Okay, I plan to put together a set for 08 in honor of my new grand child due in June. But this will be my last modern set.

4 new designs for the penny from both mints

1 nickel both mints

1 dime both mints

6 quarters both mints

1 half both mints

5 dollars both mints, and if you count them like they do at PCGS you have the A and B sides of the edge incusion.

Lets get the calculator out .... mmmmmm

That is 36 SMS coins and 36 Business strikes if you don't count the A and B sides. If you count them it is another 8 SMS and 8 Business strikes for a Whopping 92 coins for a 2009 Mint set collection? This assumes that you do not collect Commemoratives or bullion coins.

Add in grading fees, shipping costs etc..... This has to be bad for the value of our modern collections. There are only so many dollars out there to buy coins and the more coins... well we all know how the rules of supply and demand work.

Add to this the mercurial grading standards where one day a coin is a MS69 and the next day it is a MS66 or MS67 (I will demonstrate proof of this on the boards in the next month or so when all my re-submissions come back) and the futility of collecting SLABBED modern issues becomes clear.

Notice I have not even mentioned the SMS/Business Strike Baloney where both grading companies are sloppy at best and negligent at worst. Just a reminder though, if you are unfortunate enough to buy a Business Strike in a NGC or PCGS holder and it turns out to be a SMS coin you are out of luck as the grading companies just say oops! and downgrade your coin without any form of compensation - Mechanical Error is the explanation you will see checked off on the form.

The longer I stay in the hobby the more I understand the positions of some of the old timers and dealers and why they have little or no interest in modern coins. It seems that the only real market for these coins is on ebay and even then it is a very thin market, even for the nicest of modern "condition rarities".