Almost all the proof slots in my Lincoln Cent Dansco album are empty because the proof coins are in my proof sets. All of them. I really don't want to crack out these cents just to make the album fuller. However, I noticed in Coin World Magazine that Skyline Coins, Manakin-Sabot, VA, is selling these Proof Lincolns for $109.50 Plus $7 Shipping and Insurance. What I'd like to know is: 1- Is this a fair price for 43 proof coins (No Type 2's)? 2- Has anyone here at CT done business with this company and how were the results? 3-Are these proofs gonna be somehow marred, scratched or otherwise unattractive. Do they come from a bag, roll or broken sets? While I realize it is only $116.50 for coins I already own, It sure would look good having the folders completely full with attractive high grade proof cents. Hey, any and all comments welcomed. Thanks guys, Bruce
Well, they can't come from a bag or roll unless it was hand-assembled, as they only came from the Mint in sets. You might want to call the seller to make sure they're problem free. If they are, the price doesn't seem too bad. Many of them can be bought individually for less than $1, but that would take time. Also, the more recent proofs seem to go for a couple of bucks each.
I am missing something. 68 to 08 is 41 coins. If you are not including any type 2's, where are the other 2 coming from to total 43?
Several comments. borgovan sort of alludes to it. Just because they are labeled "proof" doesn't mean they grade in the 60's. You have to worry about cleaned, poorly toned, spotted or other "impaired" coins. You'll have to make up your mind how you want your set to look. 1. Buy the inexpensive proof sets and crack the coins out (that would also give you a start on the other sets, nickels, dimes, etc.) 2. Don't crack them out and be satisified to know that in spite of holes in your Dansco album, you own the coins. 3. Buy the more expensive proof already slabbed and keep them that way. 4. Buy the more expensive proof already slabbed and crack them out (ouch!) You need to REALLY sit back and decide what you can live with. Don't do what I did. I cracked out all my slabs because I wanted to display them one way only to change my mind later and get them all reslabbed. THAT was an expensive lesson about planning ahead.
All the proof spots in my Dansco Lincoln Cent album are full and I had a great time finding each one of the coins. I did not break open any sets. I made a list of needed proof Lincolns & kept it with me. Occasionally, I would find a nice raw proof cent & buy it. The last holes in my book were filled this last June (except the PDS for 2008). For me, this was more fun than it would have been buying them all at once. It gave me an opportunity to sit down at the occasional budget box & look for what I needed. Of course, you can pick out the proof Lincolns easily & it gives you a chance to chat with the dealer. Very best regards, collect89
What you have to ralize here is that you are not so much buying the coins as buying convenience. He is asking about $2.67 each for these coins. Yes if you went looking for them at a show there are a bunch you could probably find a $1 each and some might be higher. But in order to get all of them you would have to run all around a show floor, possibly more than one, and try and locate them all. And since many dealers don't bother dragging low priced material to shows, most of the proof you would find would be slabbed and more costly. So yes you could probably get a better deal pricewise if you are willing to put a lot of time and effort into tracking them down, or you can pay a little more and get them all in one fell swoop. The choice is yours. As to what you will get, it will be the rejects or leftover from all the sets he has been breaking up to send the really high end coins in for slabbing. When he breaks up a set anything that he doesn't think has a good chance of getting into a PF-69 or 70 holder goes into these lots. Yes there may be some dogs, but most of them, especially the post 1990 material has a good chance of being PF-68 material. (And don't expect any deep cameos on the pre-1973 material.)
Aside from your math ($116.50 / 41 = $2.84), I pretty much agree with your conclusions - if your grade premises are correct. I, personally, do not know enough about them to make that assumption.
My math worked the way it did because I didn't add in the shipping because the shipping would probably be about the same if you bought one or bought all of them. So I used $109.50 / 41 = $2.67
Hello mralexanderb, I went to a small coin show in Naugatuck Connecticut Saturday December 27. I was thinking of you when I saw two dealers with Tupperware tubs containing several proof US coins. I sorted through one tub & found really nice examples of proof cents from the 70s, 80s & 90s. Then I noticed the dealer had some proof cents from the 50s & 60s in his glass case. I picked up this 1954 for $13! He had it labeled "1954 Lt Cameo". IMO this is the way you should fill in all the proof holes in your Dansco. Very best regards, collect89
