Time to get ready for next year.

A few years ago, I decided to put together a theme set that appealed to me (not having anything to do with the Registry), discovering that I had inadvertently already acquired most of the coins through the years. I set the coins and some associated pictures and materials in a display, and set it up at my daughter's school for a presentation. I thought that the coins along with my descriptions and related articles would spark some interest in the topic. Turns out, it got plenty of attention from the parents and teachers, and to my surprise it also got write-ups from a couple of the local papers.

A couple of years ago, much of this stuff on NGC was new to me, Registry Points, Journals? -you know. Then one day I noticed a couple of Thematic sets similar to mine, except that they looked kinda' limp!. I decided to try my luck, and put up my coins, the pics, and (what I thought were) informative descriptions for each coin into a Custom Set (it's still in my sets). Come the end of the year, it was Awards time and I'm hoping for the best, with my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed, and then . . . NUTTIN'!

- - ARE THEY KIDDING, NOTHING? @%&@!! My set should have gotten something, at least "honorable mention"! Was I P-O'd. Took the set down from the Boards, punched a hole in a door, and kicked the neighbor's lawn gnome! I acted like a spoiled kid.

After a while I let reason back into the equation, and realized that maybe I was over-reacting to something so insignificant in my life. In truth my display really was cool, but I couldn't put that up on Registry, only coin pics and registration numbers, and a few words. Well someone was able to write better than me (better than I?), and beat me out on the "Honorable Mentions".

I've read some of the cuts and stabs being thrown over this years awards results, "Knock it off!" We're all friends here! Figure out where things went wrong in your sets, and prep them for next year.

Any way gotta' go, it's an hours drive to the FUN Show, I want to get there in time for the buffet, and then to Universal. If you want a look at my theme set, I put some of the coins back up- here's the link- .(http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=7466)

Oh yeah, I just found out that I got one of the 3 Journal Awards, Cool, thanks NGC!