• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

tomt102516

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    21

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Journal Entries posted by tomt102516

  1. tomt102516
    The 2013 American Eagle West Point Two-Coin Silver Set
    The 2013 American Eagle West Point Two-Coin Silver Set was scheduled to be available for purchase on 5/09/2013 for $149.95.
    This has now changed, according to the Product Schedule page at the US Mints website.
    It will still be available for purchase on 5/09/2013, but at a reduced price. The new issue price will be $139.00. This is a $10.00 reduction in price for this set and should make it more obtainable for everyone.
    The price for this set had to be lowered with the resent drop in the spot piece of silver this year. The London Fix has gone from $30.87 on Jan. 1, 2013 to $23.66 on April 19, 2013 (information from www.kitco.com). This was a $7.21 drop in silver spot price this year (at the time of this post).
    I am happy to see the US Mint pass some of the saving on to the loyal customers.
    Also the 2013 American Eagle One Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin which was scheduled for availability on 5/28/2013 for $53.95 has had its price changed to TBD. I guess the mint is waiting to see what the spot price of silver is going to do between now and the end of May.
    Reference: http://premiumsilverbullion.com
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  2. tomt102516

    Back to Collecting

    By tomt102516,

    Completed my 21 Century Proof Type Set
    After several years I have finally completed my 21 Century Proof Type Set. It is now tied for first place with about 15 others sets, but I am very pleased with this set. I was hoping to have it completed for the 2012 awards, but did not quite make it in time.
    I was able to complete a first place Union Shield Lincoln Cent Proof Set and it was in time for the 2012 awards.
    Thanks to everyone for all of your support and help with completing this set.
    Tom
    Here is a picture of my 2010 S Silver Grand Canyon 25c.

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  3. tomt102516
    My Bronze Medals spent more time with the USPS that they did being graded at NGC.
    I have sent in many submissions to NGC and this was the fastest turnaround time that I have ever received.
    My First Spouse Bronze Medals showed that they were received on a Monday afternoon and then showed that they were shipped back that following Friday morning. That was less than 5 days to have them graded. Shoot, they spent a total of 7 days in transit with the USPS (going and returning).
    This type of service from an excellent company is what makes NGC #1 in my opinion.
    I was very happy with the grades that I received. Some of them were lower than I was hoping for, but I know better than to choose items for submission when I have not had enough sleep. I need to slow down, take the time to look each one over, and make sure that I am happy with my selection before sending them to NGC.
    Thanks again to NGC for the excellent service and super fast turnaround times.
    Here is the obverse of one of my Dolley Madison Bronze Medal.

  4. tomt102516
    It?s harder than I realized.
    I have started back collecting for about a month now and am finding it harder and harder to stay on track with my original goal.
    My goal is to have a 21st Century Type Set (Proof) ranked as #1 by the end of the year and this will not be hard to do. I have seven PF-70-UC coins in the set at this time and the eighth one should be delivered by Wednesday. That leaves only ten more coins by the end of the year to achieve my goal and that should not be hard to accomplish.
    I just can?t keep my mind on track. While I am looking through auction sites for coins to complete my Type Set, I find myself looking at Mercury Dimes, Walking liberty Halves, Morgan Dollars, and Indian Head Cents. These are the coins that I like the best. These are the coins I want to be collecting.
    Maybe I should make an adjustment to my collecting criteria and start working on a nice Mercury Dime Short Set in near future. I think this is what I need to do.
    Thanks for putting up with my rambling.
    Tom
    On of my newest additions, 2004 S Keelboat Nickel.

