I didn't get an email, but my order with mint now reads that my ocean view nickel order was shipped 8/4. They must have had these made for months, as I know other folks have already received their orders. I just do not understand why the USMC items, Legacy Sets, etc., do not ship this quick. I have 2005 Uncirculated Sets awaiting shipment for over two months. Does anyone know why they are taking our orders, but wait so long to ship? Do they not have the product ready at the time they offer it for sale? Do they run out of the product? Are they under-estimating the demand, and have to make more product than they originally planned? Remember the raised the limit on one item by 100,000 just recently. You can't ask the folks on the phone at the mint, as they seem to know less than we do. Thanks, Jim
Jim, It is my belief that the mint tries to not make more inventory than was planned. The problem is the vest pocket dealers that order far more sets than they can peddle on eBay and in time they return these sets to the mint. In an effort to not get stuck with a lot of "old" coins laying around in the vaults, they wait until the sets start coming back in and then turn around and send them to you and the other people who must wait for their order. If they started making the rule that if you buy it you keep it, this whole thing would stop and you would be able to order and receive in decent amount of time.
NOT exellent! That would mean that you would be stuck with junk if you received a set with a damaged case or damaged coins. That's no good at all considering the mints propensity to create damaged coins.
Not if you are allowed to return as an exchange for another set, rather than an outright refund. You make a good point, though. At the end of the run there might not be any sets to exchange. Collectors would just have to make their exchanges early.
