Happy Happy Joy Joy

Journal for the week of January 15 through January 22, 2012What a great week I've had! I've spent months looking for a 2010 Clad Pf70UC Kennedy Half, not only at a decent price, but for any price at all. The silver coin is readily available, but the clad has been so elusive. I wanted to grab one before December to complete a perfect 2010 proof set, but none were ever offered. Then, suddenly, one appeared for auction. My eyes widened and my heart raced... this beauty would be mine! I watched as the auction drew to a close, and placed my bid... and I got it for a great price... $37.00! I fully expected to pay twice that, so I did a little dance and there was much rejoicing . With a 2010 Sac dollar upgrade from PF69UC to PF70UC, I'll have completed my goal of putting together a perfect 2010 Proof Set. I also was able to snag some more great deals: 1976 Type 1 Clad Ike Dollar in PF66 Cameo 2009 Jefferson Nickel in a perfect PF70UC 2008 P Jackson SMS dollar in MS67 for a mere $3.25! 1999 S Pennsylvania PF69UC 2011 P US GRant MS67 ER 2009 S SMS Lincoln cent Professional Life MS67RD 1978 D Ike Dollar in MS65 1945 S Mercury Dime in MS65 1981 S Kennedy Half in PF69UC 1983 S Kennedy Half in Pf69UC 1960 SD Memorial Cent in MS65RD Ikes seem to be very popular, and demand is keeping the prices higher than other similar coins... I already have a complete set of BU Ikes, but non-graded. Might be worthwile to send those in for grading.. don't know yet, I'll have to think. My 09 Jeffy not only fills a hole, but also starts the process of working to put together a perfect 09 proof set. That'll be tricky, as the four Lincoln cents will be pricey, and I have none of the DC and Territories coins... but I'll keep my eyes peeled The 99 State quarter is my first 1999 certified... I already have a complete set, both silver and clad, sitting safely in a Dansco album... but finding them at great prices is a real job. But, with patience I think I can pick them up here and there for prices like I got this one for... can't beat $4.14 with a stick! Its a pretty coin, and I'm happy The Jackson SMS dollar was a great find... the SMS's are not easy to find, and my collection is spotty. So grabbing one for such a great price is icing on the cake of a great week. Oh, my 2012 Silver Eagle PF69UC ER came this week... bought that one back before the New Year for $49 on a pre-sale. I love these coins... they have my favorite design of all time, walking liberty, and its a joy to just look at them. Now, I wonder when NGC will add the 2012's to the set listing? Ohhh... just picked up my first graded Mercury Dime... 1945 S MS65 for $20! Another favorite coin design, I've watched for awhile as let coin after coin slip by... until today. Think I'll start on a short set of 1941 - 1945 Mercs, and work my way into the quagmire from there Scoping out a Buffalo nickel to give a good home as well Another great deal.. picked up a couple of Kennedy Halves for pretty much nothing... bought the pair for $5.75 with $6.00 shipping (kind of high)... but, even so, it still brings them in at under $6 a piece. Not too shabby From the Mint, I ordered the new ATB proof set... I think I'll send these in for grading with my free certificate... this will be my first foray into getting my own coins graded. How this one goes will determine whether or not NGC gets my money later when I want to send in more coins. As to the removal of PCGS coins from the World Registry... although it does not affect me directly, I'm not happy about it. The worst thing that can happen to a collector is to remove options and limit them. To me, its the coin that counts, nothing else. If the top two are considered equal in the eyes of collectors, then they should be allowed to keep track of them in one place. I've heard that politics has something to do with the decision... I don't know if that is true, but if it is, then it is a sad day for our hobby.