  5. tomt102516
    I am having fun doing it.
    First thing, congratulations to the registry award winners. I hope that one day I will be able to join all of you by earning an award myself.
    The first part of January has been busy, too much time at work and most of my spare time searching auctions. I have seen many items that I want, but the prices are way out of range for my budget. I know that looking and dreaming does not cost anything, so I will continue to do both. Just having fun collecting coins again is what it is all about to me.
    I have been able to add several coins to my registry sets in the last two weeks. Listed are the coins I was able to get.
    2009 S Clad Roosevelt Dime PF-70 UC
    2009 S Silver Roosevelt Dime PF-70 UC
    2010 S Clad Roosevelt Dime PF-70 UC
    2010 S Silver Roosevelt Dime PF-70 UC
    2009 S Sacagawea Dollar PF-70 UC
    2008 S Martin Van Buren Dollar PF-70 UC
    I am pleased with the new additions and I am very blessed to be able to work on my collections again.
    Good by to all for now and happy collecting.
    Tom
    Here is my 2009 S Sacagawea Dollar.

    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  6. tomt102516
    and I am happy to be back.
    Two years ago the bad economy forced me to halt my passion of collecting coins. Not only did I have to stop collecting, I was forced to sell most of my collection.
    Now my situation is turning around and better times have arrived. I started building a Franklin Half MS Set, added several pieces to my Roosevelt Dime Proof Set, and added a 2010 MS-70 Silver Eagle to complete that set for at least a couple more days.
    Again, I am happy to be able to be collecting again and to be an active member of this Collectors Society.
    Good Luck to All & God Bless.
    Here is my newest addition.

  7. tomt102516
    My best submission ever
    Last week, I sent in seven 2009 Proofs to NGC to be graded. The grades were posted yesterday and I was very pleased with the outcome. Five out of the seven were graded PF-70 UC.
    Here are the results.
    1. 2009-S 1c Birth in Kentucky PF-69 UC
    2. 2009-S 1c Formative Years PF-69 UC
    3. 2009-S 1c Professional Life PF-70 UC
    4. 2009-S 1c Presidency PF-70 UC
    5. 2009-S 5c PF-70 UC
    6. 2009-S 10c PF-70 UC
    7. 2009-S $1 Agricultural PF-70 UC
    Now if I could have this type of results every time I sent coins to NGC I would conceder myself blessed.
    Thanks for reading.
    Tom
    Here is the reverse of my 2004 S Handshake Nickel. This is one of my favorites.

  8. tomt102516
    1913 Type 1 Rainbow Toned Buffalo Nickel
    Last Sunday I finally pulled the trigger on a beautiful rainbow toned Buffalo Nickel. I had been watching this one for several weeks now and could not stand watching it any more. So I bid on it and now it is mine.
    I picked it up from the Post Office this morning and after opening up the package, I was totally blown away by the colors this nickel possesses. They were much more vivid than the photos from the auction house. The obverse and reverse are totally toned with rose, magenta, and blue coloring.
    I am very pleased with this nickel and now it is the prize of my collection.
    Here is the reverse of the nickel (I have problems getting the reds to show up in the pictures).
    1913 Type 1 NGC MS-65 Buffalo Nickel

  9. tomt102516
    I just had to have this one.
    My last journal entry was full of doom and gloom on how the economy was forcing me to auction off a lot of my collection. Well, my situation has started to turn around and things are getting better at this time. I had received many messages from society member telling me that this day would arrive and it has. (Thanks again for all the positive messages; they really helped keep me get through these hard times).
    The other day, I was checking the status of the few coins I have that are still being auctioned and I came across a beautiful nickel that I just had to have.
    It is a 1938-D Buffalo Nickel graded MS-66 by NGC. I kept trying to tell myself that I didn?t need it, but after looking at it for the tenth time, I pulled the trigger and bought it.
    Well it arrived yesterday and this Buffalo Nickel was even more beautiful in my hand than it was in the photos at the auction house. The photos didn?t capture the excellent golden toning that it possessed and this was an added bonus for me.
    Now I believe that I can slowly get back into the game. I will take it slow and easy, so that in the future I will not be forced to sell my collection again.
    Thanks for reading.
    Tom
    Here is my 1938-D Buffalo Nickel.

