Is there any worth to proof sets? My dad who is older now had purchased many of these but from what I can locate on Ebay doesn't seem like much worth for these.
The first low mintage proof sets from 1936 to 1955 are valuable. Mintages were in the thousands to 10s of thousands so not a lot to go around. They became valuable due to low mintage production so everyone began saving them after that when production bumped up to the millions every year. They became too common to have much value. There's some later years that are missing S mint marks on the dimes or nickel. They are very valuable. You can check those. Otherwise there's not a lot of excitement for them in general. Which is nice for the people who do want one. Why would anyone want to pay more? There are enough to satisfy demand basically.
@Sean Sydnor , before selling the mint sets, you might want to get the Cherry Pickers guide. You might have some valuable coins in those sets. Otherwise, you are correct, they aren't a financial windfall.
You may want to read this thread that I created a few years ago. It is on clad proof sets but I've also created ones for UNC and silver proof sets. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/clad-proof-sets-value-vs-mintage.245762/
Some of the early sets may have coins that would grade CAM or DCAM. The one coin can be worth several times the worth of the normal set. The odds are against you finding something like this in early sets but worth looking for. Sean, do you know the dates of the sets?
Thinking dad might of purchased them for you future. Or for you to pass on. Thats how most dads role!!!! Guessing cuz mom do the same. You might want to re think your options
I feel bad for dads that collected for the younger ones. Only to have them dumped at first chance. IMO
Well it is not about dumping them at first chance. My dad didn't collect them for me. I am in my 50's and he is going to 91. The problem is that the US Mint sold them as collectibles but they print what a million or more of these a year? Many collectibles have just died compared to the old days. I used to collect baseball cards but that has fallen to the waist side as well.
It would help a lot if you could tell what year proof sets you have and whether they were the silver or clad sets. I collect US coins thinking I'd pass them down to my grandchildren. They will probably be dumped which would bother me. If that's what happens to them, Que sera sera ( no upside down ? on my keyboard) lol