I picked up this great looking used Dansco, Washington album 1932-1980, for 10 bucks at a local flea market. I have 95% of the silver (32-64) holes filled, (don't need to tell you which ones I'm missing). It's taken awhile because much of the silver is AU or better. Now that I have this new album, I feel obligated to fill the clad and proof holes. I have all the mint and proof sets from 68 thru 80, plus the 65-67 special mint sets. Most of them aren't worth much more then issue price. Question: Would you break out the mint and proof coins and fill these holes? I know it's subjective. Whatever makes you happy, isn't the answer I'm looking for. I'd like your opinion on what you would do and why. Obviously, all these albums look great complete. It won't be long before I acquire the last 3 or 4 key dates. I'm thinking long term, legacy album to pass down to family members. I could always pull out the proof pages and call it a day. The proof and mint set coins are probably worth more individually then they would be in the sets anyway. If I break them out, what would you do with the incomplete set, put them in my other albums? Thanks!
A completed Dansco always looks amazing. But what would you do with the other coins in the sets you open?
I broke mine out. like you I figured the modern mint sets aren't of high value anyway. I started with the state quarters (including silver proofs) but am working through my 60's - 90's proof sets and filling albums as I go. I think it's just neat looking at the differences in strike and color (especially silver proofs next to clad). The key thing for the proofs is to make totally sure they are seated below the plastic slide to avoid hairlines. That said, I'm a collector and anything of high value, I store separately just to make sure I (or my kids) don't mess it up. I would be way more scared putting an AU 32D in an album than any of my proofs!
Most of the moderns are actually worth more out of the packaging than in the packaging so there's little point in preserving them. Maybe someday there will be a premium if enough ever get busted up, though.
20 years from now those proof and mint sets will probably be worth not much more than they are today. Crack them out! You can always sell the remaining proof coins or uncirculated coins as separate groups by denomination much easier. Chris
I'm going to play the devil advocate here. And say why not fill the holes with a plug and keep the mint and proof sets intact . Here's why.... even though the sets are not expensive what are you going to do with the other series you really don't collect? It not like you're going to be showing others your set and its voids on the pages. Protection of said coins wouldn't they stay nicer in the original holders? Storage if cracked out.... now you have a place for the quarter but what about the cent, nickel,dime,etc.... Mint and proof sets store easy . And lastly one day you're going to be gone! What's going to happen then....does or will the person you left your collection know what is what? To answer your question truthfully it is your call. what works for you...it is your collection . If you're a type "A" then it's everything in its place.....if not we'll be a rebel.
One of the reasons to bust these coins out is that the packaging isn't stable. Especially the '68, '69, '70. '71, and '75-'80 mint sets will be ruined if they aren't removed. Proof set packaging is more stable but coins often go bad in this as well.
Breaking the coins out of the packaging seems like a good idea. I'm paranoid about putting them into the album, though. I'd be afraid of hairlines from the slides and possibly ugly toning from the album itself.
The only coins I would be concerned about at this point in time are the Presidential Dollars from 2012 to date. In MS68 they are all trending at around $75.00 each.
I would break them gleefully and not look back. To me the OGP is unattractive, inconsistent across the years, and (as Cladking pointed out) sometimes harmful to the coins. There could be a shortage of sets some day, but how much are you willing to worry about a few bucks in the hypothetical future? Clad, did you mean that 1972-1974 is an exception? I'd swear I've seen the same whitish gook on coins from those mint sets.
If you don't want to break them out, buy doubles. Wouldn't be too expensive. Me personally, though, I would break em apart.
All the mint set packaging sucks. But the '72 sometimes hasn't gone bad yet if it's been well stored. Most '73's are OK except for many individual coins and most '74's are OK except for cents. Most of the others are a mess. Even the later ones that seem stable might not be since those stored badly are sometimes problematical. You'll know people are finally starting to collect moderns when you see a bunch of tarnished and ugly coins in circulation from these sets. I don't understand why everyone wants to take it for granted that these are all common and will be common forever. I used to talk about how hard it was to find a nice 1969 quarter but it's getting to the point that an ugly one isn't that easy.
If you asked me 10 years ago, TJ, I'd o' said NO. But since you's askin' 'today' I'll say 'go for it'. Opinions change over time..........
Well, I suppose I'm most lucky indeed, as these sets (my collection) still look as fresh as the day they were minted.
Mine too! I think because one person has a problem does not make all sets susceptible. Could easily be a storage problem. Some people keep coins in safes along sides of their guns & ammo. That is asking for problems. Gunpowder has sulfur in it??
Most of the people that buy sets do so to get the individual coins, me included. As others have said, individual coins sell for more than the set. I have busted out every set that I've ever owned, except for one, my birth year, and I bought another one of those just to bust out.