Turning over a "new leaf" for the new year...

Greetings Collectors,

It is again that time of year when some of us decide to start something OR stop something. This time of change runs the gamet of all kinds of things. My large change is to give up the nasty habit of cigars. I quit smoking cigg's about ten years ago but have grown to enjoy a good cigar while sitting on my rear deck, usually with a good numismatic book or newspaper. Coming from a family of lawyers and having a daughter in her last year at the University of Florida Levin School of Law, I have always loved to argue, er litigate. I sometimes think I could argue justification about most anything that deep down I know I really shouldn't be doing. So even though "I don't inhale", borrowing a quote from another lawyer, I am giving up cigars. I have the one big thing there that I'm not gonna do anymore and the one big thing I am going to start doing is I have invested into some exercise equipment, some I did not have and the 21st century most intense personal "Torture" program, "P-90-X advance. I always do my New Years resolutions several days before the 1st so I sit here at my computer, feeling somewhat "crippled" "jonesing" for a nicotine fix but psycologically in much better shape than this last weekend.

Starting off a new year on a coin note, I try to see where I stand in what I tried to acomplish for the year that has ended. I made some pretty good moves and some not so good moves, numismatically. In the beginning of the year I had to make the decision as to get the new Ultra High Relief Saint or to get something else along the same expensive lines. I chose instead to get a 8/8/08 Double Prosperity Set and then a few days later I decided to get an additional set. I sent one in for grading (and kept one set raw) and got real lucky with both half ounce gold coins coming back MS-70. A very beautifull set of coins and quite the increase in value as well. I am still torn as to whether to get one of the UHR's but the 31st will be the last day they can be purchased from the Mint. The jury is still out on that one. I spent a frightfull amount of money this year on coins and bullion but am way ahead of the game on that, even wishing I had bought more. As I have said in previous posts, we will look back on the time when gold broke $1000 and for a very brief time could be had for between $1000 & $1100. I still believe this with all my heart.

In order to take advantage of what I think is a brief time when gold can be had for less than $1200, I have decided to sell just about all of my modern coins. I have my first auction running as we speak on ebay under my name there which is Investor1908. All of my proof 69 Silver Eagles are up this week. Next week will be the Proof 70's. The next week the beginnings of all the SE's in mintstate. Then the modern commemoratives and I am somewhat undecided as to whether I will sell all of my modern gold or not. It is very hard to think of parting with anything silver, much less anything gold but the goals I have in mind may make that thought a reality. I will keep special modern coins such as the SE reverse proof and the 2008 reverse of '07 along with all West Point Gold but all this is going to be very hard for me because I NEVER sell coins, I always buy. Even if I have several of one date, I never sell anything, period.

I am undecided but leaning towards selling all my Half Dollar sets except my Walker short set #1 and my Franklin Half set #1. These funds would be used to finish these two main sets with all 66's in the Walkers and all 65's with Full Bell Lines in the Franklins.

All of the funds from ebay auctions and possibly a Teletrade auction or two would fund the completion of the two previously mentioned sets and then the rest, along with any new money would be poured into all of my pre-1933 Gold sets that are needing additions.

I have thought long and hard about all this and some of the details I'm sure will change. If anything, I will sell less than I have planned as I can not see selling more than what I have considered. I will say this in that this is as traumatic as it gets when my thoughts are of basicly "selling out" of so many sets that I spent dozens of years aquiring. I can't begin to tell you all the thoughts that were going through my mind as I listed just those 18 Proof Silver Eagles on the "Bay". But once I clicked "list item", that was the beginning of the end of a friendship I have had with each and every coin. I just hope those that end up with them, will protect and enjoy them as much as I have. It is also most ironic, that of all my new pictures I have taken, I did not take any new pics of my silver eagles until now. The pics that I have at present of all my SE's in sets literally suck and now the coins will not be mine for very much longer and all the new photos will only be enjoyed by shoppers on ebay.

Anyway I leave you with a decent picture of one of my "better date" proof babies that will go to a new home by this time next week.

Happy Collecting!

Investor1908 er, I meant to say, WKF