Check on ebay, there are people on there all the time selling the box only!! I know this because I bought one early on in my short ebay career, I did not read the entire description and was over joyed when I won a 2007 proof set for 5.99.:kewl:
Here you go, you can tell I have no other life!!!!!:hatch: http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-empty-libe...dual?hash=item19b5251720&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
In other words, getting a proof set box with COA doesn't guarantee that the coins in it are really a proof set? Glad I don't collect them.
No what it means is if you are buying proof sets, mint sets, commems etc on eBay make sure you are reading the auction completely and carefully tomake sure you are buying the set and not just the BOX. Things like that happen all the time when people let their greed run away with them. Whenever there is a really hot item (not just coins, game systems, cell phones etc) you will often find people on eBay selling the box they came in and there will be bidders biding them way up (but less than what the actual item is selling for on the open market) and thinking they got a great deal until the empty box arrives. Typically they then complain and it is pointed out that the auction SAYS it is just the box that is being sold. There was one of those Judge Judy/Peoples Court TV programs on one of those cases where the plaintiff was all upset because she had paid $200 for a PICTURE of the hot latest model cell phone. I couldn't believe it when the plaintiff won (The judge was quite unfair making up her mind without even listening to the defendants case.) because the auction clearly stated that you were bidding on a picture of the phone, and it was an actual auction not a BIN so there were underbidders as well, and the buyer received exactly what the auction promised to deliver and in a timely manner. I don't recall if there was a return privilege.
