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W.K.F.

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Journal Entries posted by W.K.F.

  1. W.K.F.

    2009 Lincoln Cents...

    By W.K.F.,

    Not a huge fan but wanted the "new design"
    Greetings Collectors,
    Wanted to say first off that it is good to see "Bully" is back. Have missed his very informative and colorful journals. On the new Lincoln cent reverse design while not a big fan of the cent since the last change I have made a habit of trying to obtain any and all new issues that can be had for "face value" at my local bank. The girls always let me know the day the new quarters, dollars, nickles and such come out and I always get two rolls.
    Now with all the hype over the new cents, I wanted those as well. I know they were getting tired of me asking every time I walked in the door as the new cents and the new "Sac" reverse were the only ones of late that were not in my possession. I have talked to the mint numerous times this year, getting the right info only about half the time. But when I called on Friday the 13th to inquire on the possible ship date on the Lincoln Silver Dollars I ordered several weeks ago and as always I ask about any gold products that may be available due to returns and the like. I would also ask what new products were available. It was at this time I was told that the new reverse Sac's in the direct ship program were sold out, but due to "Overwhelming demand" they had decided to sell the lincoln cents in two roll sets (P&D) When I heard this I promptly ordered "two" of the two roll sets and total cost with S&H was $22.85 for the four rolls. Please forgive me if this is old news to you all but I don't remember seeing anything in the journals about this. I then received my "Coin World" mag on Sat.14th and this news was highlighted on the front page.
    I do not want to "slight" those of you that are Lincoln cent collectors as I know alot of you are and I have seen some great looking sets. I actually started collecting coins because of the Lincoln "wheaties" along with the Indian head cents and Buffalo nickles. I do think it odd that of those three, I have very few in my collections today. In fact none slabbed with the exception of a few Lincolns.
    I do think that looking back, most every new issue is saved more so than others, so the thought of the new cents ever being "rare" are remote. The Lincoln Cent along with the Morgan Dollar and the Buffalo Nickle are maybe the most collected coins of all and due to this fact, I think the demand will always be there. At least the mint will put a "damper on the high prices I have heard of at the "Bay" and such.
    I will say in closing that I have a very strong feeling that the Lincoln Silver Dollar WILL sell out and if you do like Commemoratives or Lincoln I would get one of the Proofs or one of the Unc's and I would definately get one of the "Limited issue" of 50,000 sets with the dollar and all 4 proof cents. I think the demand will be high and if things don't change much from where they are the Uncirculated dollar is the "rarer" of the two.
    I do love coins and coin collecting, but it's an added bonus if what we love to collect goes way up in value. Of course this is coming from someone who owns several dozen Washington and Statue of Liberty half dollar coins that I "just knew" that being such popular "themes" would be great investments. This is a great example of only collecting what you like and enjoy and forget about the "investing aspect". Have Fun with your Coins and Happy Collecting! WKF
  2. W.K.F.
    "I can't beleive we even have to go here!"
    Greetings Collectors,
    This is your "High and Mighty" "self centered" "charity slayer" "scripture quoting" destroyer of all thats good in the world, coin collector. I had some spare time after my "grand heist" from the local "Toys for Tots" warehouse and thought I would post a few words while I am parked here waiting on my "fence" to arrive..
    Wow, what a firestorm. This will be MY last word on this subject. Any of you who read these journals from all of us here at the C.S. have watched coin sales or the attempt at coin sales "creep" into the community, along with other misc. contests that while numismatically related, have no business here.
    I am not one who turns my back on the "downtrodden". In fact I am confidant that if you knew the truth about me, you would be astounded as to the amount of time and $ I give on a monthly basis. I did go into a little detail with CPM&C after the wonderful cheerful note I received from him. It is truely amazeing how someone who does not know you, thinks he knows you so well. Enough about that.
