where are they all?

Well once again I tried to win a 1913-S type 2 Buffalo nickel and failed. I can't believe it is this hard to find a decent one. There were over 1.2 million minted, many buffs have similar mintages {the 26-S and 31-S both have lower} and they are not hard to find.

The problem is that I've been trying to fill the last hole in a nice buff album I've assembled. The album has many nice BU coins I've gotten for $100 or less {many from crack outs of slabs} but the criteria I have is simply a readable 4 digit date, no acid treatment, no corrosion/nicks/scratches/rim damage..just a nice problem free coin.

I have paid more for a few of the keys but the 13-S T2 puts me in a tough spot. Most unslabbed coins are uglier than I want-not to mention I'm not paying $250-300 for a coin that requires a magnifying glass to discern the date. The VF grade coin I would like to fill the hole with has usually been slabbed. I may be crazy cracking open slabs to fill an album, but even I am hesitant in cracking out a $400-500 coin for a hole filler.

Every once in a while I see a quality example, not slabbed or treated and I watch it like a hawk. What really ticks me off is that the coin I had my eye on today was hovering at around $270 with 15 mins left. I waited and bid $321 with about a minute left. This was the max amount that I wanted to pay for this coin.I was outbid in the end-BY a DEALER!!! I get frustrated as a collector, when so many decent deals get ruined by people who buy these coins and then re-list them to make $10..

I guess in the end I may just set aside $500 for the nicest one I can find {hopefully an XF+ or AU} and just fill that darn hole and be done with it. I usually am pretty patient-waiting for coins that are undergraded or have great strikes or luster for the grade-but this has been over a year for this one coin to finish this set and my patience is wearing thin.

I have my eyes on 2 ANACS 13-S T2's and 1 NGC, and if the price stays reasonable and I don't get sniped, I have my trusty Dremel all set to liberate my prize and fill that final hole in my album.

I have really been studying grading lately and one of the aspects that I have been focusing on is luster. I had an MS65 and an MS66 Walker from my collection side by side-and even though they had equal strike and cleanness-the one coin looks a bit flat/white while this ones luster pops...this studying may save me some money in purchases and submissions...My 1942-D MS66..unfortunately ANACS so I can't register it but I won't be looking for another one to replace this fully struck beauty..