So, why do you collect by sets?

I always appreciate seeing a collector complete a set. It is nice to see them complete their effort.

 

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@WingedLiberty

Your set is different than just plugging the holes and struggling with a key date. You also have the third axis of eye appeal, which is a challenging endeavor all across the board and makes for an impressive set when done successfully. Your coins are different enough that I would not mind having the set, but not enough for me to pursue the set if I had the funds to do just that set.

Love the set though!

 

Very true, but multitudes of complete Lincoln cent sets (or something of the like) can get very boring. I like collecting what fewer people are attempting or focusing on.

 

I'm am mainly an album collector for twentieth century coins, but basically just a date set collector of earlier coins.

 

Well, I agree that the Lincoln itself is not the most exciting coin, and the series is quite long and seemingly homogeneous. I would not want to do it myself.

However, when you see a collector who has put a lot of time and effort into assembling an attractive, well matched set of Lincolns, and you know how much work he has put into it - then even a low grade set of Lincolns can be interesting. I respect that work, and passion, even if I don't want to pursue that set myself.

This is why CT is so good - I have no interest in pursuing a Lincoln set, but I can look at someone else's, and hear their stories, and share their passion for coins. I can look at something that someone is working on, and enjoy it for what it is.

I would rather pursue something where I am the only person in the world doing it (that I know of), such as the set I am building, but that's not for everyone.

The ultimate goal of collecting is to have fun, enjoy what you do, and hopefully wind up with something nice at the end.

 

Good point. For my small capped bust quarter set, I'm collecting by die marriage. Some of the varieties have only minor differences from each other, so I'm focusing on late die states. Many varieties have heavy clashes, cracks, and pitting in the later die states, and it makes the set a lot less homogeneous. I'm also collecting them in AU, so many also have great color and eye appeal, further differentiating them.

For my Austro-Hungarian corona/korona date set, to make it more interesting and challenging, I've been going for a bright white, toned, and PL example of each date.

 

If you think key dates for coins are overpriced check out "fine art". At least if you buy a silver or gold coin it has some intrinsic value.

 

The bulk of my collection is series related, probably attributable to my early collecting years as a paperboy in the early 1960's. Occasionally, a TPG example has found its way into the collection, but my main focus remains raw coin series collecting. I guess everyone is different, which is good because what a boring world this would be if everyone liked the same things.

 

I have no fine art, nor do I plan on buying any. If I want a pretty painting, I can get one from a relatively unknown artist for much cheaper.

 

On a whim, I tried a little experiment. I went on eBay to the IHC category and typed in all of the dates from 1864 to 1879 and some others. Below are the number of results, but they can be reduced by 10% or so to allow for counterfeits, non-applicable listings, etc.

1864: 1704
1865: 850
1866: 690
1867: 710
1868: 562
1869: 482
1870: 373
1871: 262
1872: 412
1873: 434
1874: 683
1875: 678
1876: 397
1877: 288
1878: 263
1879: 583

1908 S: 660
1909 S: 363

Interesting distribution. Are the keys and semi-keys as rare and hard to find as their prices suggest? 1878's actually are harder to find than any of the above dates except 1871. This algoritm might be flawed if one is trying to get at exact rarity, but I believe it can show relative rarity. Comments? Other algorithms?

 

I would say on a venue like eBay where you have to factor in shipping and 13% for fees between selling and PayPal, the less rare years in this series just isn't worth selling unless it is a high grade or otherwise unique. Key dates are worth enough in any condition, so you see more of them.

I would also venture that the common date Indians have never been terribly valuable so survival figures may be competitively lower. For example, 1859 was the first year of the type, 1908 & 1909 were the first year of the branch mint. People collect firsts, so a better percentage of the mintage was likely held by collectors then say a 1901, which I would imagine circulated heavily.

Just some rambling pre coffee thoughts.

 

The only date/mintmark set that I am still considering is a Standing Liberty quarter set. I'm targeting nice VF-AU coins and have many multiples because my plan is to acquire and hoard as many nice coins in that condition range as possible, especially the 1917-1924 Type II ones with strong dates.