  10. tomt102516
    I am forced to sell some of my collection.
    The poor economy has hit home. My wife has been out of work for 6 months, I am only working every other week at this time, and the bills still need to be paid.
    My goals for this year have now been put on hold and I have to make some sacrifices that I really did not want to make. I have spent many hours building my collection and I didn?t want to let any of my coins go, but it just had to happen.
    So two weeks ago, I sent all of my Morgan Dollars and all of my Proof Silver Eagles off to a well known auction site. The response to these coins has been better than I had expected. Many of them have been sold and the extra money will help me survive these hard times.
    I do look forward to the economy turning around and being able to go back to work fulltime. When this happens, I will be able to start over and hopefully replace all of the coins that I have had to sell.
    Thanks for reading and I hope that no one else has to go through this experience.
    Here is one that had to go.
    1885 MS-65*

  11. tomt102516
    Is there really that high of a demand for silver bullion this year?
    Almost every collector of Proof and Uncirculated Silver Eagles has been patiently waiting for the Mint to announce the release dates for these coins. The Mint has stated that the production of all collector strikes of the Silver Eagles have been put on hold due to the high of a demand for silver bullion this year.
    I don?t think so!
    There is always a high demand for bullion Silver Eagles every year. The Mint produces millions of bullion Silver Eagles every year and has never had to make excuses for delaying the release of Proof and Uncirculated Silver Eagles.
    The Mint always strikes the collectors Silver Eagles within the last several months of the previous year to ensure that they are some of the first coins released the next year. I do not believe that the process has changed this year.
    I believe the Proof and Uncirculated Silver Eagles were struck during the end of 2008 when the price of silver was around $19 - $20 an ounce and as 2009 approached, silver had dropped to around $10 - $11 an ounce. The Mint could not justify that kind of loss on coins that are not mandated by law to supply to the public.
    And it is my belief that they are setting in storage somewhere, waiting for the price of silver to go back up to support the elevated price that they want to charge us for them this year.
    This is just my opinion and should not be mistaken as fact.
    What do you think? Conspiracy Theory or is the Mint trying to cover their rear ends?
    2008 W Silver Eagle MS-70, I look forward to adding a 2009 at the same grade.

  12. tomt102516
    I will try it again next time.
    My last post I wrote about taking pictures of my Proof Roosevelt Dimes to help me pick the best ones to send to NGC.
    Well the results are in and I was a little disappointed with them.
    1987 S PF-69 UC
    1988 S PF-69 UC
    1989 S PF-69 UC
    2000 S Clad PF-69 UC
    2000 S Silver PF-69 UC
    I was so sure that all of them would get a PF-70 UC grade, but I was wrong.
    I seem to have a problem grading the smaller coins. I always use a 5x lope and now I?ve tried taking pictures of them to help find any problems. Nothing seems to help me pick the right ones.
    Any help or advice on grading dimes would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks in advance for the help.
    Here is my 2007 S Silver Roosevelt.

  13. tomt102516
    This time I took pictures of them to help me choose the best ones to send in.
    I have recently started a Proof Roosevelt Dime set and I am trying to find the best coin that I can for each year.
    I decided to send some of my Proof Roosevelt Dimes to NGC for grading and had 12 different coins to choose from. I thought all of them could get a PF-70 UC designation from NGC.
    Boy was I wrong.
    I had taken pictures of all 12 of my dimes to help me make my decision on which ones to send in and to my surprise about half of them had minor flaws that I could not see with a 5x loupe. These pictures helped me choose the best dimes to send to NGC. Now I think I have an excellent chance of getting PF-70 UC grades on all five of the dimes I sent in.
    Taking pictures of my coins, to help choose the best ones to get graded, has been recommended to me by several society members in the past. But this is the first time that I actually used this method to help me choose the best ones. From what I have learned this time, I will always use this method for future submissions.
    Thanks to everyone that has taken their time to make suggestions that will help me make the best decisions on bettering my collection.
    My five Proof Roosevelt Dimes are now at NGC and are scheduled for grading. All I can do now is hope for the best.
    Thanks for reading and as always your suggestions and comments are welcome.
    Here is my 1992 S Clad Roosevelt Dime. The scratches are on the holder.