    The "RULES" are what they are, I did not make them, but I do abide by them. This site is not for COIN SALES PERIOD! Again not my rules, they are NGC CS rules. I have spoken to the great people at NGC who I have grown to know and respect and what I have said they could not agree more. We have a site here where we can relate "OUR COLLECTING EXPERIANCES" not conduct sales, contests, raffles or the like, no matter how noble the cause or just the idea. Just because I want to, and want others to adhere to these rules does not make me out the monster the nice note from my fellow member sent me. I have never been one to "back down" from any confrontation, (God knows I should have on a couple of occasions) so be rest assured I fired off an e-mail back to my eloquent fellow collector. Enough about that.
    This whole thing arose from a fellow collector falling on hard times. Everyone of us know many in the same boat. Some are in trouble thru actions or inactions of their own making and others (many) thru no fault of their own. While sad this is not the place for revealing or trying to correct the same. For whats it's worth, I do spend a goodly amount of $ on Teletrade and there are some coins of Mr.T.'s that I will maybe pick up. Now in my opinion, that is ok. To let someone know you have coins in an auction coming up, not saying which coins and not your OWN AUCTION to me appears alright, but it may not be, again I do not make the rules. That way you can help someone out in private and not have to brag and shout about it in a public forum.
    What a fellow collector wants to do to help those in need can be done within the confines of the rules we all AGREED to follow. Post a journal saying, contact me or meet me in the "chat rooms" so all that are interested can participate and we can discuss how we want to help the party in question. You get the same thing done.
    The argument about fees and people on e-bay only wanting to pay "bargain basement" prices are beside the point. Get a few people to make up the differance in price between what they bring on the bay and the "Numismedia" price we all know in grossly overflated and you have your $500 or whatever amount. High grade "modern coins" will NEVER be rare and at the price quoted, is way "north" of what you could ever hope to get in the future. I don't care how long you hold them. Now I am sure there are those who will say we don't collect coins for them to increase in value, and while that may be partly true, I do not know one "sane" person who would buy something knowing it will Never be worth that which they paid and in fact go down in value. If so, I have some "Obama junk" I can hook you up with. (not)
    I am sure that a couple of you think that I am begrudging a veteran of a means of a livelyhood. I am not "anti-veteran". I hold them very high and while I was two years too young to serve in Viet Nam, I had a bunch of friends and cousins go and I know six that did not make it back. My dad fought Japan in the Pacific under McArther and my grandfather fought the Germans in Europe in the first great war. And I have many distant relatives who fought and died for the "Confederacy and the Union" so I am not "anti veteran" nor "anti charity" or anything even remotely resembling the like. In fact I am the opposite.
    To top it all off the person has a store/business on e-bay. With all due respect, this reeks of a "conflict of interest". The bottom line is, this site is not the place for coin sales, contests, charity drives and the like or advertising the same. Play by the rules, even if you don't like em or pick up your marbles and go home. I don't mean for my tone to sound "harsh" but I didn't start this fight or make the rules and while this is my last comment on this subject (unless it continues) I will never back away from a fight that I feel I am correct on. Well "Freddy the Fence" has arrived so I have to unload all these hot toys. WKF
    P.S. Do you think it would be against the rules to sell some toys here if the proceeds were going to a good cause?
  3. W.K.F.
    I am starting to see this more and more.
    Greetings Collectors,
    I have sat back in silence for the last couple months and have read several posts of people trying to sell their coins here. This may make a few of you mad but, oh well. This is a collectors site and not a store. If you have coins for sale, take them to e-bay or the local flea market. This is not the place.
    I would like to think the majority of us here while always looking for a good deal on coins, don't want this site to turn into a sales site. It is also not a site to give coins away for guessing this or competing in that. I do not think the majority here want to help "stroke" someones coin ego by guessing what coin they are going to add to their "massive" holdings.
    As far as wanting to help a fellow member out in their "financial" time of need, well that's all well and good. Just don't sell the coins here. Sell them on e-bay and give the person the money. God will know you did it. I for one do not need to know.
    Our site here is very clear as to what it's here for and these things I have just mentioned are not part of the equation. As I said before, this may ruffle a few feathers and may plain p--- some off but I felt a need to say it, so I did.
