So true, so you would have looked at spending close to $50 in today's dollars to buy both a proof set and an example of the George Washington half dollar. But, think, for that money you could have purchased virtually EVERYTHING the mint was issuing at the time for both circulating coinage and commemoratives (not withstanding the last remaining 1976 bicentennial silver proof sets, and, of course, there were no mint sets that year).
That's how I collect my commems, too. I own a 1982 George Washington proof half dollar my sister gave me as a Christmas gift when she was only 11 and I recently bought a Statue of Liberty half dollar in BU simply because I have always loved the Statue of Liberty and have been wanting to buy one of the '86 SOL coins since I began collecting years ago.
If they had appreciated numismatically, yes. However, realistically, the commem goes for around $8 on average near me, and the 82 proof set $5 - $8.
Oh, I know... I was talking about the equivalent outlay though of how much one would need to have spent back then (in today's dollars) to buy all the mint's offerings. If only I was older (and collecting coins) back then -- not that I would have done well investment wise, but it would have been nice to know that so little money could buy examples of all the coinage the U.S. Mint was putting out. I haven't even tried to calculate what it would cost to buy one example of everything in the Mint's catalog today, but I know we're talking several thousand dollars.
Oh, today I'd say today you are in the +10k range, what with all the FS coins each year, Buffalo, Platinum, commems (and next year are returning $5 gold commems), plus all the bags, rolls, sets, parks quarters, those 5 oz siver parks pucks...
Yes, it's so overwhelming. I got my first U.S. Mint catalog in 1993, and though the U.S. Mint had by then already gotten into the business of selling tons of things, I recall first feeling a little discouraged when the 1995 and 1996 catalogs came around with the Olympic coins. Beautiful coins all, but there was no way that I was going to afford picking them up. Now with the dozens of bullion offerings, quarters, dollars, and all the other stuff (and now we have first-day covers, coin spoons, coin jewelry, etc...) I'm beginning to wonder if the U.S. Mint, HSN, and ShopNBC are all distant cousins LOL. From the consumer perspective, it's great the U.S. Mint offers so many things now for all kinds of shoppers, but it's really now a matter of 'picking and choosing" when it comes to shopping at the U.S. Mint. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still content with my single mint set every year ... though that sadly no longer costs just $7.
I think it is a little early to declare it to be a winner yet. After all it has been out less than a year. It does have some good things going for it as you mention, but it also has the down side that all of the coins in the set are readily available in other sets. My comments were based on the original premise of the thread which was making money on commems. Personally I agree with you. If you like them buy them to collect them and the hang with whether or not you make money.
It's not too early for me since I sold my LN6 for more than twice retail within two months of release. Prices on the secondary market for the LN6 have sustained in this price region as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1982-D-SILVER-COMMEMORATIVE-WASHINGTON-HALF-DOLLAR-UNC-/260641947472?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item3caf787f50 Send it off to them, instant 70