Buying key date coins of all series?

I think it's a great idea to buy the key dates. In fact if you hang around this hobby long enough, you'll always hear someone say; "Buy the key dates first." But I've never been able to hold to this adage. The keys are always the last coins I buy to fill the last few holes in my DANSCO. Of course, since I buy the keys slabbed, the holes never really get filled.

When buying key dates in a TPG slab, it's even more important to "buy the coin and not the slab." Not all 1893 S Morgan Dollars in F condition are created equal. Hunt around for a coin that appeals to you, one that has 'the look' that you enjoy. It seems to me that the TPGs often over grade keys, and that there are some in slabs that I swear appear to have been lightly cleaned, but still rate a grade for whatever reason. Sure, over time key dates have appreciated at a faster rate than other coins, but buy them because you like having a rarity, or because you derive satisfaction from completing a set, treat any monetary gain like another fringe benefit.

Another thing you'll need if you go this route is a large collecting budget. Good Luck!

 

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ice, I thought that I was the only person to ever do this. Upon my return to coin collecting I started to assemble a 20th century type set but all of the coins had to be key dates and as close to unc as I could get.

As far as the set goes, I eventually realized that in order to complete it I would need deeper pockets than I could ever afford. The 1901-S Barber Quarter is a REALLY expensive coin!

That said, when I eventually sold the set I had no problem selling the key date coins. There is a pretty strong demand for key dates in up and in down markets. Selling sets is difficult and the prices people pay for them are largely based on the key dates contained within them. I think that it's hard to go wrong with key date coins.

There is one HUGE piece of advice that I would offer to you, however. If you're going to buy coins (any kind of coins) key date or not, know what you're buying. If you want a 16-D Mercury Dime, then you'd better do some reading on them and look at a couple of dozen before you purchase any of them. You must be able to accurately grade them and assess their value before you can buy them or you will lose your shirt!!!

When people assemble sets they have a learning curve. But with 45¢ and 75¢ coins, you can make some large mistakes and it won't really hurt you. Make a grade (or two) mistake on a key date and you'll likely lose big.

Good luck on your pursuit, if I can help in any way, please let me know.

 

I'm sorry but 1950-D Jefferson Nickel is one of the biggest dogs in numismatics. Extant populations are much more important than mintage numbers. Consider that the mintage of the 1950-D is the lowest for the entire series @ just over 2.6 million. The extant NGC population in MS67 is (214/0). Compare that with the 1941 which had the largest mintage of any Jefferson before 1960 @ 203 million. The extant NGC population in MS67 is (200/2).

I scream from the top of my lungs that the 1950-D Jefferson Nickel is not a key date, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

 

I like the idea.. and that is exactly how I got "re-started" after I got back into coin collecting after my younger days of collecting what folks gave me...

As Mike says, not only is it a fun thing to do, and provides exposure and samples in hand of a variety of denominations... they will also tend to be a better investment over time than collecting an entire series.

I'd recommend you only buy graded key dates from the top tpg's until you get a firm knowledge base for the series and ability to purchase raw with confidence... and then I'd still recommend buying slabbed.

Have fun !

 

Again, thanks to everyone. I'm definitely going to be getting graded ones for the keys. Semi-keys I may try for raw but from reputable dealers.

But as for now I still need to read the books to understand what to look for and all. And I have started cutting back on other hobbies to fund my coin obsession.

 

Here Johnny, ended with no bids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950D-Jeffe...26?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item1c24dad236