Actually Pretty Darn Good. And I am living proof of this.

Greetings Collectors,

Now that the award deadline has come and gone, there are many of you wishing and hopeing for an award. Now as most of you know there are many types of awards. You have three for many of the categorys, and of course if you have the number one set in a series, there is but a single winner there. But to win this last award with a number one ranked set, one has to have very very deep pockets such as a doctor, a lawyer or a Senator or such as that.

But in the many other award areas where five are given out, such as Journal Author of the Year or having a best presented set, these are but two award categorys of several that the average guy or gal can win without deep pockets.

In the Jounal Author Award, one just has to post a fair amout of journal posts that are not full of controversy, but instead are a simple steady group of writings that would appeal to the vast majority. You do not have to be a great writer, as I can say from first hand experiance, having won that award for two separate years in 2008 and 2010. And I am far from being a good writer. It does help if you have read quite a bit and have interesting knowledge to share with your fellow collectors. But you can make the most of those journals about a coin series that YOU LIKE, ENJOY AND THAT YOU COLLECT ONLY.

In the BEST PRESENTED SET category, again there are five awards handed out. And you do not have to be ranked #1 or number 10 or even 25 or 30. Again I have first hand knowledge of this because in 2010 I won a BEST PRESENTED SET with my favorite silver coin series The Franklin Half Dollar. And do you want to know what my set was ranked??? If I remember correctly I was ranked either #33 or #35. (I am now ranked with this set either in the 40s or even the 50s.)

Having said all that, to win an award in that category, more than half of your set needs to reside in NGC Holders, You also must have good photos for each coin in your set. And lastly you have to have a fairly good description of what your set is about, some history on the set, and what this coin series means to you. And it really goes without saying, each of your coins must not only have pretty good photos, but a good description about each coin you have thus far in your set. And I think your set needs to be at least halfway complete.(But this last stipulation is one I am not for sure on. I actually hope that needing the set to be halfway complete or better is not an iron clad need, because that one thing blows me out of the water on my $10 Liberty set) Oh well. Rules are rules.

Not to try to monopolize the Journals of late. I am killing time before I leave for NYC this Thursday for my only daughters wedding on Saturday December 14th 2013. I fly back home on Monday the 16th after seeing my Lawyer daughter and what will be her Lawyer husband off for a month long honeymoon to far east. And thank God I do not have to pick up the tab for that trip.

But those of you out there with sets you do not think you have a chance with, know this. Each and every one of you that have a love for a set and even if that set is just barely halfway completed. And you know that series and love it and just have adhered to having your photos and your set description along with a description of each of your coins. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU HAVE A GREAT SHOT! And I want to wish the best of luck to each and every one of you from the guy who likes Lincoln Cents all the way up to the guy who collects nothing but $20 Gold pieces. All of you are in the running.

I had thought that I may have had a chance on my $10 Liberty Gold series since I have worked so dog-gone hard on it. But I think one of the rules of a BEST PRESENTED SET is that the set MAY have to be 50% complete or better. Which I am way shy of being. And even if I collected the rest of my years. If there is a rule that requires a 50% completed set, not only will I not win for this set for this year. I will never have that many of those not so cheap 1/2 oz gold coins EVER.

But there are hundreds of you that DO have a good shot. And I wish the very best of luck to you all, regardless of what coin series that you collect. No pics from me on this post.

Happy Collecting and Good Luck!

WKF