Seeking Complete Uncirculated Mint Set

I am looking for a complete, as possible, Uncirculated U.S. Mint set. I see where dealers have them for sale in the collector magazines. There is one for sale on ebay from '68-Present, I believe, but the boxes aren't in the greatest shape. The seller has a high percentage of positive feedback (96%). That would probably be my cheapest route and then i'd have to pick up the others. Would that be advisable or do you have other recommendations? Thank you.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I would think about going to a coin show and seeing what the dealers there have. No shipping/handling charges on your part for that, and you can control which sets you buy. Then complete your set in the future. Part of collecting, IMO, is the fun in the "hunt" or planning how to do something.

Unless you don't like that and have deep pockets...then contact a reputable seller and have them get one for you. Probably you'd have to put some earnest money down as escrow for it so they are not on the hook for a new customer. But I don't know the procedure. I don't have deep pockets.

 

Complete Set

Thank you Kasia. Great advice! I sure as **** don't have deep pockets.

 

Yeah, I can see from that you sure as heck don't have deep pockets --- no need for stars to show emphasis! :b8nce:

 

I agree with Kasia about hitting the local shows for this type of thing. At a local show I regularly attend, there are quite a few dealers who have them. One thing though. A lot of these guys have the stuff displayed on the counter top just hanging out. Make sure you get the OK from the dealer before you go about looking through them. Some dealers get touchy about folks pawing through their stuff. Some like to open the sets for you.

 

If you only want one of each set then the means you use to acquire them is not very important and price should be the determining factor.

I would suggest that instead you try to acquire choice sets. Genererally about one set in three is clearly superior and if you assemble the red and blue packets individually you'll have a much more desirable collection. Dealers will usually let you mix and match so you can pick up choice sets with good envelopes inexpensively.

This is hardly for everyone but about 1% of these sets are mostly gem. This would make a great collection as well but would require much more effort and a little more cost. Post-'80 sets rarely come this way so just try to find very choice sets for later dates. They started using machines to package sets in 1980 which probably is the reason that later dates have more random coins in them. Earlier dates can be found quite easily with all "dogs" or all gems.

 

Get a Blue book and scour the coins shops for the nice sets then haggle with the dealers on price. eBay will eat you alive as the sellers have to add fees and shipping to the base cost of the sets. As mentioned shows are also good as it puts the dealers head to head on pricing.

 

I recommend Coins By Bobby on the web. I've made several purchases for mint/ proof sets with excellent results. Prices and service are outstanding, and shipping is free.

 

I've made a few purchases from Coins by Bobby and always have been amazed at the quality. I've gotten various proof sets and mint sets- all of which were high quality. I certainly would say you cannot go wrong with them.

 

Funny even though many myself included list that on eBay and elsewhere I have never been able to get the USPS to deliver anything without paying for the postage....

 

Mint sets don't come in boxes, proof sets do. make sure you know what you are after and what you are buying.

 

If you don't mind, when you have completed your purchase, let us know what your total costs were. At some point, I'd like to compare it to what the bozo's on the shopping channels are asking.

 

Your Advice is " Spot " on, but not inline with the Op's collection interest.

 

Go to a show and buy them there. I like that advice. And as Conder points out, make sure you know the difference. Lastly, 96% positive feedback on ebay is hardly stellar. Sounds like one problem every 25 transactions, to me.
Lance.

 

Excellent advice, there's a difference between a mint set and a quality mint set. Don't assume that just buying a mint set all of the coins are going to be top-grade. Putting together a quality set will take a TON of time and seaching.

 

I started to collect a mint set, exactly as you are asking about, a year or so ago. The advice you are getting here is excellent. I didn't care about a specific years particular condition - just that it was a mint set. I found out about condition over time. I have learned what most are discussing in this thread. A mint set for a particular year is not necessarily "mint", in the sense that it contains perfect coins that can be treasured for years to come. Each mint set (for a year) has conditions (good and bad). Seeing each set is important. You may buy a particular year that you are not satisfied with...
So, knowing what you want when you start this endeavor is important. But know that over time, you can decide that the look for a particular year is not what you want. Go find what you do want...
But, as is stated on many threads on this board, it can be addicting.
I like what Cringely stated above too - it's interesting to hear about how coins are collected.

BTW, I have bought from various sources - ebay, coin shows and more recently from the mint directly - uncirc sets from 1968 to 2011 and spent under $400. These are uncirculated sets and not proof sets.

 

Don't forget the financial resource to acquire these sets.

 

Mint Set

Thank you very much to all that replied. I really appreciate your excellent advice. I've been collecting firearms for several yrs. now & just as w/ the gun forums, I'm finding nice people willing to advise and help out which is great! I do not have the time right now to go to shows so I'm going to have to just try to obtain as nice a set as possible from a dealer. I talked w/ one in NY who said he'd put together one w/ his "nicest" ones, '58-2011, for $480.00. Ronald Winter Coins. That sounds pretty good but I'm not naive to just outright trust him. I'm taking a chance. Or, I'll probably go w/ Coins by Bobby as suggested. At least he's recommended. Must decide. I bought a proof set run recently, '59-'09, for $710.00 on eBay. Haven't received it yet. Do you think that's a decent price? That particular seller has 100% feedback, for the individual that informed me that a 96% feedback rating isn't "stellar." Thanks again for the assistance.

 

here's what I think:

If you buy sets in bulk, then you will get just that, bulk quality sets. The advice to select them one by one is sound.

That said, I find it disappointing that people want to purchase a "complete set" of something rather than assembling it themselves. The emphasis when buying in bulk is to assemble a set. For what purpose I ask? What benefit is there in having a complete set? Is it merely to claim possession? Is it to attain some status held by owners of complete sets?

I come from an older school, I guess. The whole idea behind assembling a complete set was the "assembling" part of it. The lessons learned as to which are more difficult to find, what to look for in a quality Mint Set, what premium coins can be found in certain sets, etc., are the rewards of set collecting in general.

I would bet that some people who own "complete sets" of US Mint Sets don't even realize that there is no set for 1982 or 1983 or that late 1960s Mint sets have cruddy looking cents generally, or that 1965-67 sets don't have circulation strike coins in them.

All of this is learned when you assemble the sets yourself. It's ok if you don't have time, do so as you find the time. There's no race to see who finishes first, many people have already done this feat. The reward is not in the ownership, but in the knowledge gained when you put the sets together.

You collect as you wish, but buying them all at once doesn't sound much like collecting to me, it sounds like owning.