still searching and bidding- with an occasional buy

It's hard to believe that it is mid-March and this is my first coin journal for 2013. I was tempted several times to jump in on trending posts but avoided the temptation in the spirit of true journaling instead of using this service as comment section, opinion area or chat board.

Plus, I would have been in the vast minority with some of my opinions. I recall one gentleman-correctly using this area for its intended purpose-- which is to keep a log or journal of our coin collecting experience, was journaling about his unhappiness with a submission issue ( repeatedly, which is his right).

I have to admit I was saddened to see so many making mean spirited or adverse comments trending from either shutting up his freedom of speech to violence against him to buying out his membershipo to driuve him away--really sad. When did we become so politically correct that we can no longer voice our personal displeasure with someone or something without being attacked such vitriol. I see it all of the time on our heavily divided political commentaries, bloge and websites comments-and now it seems to have infected this site as well. Freedom of a differing opinion, however right or wrong, is fine--I also retain the right to ignore and not read differing opinions if I can't tolerate un-likeminded people.

Okay, enough of that...the other issue I was going to reply to was a question asked in the journal section ( I see a lot of this now-as well as notices for selling etc). Silver and gold have had an appearance of dipping in value and some are getting cold feet as to their bullion valued holdings.

I for one have been currently adding to my holdings--5 more Peru gold 20 sols coins (.27 oz each) and 3 new rolls of 2013 ASE's. Not exactly a grand investment but every little bit I can get at the current dip price-then I'll take it.

My view-and one held by many with eyes wide open- is that if the Fed is adding 85 billion per month directly into the banks and indirectly into Wall Street to give a false impression of "economic recovery"--as the same banksters have been intentionally shorting gold and silver to artificially drive the value down. The big problem is that our money can't continue to be de-valued like this forever and interest rates for the banks borrowing from the Fed can't stay at 0% forever--it is an inevitable certainty that the faux market will tumble and gold and silver are going to surge.

Think the prices of silver and gold aren't being manipulated?--how can the US Mint announce record ASE sales in January-more than the entire year of 2012 and have to put a hold on selling and yet prices dropped? China, India, Russia are accumulating massive gold reserves and even Germany has asked the FEd Reserve to deliver their physical gold to them to hold in their own German banks. There are 2 bullion markets--the Wall Street paper bullion and physical bullion and wall street has been using the paper to keep the real stuff undervalued while at the same time the global central banks have been gobbling it up.

So besides my recent bullion purchases and additions to my Peru 20 sols set ( I even snagged a super-low mintage 1964 date for under $500 !!) I have been casually adding to some of my sets.

I have added 2 nice Barber halves in VF 30 and VF35--and slowly have manuevered into the top 10 sets on my "Distraction Set" of Seated Liberty Halves.

I just added a nice 1874-S grade XF to the set. This coin took a while to find and fill the slot. I suspect many collectors are in the market for this coin as a type-coin also, so even though it is not rare relatively, it often sells for more than lower mintage or scarcer dates.

Also, I decided to start a brand new set. A Buffalo nickel short set for fun. I'm keeping the coins in the MS65 to MS66 grades and all should be affordable without too much sting. The challenge with this set is battling myself. All of the later Buffalo dates are readily availablein higher gem grades and a person could just buy them up and fill all of the slots in no time flat. So mI added a personal challenge--I'm looking for only coins with the gem grade but also with a nice rosy or peachy blush of light toning. Building a matching looking set should be a fun endeavor and add a bit more challenge to collecting these common coins.

Oh well, I've been long winded enough. I used to journal once a week back in 2005, 2006 when I won an award--then it dropped to 1 or 2 per month..now..I just enjoy reading and following my fellow collectors and friends here. Keep journaling everyone, I still visit the site almost daily and read most journals and comments on the chat boards. Happy Hunting...

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