i've got a strange question. i have a 1964 proof set and it is worth $12 according to the 2007 redbook. now, if i buy a 1964 proof penny-$1.50, a 1964 proof nickel-$1.00, a 1964 proof dime-$2.00, a proof 1964 quarter-$8.00, and a 1964 proof half dollar-$9. rember my proof SET is $12, but if i buy the coins seperatly they are $21.50. now why is a proof SET worth less than buying proof coins seperate? :goofer:
I always thought that collectors frequently need a single coin because many people don't collect every series, so buying a single proof half dollar for $9 is still cheaper than buying the set for $12 and having to dispose of the other unwanted coins, which can be a little bit of a hassel once the set is broken up. If that isn't the reason, I don't know why.
Coinlover, you didn't explain how you know you would pay the higher prices for singles. Were you looking at an ad, printed or on the Internet? Did a dealer tell you in person what you would pay? My idea is that you saw a price listing somewhere for the set and for the individual coins--perhaps in redbook. If so, the answer is simple. It's common business practice to give the buyer a break when he's purchasing a group of items. That's why the set would sell for less than the individual pieces bought separately.--gunsmoke
Coinlover: The higher prices are normal, the dealer would have up break up the set, then sell each piece individually. He may be able to sell the cent, and half quickly, and then be stuck with the other three coins for months or even years, before they sell. How often would he get a customer in who would buy all five peices at the same time? No, of course not, the customer would just buy the set and break it up himself. So, carrying costs, overhead, packaging, etc, all add to the cost. The Other Frank