I did the set thing in my teen years, but once I got back into collecting regularly again about 6 years ago, I'm collecting good examples of my preferred series (Standing Liberties, Barber quarter/halves, etc).

 

The human eye loves symmetry. I think this is why I like the look of many of the same design in an album page. It is about the aesthetic symmetry to me. Psychologically there are also mindsets (like mine) that feel having one of everything in a set somehow is satisfying and seems to feel like an accomplishment (even though the word "complete" is dubious considering varieties like minor DDOs). Quoting a well-known sci-fi character, "I never will understand humans," but I add to it, "even myself."

The TPGs have ruined the hobby overall for the very reasons cited. The self proclaimed experts starting up the grading scam (I actually "NEED" someone else to grade my coins for me? Uh huh), the focus shifted from each coin and date having individual attention given to mintage/availability/value etc., and focus was set on keys while everything else was relegated to junk status... very, very sad.

When the TPGs started, my friends and I jokingly predicted that if anyone was (sorry - fact it was said - no offense) stupid enough to pay someone to grade their coins for them, then one day people would be stupid enough to pay someone to grade the ability of the TPGs. But we KNEW no one was stupid enough to put out hard earned cash for this (again - please understand this is NOT a slam - it is a statement of fact of what we were thinking at the time when we saw the first TPG advertisement).

...welcome to CAC.


What is the obvious... "no way... no one is that dumb!" result coming in the future? Why.. the Professional Slab Grading System of course..."

With all of the "Professional Properly Attributed" companies each verifying each others grading work...
...



... Yes, I know. But my friends and I laughed as hard at the thought of what is now CAC.

As long as there is buck to be made, someone will find a way to do it facilitated by P.T. Barnum's statement about how the masses handle their money (being kind here). It does not matter what is trampled upon in light of the all mighty dollar.

Having said all of that... I also confess to having sent in a few coins to be graded! Why? So that if something suddenly happens to me, my family will know not to take certain coins to the bank and dump them without looking into why they are specifically in special holders.

The only other reason I personally think slabs have legitimacy to the hobby for is the fact that they now provide the hobby with a group of people who have handled more legit examples of each rare coin than would have been done by anyone had they not initially (suckered oops) offered the masses their "services." It would Unintentionally, time has given them the ability to be a group which now does have the experience to better detect the fakes which are flooding the hobby nowadays. However, even with this... a person willing to do a bit of research can achieve the same goals.

And one more statement to be made... if YOU LIKE collecting slabs b/c you LIKE them... Good for you and keep it up.

For people who were around before TPGs, a great hobby has been changed to a much lesser one. Meanwhile those who have grown up with slabs may have decided they enjoy the atmosphere of today... they don't know what they are missing b/c they have not experienced it... but they make the best of what they have and enjoy the hobby in their own way.

When others dictate what we are "supposed" to collect - where is the fun in that?

 

OCD?

 

I've been doing sets for my 30 year collecting "career," but have recently taken an interest in early American coppers. Since I live within driving distance of the ANA, they are starting to get to know me at the library.

I don't have any EACs yet, but I'm NOT going to collect a date and mint mark set. In fact, I haven't decided what I'm going to collect. I know a lot of EAC collectors specialize in ONE YEAR of mintage and try to get all the varieties, and then when they have them all, try to get multiples of each variety in different die states. For now, I'm reading some books and having fun learning. But when I start plunking down the cash, it will not be a set.

Maybe a type set of all the large cents? Maybe specialize in one year? Or do a run of one head type of large cents? We'll see!

 

I obtained an 1840 Charlotte half-eagle a while back and it got me doing some research on 1840 coins. Many of the coins minted that year are first year of issue. I've been collecting that year for quite a while now. It's a challenge to find nice or even decent examples of coins that are that rare and that old. Many of the issues have survival rates of less than 100 and the most plentiful have fewer than 2000 survivors. Many suffer from poor strikes (especially the New Orleans issues). It has been interesting exploring the idiosyncrasies of each coin minted that year. It's way different than type collecting, that's for sure.

 

Too bad they're all badly tarnished.

 

I vehemently disagree. I think they are all beautifully toned.

 

Holy smokes, dude.

You're right. In fact, this is one of the BEST Lincoln cent collections I've ever seen.