US Mint Mystery Boxes

Apparently the US Mint is going to be selling mystery boxes for $150 and $350 at the FUN show this week. As far as I know, this has never been done before.

Most of me feels like its just going to be a whole bunch of stuff of I would never even consider purchasing.

That said, I might hover around the table to watch people open some boxes up.

 

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Wow. I'll be looking for that table.

 

Sounds like they're selling a box of leftovers...like Aunt Tilly's chicken surprise that nobody will eat.

Bruce

 

Vault Box from the real vault!

 

If they had those Mystery Boxes on their website I'd pick up a few.

Didn't someone here buy one or a few from another coin show ??

 

The mint does sell its rejects, coins customers return because they have problems. Years ago I bought a General Douglas McAuthor Unc. $5 gold at the end in one of those “last chance sales.” The coin had more than it’s share of small marks, which you don’t usually on coins like this. They usually grade MS-69. This one was MS-66.

I’m sure they will stick a gold coin in a couple of boxes and publicize it, but don’t look for any big bargains. Years ago a private dealer would have been criticized for this, and a zealous prosecutor may have charged him or her with running a lottery.

 

I can't help but think that if what was in these boxes was anything anyone would want to buy, they'd just be selling them directly. That's the entire point of these things, to get rid of excess stock they otherwise couldn't sell, and why I've never even been slightly tempted to get "mystery boxes" from anyone.

There's a few things from the modern US Mint I would have bought but just couldn't afford it at the time, or it sold out so fast I didn't have a chance to get it. I guarantee none of such things will be in these boxes. Rather, it will be things I wouldn't have wanted at any price.

 

Not me. I don't gamble on coins. Never worked for me in the past.

 

A box of of $1 coins

 

Sounds like a new idea to get rid of excess inventory that did sell due to high prices. @Randy Abercrombie Don’t get excited but raise your questions about why?

 

Oh no. I am quite sure you are 100% correct. I just want to go by and see how much traffic the table is getting.

 

Sounds good. I’d hate to see you get taken by this. Have fun at the show.

 

@Randy Abercrombie
PS. Buy me a nice coin.

 

If they really wanted to get rid of stock they should put a little more value than the cost of the box, and these boxes would sell like hotcakes.
It's not costing them anything. Better to run a sale and have goodwill than to run a lottery and have 90% of the people disappointed.

 

A businessman would understand that. The typical Fed worker? Not so much.

 

This is not your average person, it’s the Federal Government. I can’t recall the last time they made the right decision. I think it was sometime around 1776.

 

I mean, they just officially announced that they've stopped making cents...

 

You were there in 1776? WoW. How old are you anyways?

 

History and it was handed down by my ancestors.

 

What I find fascinating is that my towns first Town Hall was built in 1776 also. Not to get off topic here, but here is a 1964 picture before it was restored to what it is today which is a museum.