  14. tomt102516
    A beautiful 1901O Morgan Dollar
    My wife totally surprised me this year on my birthday. The lady that always says ?NO? every time I mention the word coin, bought me this beautiful MS 65 Morgan Dollar. I was expecting to receive some socks, a pair of paints, or a shirt that would never find its way out of the closet. I never thought I would receive a gift that was this nice. I just want to thank her with all my heart for such a wonderful birthday this year.
    I hope that everyone that reads this gets that special coin that they want for their birthday this year.
    Here is a picture of my birthday gift. Thanks for reading this post.

  15. tomt102516
    I can?t wait for them to return home.
    I woke up early this morning as if I was going to work and realized that I have the day off. The company that I work for has shutdown for a long weekend and gave us the day off without pay. How nice of them to lookout for us like that.
    Well I didn?t want to waste this morning setting around waiting for something to happen, so I started searching the web for some coins that would fit into my sets. I spent several hours looking at coins and didn?t finding anything that I need.
    That?s when I realized that I still have some First Spouse Bronze Medals that needed to be sent in for grading. So I filled out the paperwork, packed them up for shipping, and delivered them to the post office.
    About an hour after returning home from the post office I found myself logged into the Collectors Society and checking on their status of my submission with NGC.
    Have I lost my mind?
    The package is still at the post office.
    I can?t believe that I looked at the status of my submission the same day that I sent it to NGC.
    I know the next couple of weeks are going to take forever to go by and I will be a mental wreck before my medals return home.
    Thanks for reading.
    Tom
    Here is my most resent arrival.
    1945 Mercury Dime

  16. tomt102516
    And it is not over yet.
    I had set some very modest goals of 2009 and I had hoped to complete them by the end of the year. But during the first three weeks of January I have been able to complete the following.
    1) I have upgraded my 2007 ASE from MS-69 to MS-70.
    2) I have added a 2009 ASE Early Release MS-70.
    3) I have added a 1944 Mercury Dime MS-67.
    I also have a 1945 Mercury Dime MS-67 in transit and should be arriving this afternoon (I hope). When it gets here it will get me half way to my Mercury Dime goal.
    The month isn?t over yet. I do have my eyes on several auctions of Mercury Dimes that will be this week. There is no guarantee that I will win these, but I am sure going to try.
    I was also told yesterday that I will be a grandfather again. She should be arriving in late June. That?s right, it will be a girl and she will more than likely rule the roost over my two grandsons. So now I will have to start another raw set of ASE?s for her and I think I will start an ASE Registry Set for all three of them.
    As always, your comments are appreciated.
    Here is the obverse of my 2009 ASE. She is beautiful.

  17. tomt102516

    My Goals for 2009

    By tomt102516,

    There is a first time for everything.
    This is the first time that I have set any yearly goals when it comes to my coin collection. I normally try to buy every coin that I thank is a good deal without taken into consideration whither it fits with that I am trying to achieve. Most if the time I am disappointed with what I purchased and end up selling it for a loss.
    This year I will set some meager goals that I feel can be achieved without to much difficulty.
    Goals;
    1) Upgrade at least one of my Silver Eagles from a MS-69 to a MS-70.
    2) Add a 2009 & 2009-W Silver Eagles in MS-70
    3) Add a 2009-W Silver Eagles in PF-70 Ultra Cameo
    4) Add a 2009-S Sacagawea Dollar in PF-70 Ultra Cameo
    5) Upgrade my 2000-S & 2001-S Sacagawea Dollar to PF-70 Ultra Cameo
    6) Try to have my Mercury Dime Short Set 50% complete by December
    I believe these goals can be accomplished this year and I look forward to achieving them.
    Thanks for reading and wish me luck.
    Tom
    Here is my 2008-S Sacagawea. I do like this one.

