested in collecting. The mint is busy courting those that can spent 20+ grand a year on coins. Maybe if the mint would focus on the smaller set. Say the collector that can spend a few hundred dollars, they would help the hobby. But then again, the mint isn't into promoting the hobby, much like any other organization they are into promoting themselves. for that much, they can keep it.
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