Success is an awesome feeling!

Pay day is just about 2 weeks away and that means it?s time to look back at how I did and look forward to what I want to accomplish in my 2011-2012 collecting year. The numbers surprised me this year. I spent less and got more than I had anticipated. With five coins still in the mail and an expected arrival some time this week, my total points will be well over 26,000. I?m really proud of this number because there are no duplicated sets and thus it is not inflated by multiple coins. There are close to 200 unique graded coins in my collection now. On the ranking page for 2101-2200 only 15 collectors have more than 100 coins and there are only three collections with more coins in them than in mine. The cost of my collection is less than $0.09 per point and less the $0.27 pre dollar of FMV. The collection is built around 12 master sets. My type set, Lincoln Bicentennial sets, and annual proof sets are all satellite sites. Of the 12 master sets there is 1 #1 ranked set and 5 other top 100 sets.

Last year?s goals included work on both my registry sets and my raw sets and I feel very fortunate to say I nailed the list. (I was quite pleasantly surprised to find out just how focused I remained by adhering to the goals. I can?t even begin to tell you how many coins that I would have loved to acquire, I passed up because they did not fit my focus.) My Eisenhower Dollar raw set is now complete all 34 coins, MS and PR, Clad and Silver, 72 T1, T2, and T3, and 76/76D T1 and T2. I also wanted to add 6 graded IKES to my Registry Sets. Well, I got 11 coins, 10 of the 11 proof coins and 1 MS coin. Having done that well pretty much wrote my first 2 goals in the up coming year for me.

#1 ? Complete my IKE Proof Registry Set. (1973S PF69UC)

#2 ? Add at least 4 MS IKE Dollars to my registry set.(These are a good bit more expensive than the proof coins.)

In my raw sets, I wanted to fill the holes in my Kennedy Half-Dollar Set and my Jefferson Nickel Set. I did that with the exception of the 2008 S proof coins. In the process, I also filled all the holes in Roosevelt Dime album with the exception of the 2008 S proof dime. While I will be looking to fill the 2008 S holes and for upgrades in all three sets, I will be taking these sets of off my top 10 list this year. My Lincoln Cents will remain on the list as I did not make either of the goals I had for that set.

#3 ? Fill at least 4 holes in my Raw Lincoln Cents

collection. ? Holes to Fill:

1909 S VDB 1909 S 1910 S 1911 S 1912 S 1913 S

1914 D 1922 1924 D 1931 D 1931 S

#4 ? Upgrade all of my Raw Lincoln Cents back to 1934 to

MS/BU status. ? Wanted Upgrades:

1934 1934 D 1935 D 1935 S 1936 1936 D 1936 S 1938D

My registry sets for Lincoln Memorial Proof Cents, Lincoln MS66 Cents, and Roosevelt Proof Dimes all blew through my goals of 6 new coins for each with 20 new Proof Cents including 2 PF70UC additions, 21 MS66 Cents including 8 coins at MS67 or better, and 10 new Proof Roosevelt Dimes which now includes a complete run of PF70UC from 2007 to 2011. With still a lot of room to go in all three of those sets they will stay on my top 10 list.

#5 ? Add at least 6 Proof Lincoln Memorials to my registry set. (I took the grade and UC off of the condition because I am starting to get back into the 70?s with the coins I need and PFUC are tough find and expensive to acquire.)

#6 ? Add at least 6 MS66 or better Lincoln Cents to my registry set.

#7 ? Add at least 6 PF70UC Roosevelt Dimes to my registry set or in lieu of PF70UC a suitable grade for the early years.

This year I also started three new master registry sets, my $5.00 Roosevelt MS dime set (the one for the kids), a Proof Sacagawea Dollar set and a Circulated Sacagawea Dollar set. So it is only appropriate that hey make the list.

#8 ? Add at least 10 MS Roosevelt Dimes to my $5.00 set.

#9 ? Add a combination of 6 Sacagawea Dollars to my Proof and/or Circulated Sets.

Finally, I am moving back to my raw sets again. The time has come to fill some holes in my Indian Head Cent Collection. I love these coins and they will finally get their due attention. With my set sitting at 20 of 60 coins (30% complete including recognized key variations) there is a lot of room to work with this set.

#10 ? Fill 15 holes in my raw Indian Head Cent Collection.

So there is in writing, my top 10 goals for my upcoming collecting year. I have learned over the years that if you write something down then you are more likely to adhere to it thus reducing the chance of getting lost by wondering off to somewhere you never intended to go.

I don?t have a picture of any coins to today but I will leave you with a picture of coin collecting artifacts that are very near and dear to my heart. Like many collectors, I love going through change rolled or loose from a pocket. I started my love affair with coins many years ago by going through my grandfather?s old change jar. Over the years I?ve managed to pick up other various vessels for change from old jars to piggy banks. A couple of years ago one of my students gave me a piggy bank that is my absolute favorite. So here they are my grandfather?s old change jar that I still have and my favorite piggy bank.

Dennis