    Getting back on a coin note, I was surprised when I went to my mail lock box to find one of my submissions from NGC. This was "registered mail" and my mail guy just left it in the box, locked of course but the very first time I ever got regis. mail without signing for it. This also was a five coin group sent over a week after the other three which are as of Fri. showing final, imag. and shipped. Of the #3 unc. Lincoln silver dollars and the two proofs, I had #2 ms-70's #1 ms-69 and two proof 70's. All in all I am very pleased. My other three submissions are on the way back to me and this will be the third time I have sent coins off and did not look at the grades 'til they arrive here at the house. I really love the "suspence" of it all that way. I do this mainly because it takes the "excitement up a notch" and looking is not going to get them into my sets any quicker.
    I hope things get better for those of you who find the "going" a little tough or even downright terrible It always seems the darkest right before the dawn. Hang in there. A verse Paul wrote in the new testimate, Gal. 6:9 "Be not weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not". Keep up the good fight! Have fun with your coins and as always Happy Collecting! WKF
  4. W.K.F.
    "May never pass this way again...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Just got in from work and found a "pink slip" on my door from USPS. I had a substitute mailperson today or my guy would have left my parcel in the lock box. It's kinda neat when you have that kind of relationship with your mail carrier. I know what it really is and that not only does he trust me to not come back and say I didn't get something when I did, he does not want to drive down to the end of my "dirt lane" to not find me not at home again.
    Anyway I was bored and bummed for not getting my latest "treasure" from "Teletrade" and not seeing much of anything on the Monday night auction, I decided to hit the CS site to check on my four submissions. Three were sent in togeather and the five Lincoln Silver Dollars a few days later. Two are in QC and two scheduled for grading. I then wanted to check out the folks that are around me in the rankings.(any of you ever do that?) What I saw was a little unusual and kinda cool.
    I am ranked 345 and have 343 coins with an average point value of 366. No big deal, just thought it a bit unusual. I even looked around for someone with a simular like rank with the coins and the points and did not see one. Of course there are many hundreds of us here at CS. I even thought how I could enter just one of my new slabs to make 344 coins and have my rank move up a notch to 344 but then it would have to be a coin that brought my average down to 344 points per coin. All of that math started to make my head hurt so I gave up on the idea. But, it was just a thought...
    I am hopeing that this is some kind of "omen" relating to my coins at NGC. Maybe all of my "new stuff" will come back "70". (couldn't tell ya where I got that one from?) But I guess I will just have to wait and see.
    Here's hoping that all of you are having "fun with your coins". Again, Happy Collecting! WKF
    P.S. Also want to say thanks to all of you that have written to me of late. Alot of old friends along with several "new ones". It always makes one feel good when others say they enjoy reading what has been written. Thanks again...
  5. W.K.F.
    Undecided as to if I am doing the right thing? I do think I may be ill...
    Greetings Collectors,
    As of this writing I have three submissions at NGC, with one showing, received and two "scheduled for grading". I finally got my three unc. & two proof Lincoln silver dollars last Thursday and sent the five off on Friday, looking for those "elusive 70's". I have not seen or heard of an increase in value for these in the "secondary" market. I do expect them to rise on account of the sellout. I anticipate the release of the special set with the proof Lincoln dollar along with the four special proof cents to go along with it. If and when any of you hear of that release date, please let the rest of us know. Also while I am on the subject of the Mint, I just got an e-mail last night that my #2 two-roll sets of Lincoln cents are on the way. That was nice to hear.
    A few moments ago I saw "gold" punch thru $900 again after backing into the 800's of late. I had been talking to a dealer friend in N.J. and he said that prices for type three double eagles along with common "Saints" had dropped over 30% in the "mark up"/spread (the differance in price between the spot gold price and going rate for the coins) and he was taking advantage of the dip and advised me to do the same. I joked back that my pockets were not near as deep as his and that mine had "holes" in them. I talk to this person most every month and it is uncany the way this "old guy" can read the markets. Anyway last week I had put a couple of gold coins on "layaway" with him. A third coin, a 1906-p $20 liberty, I was able to beat the price he gave me by a little over $150 and got the same grade, an MS 60 and got it in an "old green" PCGS holder that looks as good as a couple of 62's I currently have. The ones I can't wait to get from him is the 1898-P $20 and a 1907-P "no motto" $10 Indian, both NGC MS-61's.
