Best place to get Proof sets

no, actually, you can usually find a deal at a show

 

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I spoke too soon! Makes a lot of sense.

 

Great thanks.

 

Here's a mental exercise: How does the way collectors and dealers make decisions regarding which proof sets to keep or pass on to the market in commerce relate to the so-called and misnamed Gresham's Law? In other words, do "bad" proof sets chase away "good" proof sets?

 

True for P and D, but not proofs. No one should ever have to settle for less than a PF69 in States or ATB proofs. They're all common.

 

Can you recommend a book or site where I could learn how to grade proof coins so I can apply it before I run off and get taken advantage of by someone at a coin show? Or does it takes years of experience? I am definitely interested in putting in the time to learn since I appear to have caught the coin bug.

 

Most likely they may have some of them and yes, they will be marked up. But the reason that these are getting so expensive is the quality from the mint just was not there enough so these are few and far between with the better specimens probably having been struck at the beginning of a new die's usage. With these kind of prices, I would not buy one raw but only if it had been certified by one of the top two TPG's. Ounce the grading gets this high I do not trust my own skills to be able to tell the minute differences.

 

Quite correct. I was only referring to the mint sets. Although I have seen quite a few proof Sac's that only made it to 68. The rest seem to settle in a 69DCAM or even UCAM.

 

paddyman is the go to guy for good links to reliable sites.

 

Depends on the seller, but a good number are cheaper on the secondary market than their issue price.

I just don't think it's quite the minefield from the buying side some do, as long as people stay away from to good to be true deals/unsearched anything/raw coins of value.

 

Not necessarily. Many times you can pick up acceptable examples for less than mint issue price. Welcome to the forum dear fellow.

 

I purchased lots of mint and proof sets from shows (mostly the Baltimore Whitman shows) and 'broke' all the coins out to help fill out my sets of moderns. Prices have been quite good at those shows, some sets have been as low as $3. I like knowing, even if they are not MS70s, that the coins are in fact uncirculated!

 

Depending on the year, when I've gone to coin shows, the sets are usually in the original packaging and so are not graded. None of the dealers ever had an issue with me pulling them out and taking a closer look. Just remember to bring a loupe with you.