And a few additional comments. Why I touch on "controversial" issues is beyond me...

Greetings Collectors,

I am into my 6th year at the Collectors Society. My anniversary falls in late Nov. Each year around this time I look back on my past year and also think about what I want to accomplish in the coming year. I always make my 1st purchase of the new year, again, about this time and I have started my year off like this for about the last dozen years. A "green lid" mint tube of the newest silver eagles starts my year. According to Apmex, the coins will ship on or around the 14th of this month. I don't know of anyone else that ships the new SE's any sooner. As I await these coins and a little additional gold piece, I want to really think about what I'm gonna try and procure and just how much money that each coin will cost. I also have my "free coupon" for 5 free submissions and the thoughts of what to send in is also in the fore-front. I think our coins, in the coming year, will increase in value by a large amount and the ones we are still lacking, will be far costlier as well. Even if one has only one set they are working on, chances are they have several coins they are still in need of. And there are those that have their set complete and are now working on upgrading certain slots. Lots and lots of "homework" and research and also lots of money expended.

Those of us that have more than one set that they like and are working on finishing all of those, the work & the funds are multiplied many times, several fold. I have been working on condensing and even dropping several sets that are populated by by a single coin. In the past I let my "total points" standing play a more more aggressive role than it should have played. To make a set that has a single coin and when one (I) knows they have "no intentions" of adding to that particular set, much less completing it, the set probably ought to be deleted. I have several sets that fall into this category. All of these some 1/2 dozen or so sets of mine that have one coin only, and when that coin was bought, it was a coin that was purchased either as a coin needed for a mint set or strictly a coin that filled a slot in "type" only. Either or, the points for that coin have already been counted once and adding them to an additional area or set that they were not intended for, is just "fluff" and basically, un-necessary. As "no more" additional points are attributed to one's "total points". I am thinking very strongly about getting rid of this "fluff".

On the matter of one having their sets obscured, My main question is?? Why are you even here?? The few that I have seen that have "obscure" sets are right on "up there" near the top, or even at the "top" in some cases. I see no advantage or any purpose for those sets to even exist here. I think of this place as a family of collectors that interact with one another and even buy and sell and trade on occasions. I'm not out to start spending holidays with any of you but it's nice to hear and see how each of you are doing, in the art of numismatics and in whatever aspect of your private life that one wishes to share. Again I'm not interested in looking at each of your family picture albums (nor you mine) or hearing every aspect of yours or your kids educational exploits but some of that is fine too. I'm genuinely interested in your lives and I think the more we can share (without divulging sensitive info pertaining to family or security of one's self or property) just makes us that much more a family. But my opinion on obscure sets is just that, an opinion. I don't make the rules but if you're "NOT" gonna share what your sets have, just keep the inventory on your own personal PC and not have them here. I mean, I just checked out a couple guys (or maybe gals) and they have "NO BIO", "NO FRIENDS", NO IGNORES", and last but most important, NO SETS" & "NO COINS". I've asked myself this question on several occasions and keep coming up with the same conclusion, and that's I see little on "what they are even doing here"??? I thought maybe they wanted it as an inventory format? Then I thought maybe it was just for a sense of power or maybe "bragging rights". But none of this even makes any sense as for some there is ZERO info in zero areas. Now I'm sure I will get some hate mail or posts with some saying "obscure or not" they "ARE" welcome here. Well, guess what?, NGC has already determined they ARE welcome here and they are the ones that make the rules. I'm OK with that. It's just my opinion they are doing nothing positive for the hobby or for the site, so that if you "don't" want to participate, take your coins that you won't show to the rest of us, and "hit the road". (Please don't take this "hit the road" comment too harshly but I could not think of a more suitable term under the circumstances).

I leave you with a coin from a set that "is not" obscured. It's the obverse of the weakest struck coin in the series. This NGC MS-66 Franklin would be worth well in excess of 100k if only the bell lines were complete on the reverse. The "holy grail" of all Franklins, the 1953-S from my Franklin set #1.

And also one last comment and thank you to Clay. It's an honor to be in the collecting company of you and Jackson and all of the rest of those that won and to those that didn't. I will say this. If I can win with a set that is ranked #35 overall, that's proof positive that anyone can win. Thank you again.

Happy Collecting!

WKF

The silver to gold ratio is presently 46.764 A little lower as the silver correction "re-corrects". Silver is now at $29.55 and gold sits at $1381.90