Best place to get Proof sets

Hi... I'm new here and to coin roll hunting. I'm trying to get some proof coins and I see they are available at many places. But, what is the best place to get proofs and proof sets in regards to price and legit quality. Is the US mint the place?

Thanks

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

For the current year and maybe one year back, yes. Farther back than that, you need to go to the secondary market. Rather than pay shipping charges, I'd wait for a nearby coin show and buy live and in person - so you can examine them.

 

Is there a US mint website? Or is it better to try and go to a federal reserve in my city?

 

www.usmint.gov

The FRB's probably SHOULD handle them, but they don't.

 

In all honesty I'd still rather get those on the secondary market where I can pick one that isn't a dud. Really anything common at this point I'd rather just get on the secondary market and not play the mint quality control game hoping to get lucky

 

I'd agree if it's "sight seen". But on "sight unseen", I prefer my chances with the Mint.

 

I see so coin shows best bet? I don't really know how to tell a ms 65 from a ms 70? I just assumed they would all be ms 70 from the US mint.

 

I've done pretty good quality wise with the mint, rarely have to return anything. eBay, on the other hand, mostly problem sets, they've definitely been picked over.

 

I agree for the most part. I stopped ordering from the mint unless I thought it'd sell out quickly since the baseball dollars, I strongly suspect they kept sending me other peoples returns from the quality I was getting

 

Don't assume anything! MS70's are few and far between.

If you don't have a decent coin show near you, you might check to see if there are any coin shops in your area. This is a better alternative to shopping on eBay.

Chris

 

eBay is fine for mint and proof sets, you just need to find individual listings not the ones with stock photos and multiples available

 

Thanks guys for all the advice and help... I live in Chicago. I read that there's a show in beginning of April. I don't really want to wait that long but at least that gives me a couple months of reading time. Are the prices at these shows fair?

 

I'm basing my suggestion on the assumption that the OP is still relatively new to the hobby (based on his comments). I don't recommend that any newcomer to the hobby utilize eBay without more knowledge.

Chris

 

there are local shows here in the Chicago area almost every weekend. The NOISE show happens once a month, there's a show in Itasca, and all are easy to find proof sets at.

 

"NOISE" show, eh? You and Matt have a booth then? KIDDING!!! You know I love you guys. I don't do Facebook though. Nothing about you. It's Zuck and his policies. I'll NEVER have a Facebook account. I avoid Google services for the same reason. I don't even use Google for search anymore.

 

You guys are great! Thanks for all the info and looking out for a newbie.

 

No. The average grade for the latest material from the mint is in the 68-69 range, for all products that are produced FOR collectors. That does not include coins in uncirc. sets, or any rolls or bags. In proof sets LATELY, anything below a 69 is disappointing, but 70 is still less common than 69 is.

 

Try your Local Coin Store. Mine has many years of Proof / mint annual coin sets.

 

A little of this and a little of that. I don't know if anyone has been following the prices on past state quarter issues or not, but check them out in MS68 and be prepared to have deep pockets. Some are going as high as $800.00 each in MS68. Both P&D mints. I would surely not buy any on ebay sight unseen. And I would have to think that most dealers also know this and have pretty well checked their own stock for the choicest coins. Best to learn how to grade before you buy at any LCS or Coin Show. I'm not even sure that most coin dealers would have the patience to wait while you opened each set and tried to grade through the plastic or would even let you open the sets, possibly impairing the boxes. JMHO.

 

Ok, but won't the shows/ local shops have all the really nice specimens of these proofs marked up higher than at the Usmint?