  18. tomt102516
    I hope 2009 will be better than 2008
    Well, 2008 was a very bad year for me and I know that it has been tuff for everyone. The poor economy has forced me to sell at least half of my collection of certified and raw coins. It was really a downer, but it had to be done. It was hard for me to let go of these coins and it turned my attitude towards coin collecting sort of sour. I was ready to trash this hobby altogether.
    During the holiday season, I had a long talk with myself and decided that I did not want to give-up on this hobby. I needed to have a more positive attitude towards life and the way I approached it.
    So now I have started of the New Year off with a new attitude and I have added a new set to the registry. It is a Mercury Dime Short Set. I hope to have it finished by the end of 2009, but I will not be disappointed if I don?t make it. My first two coins for this set arrived yesterday and I could feel the excitement returning. This is a great feeling to have again and I hope that it never goes away.
    Here is my 1944 S Mercury Dime, sorry for the poor picture.

  19. tomt102516
    The bad economy has struck home
    The month of November started out like any nightmare would. My wife went to work on a Tuesday morning, thinking everything was fine, only to be laded off with everyone else that worked at that location. The doors were locked on their way out, never to be opened again.
    It is hard to believe that we had become so dependant on her weekly income just to enjoy the finer things in life, but we did. She has been trying to find new employment for four weeks now, but no one seems to be hiring at this time. The bad economy is the excuse that she has been given every time she has applied for a job.
    So, we have both agreed that she would take the rest of the year off and spend some time with our grandsons. She has wanted to do this for awhile now and this looks like the perfect time to start. She told me all needed we to do to make this work was to cut back on unnecessary thing; like eating out, cutting back on our trips into town, and buying coins.
    Stop Buying Coins ? This will never happen ? Coin Collecting Will Survive This Economy.
    I have cut back on buying coins this month. I have only added 4 new coins to my registry sets and have listed them below.
    1878 8TF MS-63 Morgan Dollar
    2006 S PF-70 UC Sacagawea Dollar
    2003 S PF-70 UC Silver Eagle
    2004 S PF-70 UC Silver Eagle
    Next month will probably show no new additions. (I do not believe this statement, but moderation and selective purchases will be my #1 priority)
    Thanks for reading and everyone please have a safe and happy holiday season.
    Here is my 2003 S PF-70 UC Silver Eagle, the scratches are on the slab.

  20. tomt102516
    Trying to get my Registry Sets in Order
    Over the last several months I have been on a selling spree. I have sold over 50% of my certified coins & reduced the number of competing sets in half. I was way out of control when it came to buying coins & I needed to make a change in my collecting priorities. I was buying coins that I did not collect just for the sake of buying them and then creating sets to put them in, knowing that I would never add another coin to that set. This had to stop & now it has.
    Three more sets to sell off & I will be where I need to be. I will be able to concentrate on the coins that I truly love.
    My true passion for coin collecting has always been with Silver Eagles & Morgan Dollars. Now instead of wasting my time & money buying everything that I see, I can focus on building these sets.
    I want to thank everyone for an enjoyable experience through this society. I look forward to reading about your newest experiences.
    Here is my newest addition to my Morgan set.
    It?s an 1878 8TF graded MS-63, with nice toning on the obverse.

  21. tomt102516

    Change of Direction

    By tomt102516,

    Completed my Sacagawea Proof Set
    It has been several months since my last journal entry. During that time I have sold off many of my coins and deleted many of my competing sets from the registry. This was because I was working on so many sets that I could not find any direction in my collections. I was buying too many lower graded coins just to add something to my registry sets and was finding myself getting nowhere real fast with my registry standing.
    Now I have been able to concentrate on the coins that I do enjoy collecting. I enjoy collecting Morgan Dollars and I have added several nice MS-64?s to that set. Morgan Dollars are my favorite coin to collect and I hope to be adding more of them to my set soon.
    I have added the 2007 REV of 2006 SAE in a MS-70 condition to complete that set. This barely keeps me in the top 100 sets, but with a few upgrades I should be able to move up in the registry.
    I have had many failures in trying to get a 2008-S PF-70 UC for my Sacagawea Proof Set. Every coin that I have sent to NGC has come back as a PF-69 UC. I did break down and win one of these at an auction to complete this set.
    Well it?s time for me to quite rambling about my collections and start reading other peoples collections. Good luck to all in finding that perfect coin for your collection.
    Here is the coin that completed my Sacagawea Proof Set.

