I regret my purchase from the US Mint. Back in the day, I bought two sets of each year of the 50 State Quarters Proof Sets, 1999-2008. I don't know what I was thinking..... No, that's a lie. I was thinking these Proof Sets would be worth some good money in 10 years or so. I think there was a time, shortly after they came out, that you could sell them for a profit. But, now, about 20 years later, not so much. I paid about $145 for all of the years, times two. What can I get for them today? Maybe half that? Turns out, I don't even care about these coins - I should have never done it in the first place. So, do you regret buying anything from the US Mint? Tell us your story.
My story is simple. I bought the first set of Presidential dollars with the case. I soon lost interest. Now they sit in their incapsulated tombs. I now use the case for displaying my detecting finds. That's my story. Anyone want some coins?
The Proof sets can be fun if one likes to collect an example of each coin and not worry about the value (since most tend to go down from issue price in the following years). The Silver Proof sets at least have bullion content and the recent spike have made older years increase (although with the pricing of the 2026 sets, it might take a while to see the same increase where the melt value passes the issue price).
That's how I feel about my State Quarters sets. I think I'm going to bring them to my coin club sometime in the future, and take whatever someone will give me for them.
I think I'll send them to my cousin in FL. who's sort of a newbie collector. She'll get a kick out of them, I hope.
I do too. My earlier sets come in a box incapsulated or slabbed I should say, but my other newer 2 sets are in cardboard holder if you know what I mean. What gives. I got them for free but just wondering.
The official clad proof sets (starting from 1968) are all in the hard plastic cases, which are inside a paper box. Like the example below of the 2001 Quarters set. If something is just in cardboard, that could be after market packaging or something like the 3 coin set example of the Hot Springs set (which was not a full proof set but a separate set the US Mint did using one proof quarter and two business strikes).
My regret was buying all the proof and UNC Silver Eagles and Commemorative dollars that came out from the start of the programs. They all went down in value and stayed that way for many years. Today with the crazy price of silver, I'm really happy.
I bought all from the mint with only one thought....collectability. I thought nothing for alleged profitability. Pure collector sense. But my gripe now is that along with the prospect of non appreciation, they've coupled that with non affordability.......
Yes I have regrets from mint purchases but once I wised up I stopped buying. I don’t want to bore anyone with the details but I’m sure we’ve all been there.