But I guess they sold them all, right ? So they pretty much catered to demand, I guess. I guess it was a residue of the adults who collected in the 1940's-1960's....get a family member or friend something to collect. Easiest thing was to just order from The Mint rather than scour coin shops and not know what you are buying. Proof sets were all I got back then. Wish someone had skipped 90% of my presents and just gotten me 1 damn Saint-Gaudens or even a few Morgans on the cheap !!!
I quit buying the clad proof sets in 2006. They just take up a lot of space, and for the most part, are worth very little. At this point in my collecting career, I have no interest in any coins that do not contain silver or gold.
The sudden unavailability of the 2020 clad proof set has significantly increased the selling price on the bay. It is currently selling for prices above the $80 as the word on the street is they are sold out. Its mintage is the lowest for a proof set since 1955. It also includes the proof W mint mark nickel, which also adds to its desirability. Proof sets from the 70's, 80's, and 90's continue to wallow in the doldrums. Recent proof sets seem to be holding and even gaining value, perhaps as a result of their ever decreasing mintages. The table and chart are provided for your perusal:
Thanks for keeping this thread alive. It's an interesting situation with the 2020 set. It looks like the 2012 set is still going for a premium. I haven't bought a clad set in 25 years but the ever-declining mintages is interesting.
There were far more collectors two and three generations ago. I continue to purchase the sets from the Mint, not worrying about their "worth." There is nothing sad about that.
No, absolutely isn't anything wrong with that. If you want to see a circulation coin in the best possible presentation, then the mint sets are the way to achieve that. If you pull coins out of circulation you'll find some nice pieces but nothing beats seeing it the way it was really meant by the designer.