  22. tomt102516
    Starting to upgrade one of my sets.
    I just received an excellent upgrade for my Morgan Dollar Set. It is an 1885, MS 65*, with a beautifully toned reverse. This is the highest graded coin in this set and I just want to share it with everyone.
    Thanks for looking.
    Here is a quick picture; I have placed better pictures in my set.

  23. tomt102516
    No upgrades for this year.
    This year my plans were to upgrade a couple of my American Silver Eagles from MS69 to MS70. The set was 100% complete, with all of the 2008?s added a few months ago and I wanted to try and get into the top 50 sets by the end of the year, but those plans got squashed last week.
    Last week I logged in to my account to read some post and found out that the 2008 W with the Reverse of the 2007 had become a required coin for the American Silver Eagle Mint Set. I went straight to my registry set after reading this post and found that the set was now only 97% complete and it was no longer in the top 100 sets.
    I was so shocked to see that this eagle was a requirement for my registry set that I didn?t have a clue as to what to do. So I set down and talked to my wife and explained my dilemma. She was very calm and supportive about my problem and told me to buy it, but (the ?but? word always scares me) I would have to give up on some of my upgrades for this year. So I thought about her solution for awhile and made my decision.
    The upgrades are out and my new 2008 W Eagle with the Reverse of the 2007 arrived in the mail today. My registry set is back to 100% complete and has moved back into the top 100 sets.
    Here is a quick picture; I have placed better pictures in my set.

  24. tomt102516
    This must be NGC?s busiest time of the year.
    I couldn?t sleep last night, so I logged into my account to catch-up on reading some journal entries. There were two entries that really hit home to me and they were written by Bruce Willmore and Bully. I also have two submissions that have been setting as received since last Monday and have been checking their status three to four times a day all week long. They will probably remain as received until the middle of this coming week. It?s the excitement of seeing your submission moving to the next level and the anticipation of the grade that each coin will receive that makes me fill like a kid again. I do like that feeling.
    I know this is one of NGC?s busiest times of the year. There must be hundreds of rolls of Silver Eagles and thousands of Proof Silver Eagles being sent in for grading at this time, especially from all of the dealers trying to be the first ones to offer these coins to us at reduced prices in the online stores and on their television shows.
    So, I guess I will continue to wait on each of my submission to move through the system and keep dreaming of those high grades each of my coins will receive. I can?t wait for Monday to get here.
    Now it?s time to get away from the computer and carry my third submission to the post office just to keep the waiting and anticipation alive.
    Good collecting to all.
    Here is one of my latest additions to my register sets. (Sorry for the poor picture, I am still working on that issue.)

  25. tomt102516

    Toned Coins

    By tomt102516,

    My Statehood Quarters are toning.
    I set down this morning to put my 2007 Statehood Quarters into my coin album. That was when I noticed that the majority of the coins that were already in the album have started to tone. The sight of these quarters has made me very excited. All of the 2000-S Silver Proof Quarters are showing brilliant blues, reds, russet, and golden toning on the reverse of the coins, while the obverse of the coins have brilliant white fields with the same colors developing only on the devices. They are absolutely beautiful. Even the 2005 clad coins are showing a pleasing russet and blue toning on both sides. I was totally surprise to see this type of toning developing on coins that have only been in the album for a little over a year now.
    I have a passion for nicely toned coins and these would make an excellent addition to my Signature Set. My Signature Set only has toned Morgan Dollars in it at this time and I am always looking for nicely toned coins to add to it. I would love to pop these puppies out of their album right now and send them to NGC for grading. I believe each of the 2000-S Silver Proof Quarters would get a star designation at this time, but I think I am going to give it another year before I send them in. Maybe in a year they will be more beautiful that they are at this time.
    As always your opinion is always welcome.
    Here is the 2000-S South Carolina Silver Proof (Not the greatest picture, but I am still working on that issue. I am having problems getting the reds and blues to show up in the picture).