Hello, I'm having a bit of a discussion with a co-worker. He says purchasing the latest U.S. commemorative sets that have their pricing based on packaging is a bad move in the long term (Edison Light Bulb BU Dollar, John Marshall, Coin and Currency, Marine Coin and Stamp, A number of Lewis and Clark packages, etc. ). Despite the lower production numbers mint cardboard/paper packing would be stretching it to last 25 years. Considering these sets are investments in the long term, what do you think?. In a way I oddly agree with him, but still buy them myself.
take a look at the coin and medal set form 2004... shot WAY up in value ... the 2005 marine and stamp set - same thing. But then you have the L&C Coin and pouch set, they went down in value after selling out. I think its a crap shoot as to which set will or will not go up in value. If it was easy to tell which would shoot up, everyone would buy that set, saturating the market with that particular set, and the set that everyone thought would go down in value would actually go up since nobody bought that set..... circular logic in a way - My point - noone can see the future, but if a set stays up in value over purchase price over the first 5 years or so, its a good bet it will stay that high. There are some coins that start off with a bubble and then pop. In 25 years, if a particular set started of with an initial post selling price higher the the offering price - my advice would be to keep it in an enviromentaly controled area to prevent degredation of the packing.... in 25 years there will be even fewer sets to go around for collectors because of those who did nto properly store their sets....
In response to your friends questioning the packaging lasting 25 years, I have proof sets from 1955 and the envelope is still fresh and the card that was included with the set is still in great shape. I do agree that it is a crap-shoot as to which items will go up in value but the coins and their packaging should last (with care) until your children's children inherit it.
do i hear an environmentaly controlled room in my house, that noone is allowed to enter without a haz-matt suit?? I will try to get that one past my wife tonight, if i have a blackeye, fat lip, and a sore nose we will all know why...
Your title question is one we've talked about quite a few times. Best answer I can give you is this - compare the price for a 1949 ( or any older Mint or Proof set ) Mint Set in original packaging against coins of the same date and mints in a Capitol holder. The original sets will sell for more every time.
I wonder the same thing about modern commemoratives. Will the coins in the mint packaging sell for more or less than the high grade [68-70] slabbed coins in either mint or proof? Right now, the slabbed coins seem to carry a premium.
But that's not a fair thing to compare. Those original mint sets are highly prized due to the fact the coins in them frequently are in nice shape and have nice toning. People are paying for the quality. If it were the packaging, then taking a set of 1949 coins from a Capital plastic holder and putting them in the original mint set packaging should increase their value, but it doesn't.
Not sure it isn't a fair comparison. Take a recent mint or Proof set - '00 - '05. Sell the coins without the original packaging and sell the same set with the original packaging. The set in the original packaging sells for more.
You know, I don't really collect US coins in original packaging but I collect Soviet coins in their original packaging where ever possible. Chances that I pay at least 20 dollars unnecessarily just for the packaging and paper works etc. In one instance, I paid almost triple of what I could have just paid for the coin alone because of the rarity. Now that it seems that there are quite a fair bit of people into the slabbing craze, I have seen retards actually buying such boxed sets and get them slabbed, only to get their boxes and papersworks thrown out completely. I most certainly am not too happy over it as this means less original mint products left intact. And jesus, there is a reason why mints produce these boxes for a good reason you know. If not, they would just mint the coins and put them in coin capsules at most.
I can agree with that but I would extend that to ten years. I have seen many proof sets and other special coins that went up right after they came out and stayed up for five year only to start slipping after 8 to 10 years.