    As of late I found I did not owe Uncle Sam as much as I thought so what did I do? did I build up my money market funds? or my "cash mad money"? Noooooo, I picked up more coins. The latest buys consist of a couple of $2.50 liberties, an 1861 type two AU 58 and a real nice NGC-62 1901. The latter being the next lowest mintage 20th century $2.50. Also I am trying to "chip away" on my "Walker Middle Set" ('34-'47) by picking up a well struck 1935, PCGS-64. This particular set consists of "the spill-over" from upgrades to my "Walker short set". I will try to complete the set with MS-64's on the rest of the dates. There will be a few dates that 64 may be a little high on the wish/want list so I will have to settle for a few points down the scale. The '38-D is one that I may have to shoot a little lower on, among a few others.
    As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, I feel as if I have a problem in my coin purchases. I do not let the bills suffer or go unpaid. In fact I hate "late fee's" and go out of my way to keep from paying them. It's just that I take a large percentage of my extra income and dump it into new coins, scrap metals, not to mention, grading fee's. I have said to myself time and time again that I will hold off on "newps" (new purchases) and try to build up my savings/emergencyfunds to no avail. It never fails that while the promise starts off well, a week or two goes by and then I see a coin on one of my favorite auction sites that just begs to be bought. I then say a "feable" no to the urge that wells up inside of me only to give in moments before "hammer time". It's just that I can not beleive that the particular coin in question is actually about to be sold for "THAT". It happens most every time and I have found that the only time I can exhibit any control is when I have a "legit" big expenditure looming on the horizon. I write about it, talk about it and even laugh about it but it's not funny. I do find that when I put "thoughts to paper" it helps a little. I do think that maybe the only thing that would really get my attention would be if I had something really big come up that would cause me to have to sell some of my "beloved coins" Now that would be the ultimate eye opener & the ultimate "bummer".
    Anyway I hope I don't ever get to that point but something here has really got to give. I would hate the thought of going into "rehab" as this would cost money that could be put to alot better use! as in a few more gold coins... Happy Collecting to the insane and the sane liars... WKF
  6. W.K.F.
    New submissions & old obsessions...
    Greetings Collectors,
    The remodel business seems to be booming here in NE Fl. and because of that I seem to be "making the payroll" down south in Sarasota. Wednesday I mailed three separate submissions to NGC which as of this post have not yet been received by them.
    Almost all of my last half dozen have been on the modern tier and I must have stared at the differant tiers for twenty minutes to try and get the prices lower but finally just bit the bullet and logged them in where they had to be.
    My very first world submission (and the most expensive)was on the world "value" tier I sent in ten British gold soveriegns, 1893,94,95,97,99,1911,12,13,15, & 1925. I also sent in a coin I have had since I was a kid, one I always told my friends my great, great grandfather got from a pirate, a 1760 "Pillar Dollar" from the front of the "Red Book". Boy the tales we could spin when we were ten. The last coin was a Canadian $5 silver dollar? I don't know anything about Canadian silver but I remember when I bought this particular coin it was a very low mintage limited edition minted in 2003 purchased directly from the Royal Canadian Mint. Maybe some of you Canadian coin buffs could tell me what I have. I don't think it was a "loon" but it could have been. Now that it's been sent off, all I remember was the large Queen E. bust on the obverse. Anyway this group will set me back $256.90. ouch!
    My second submission was a "Specialty Gold" in which I sent in a few more "raw" peices consisting of two $5 libertys 1880 & 1892. A couple of $2.50 Indians, 1908 & 1913 and the last was the 1852 type one $1 gold that I am hoping for a bump in grade. I cracked it out of a ICG holder and think it will go 58-61, in which either will be nice for what I paid. In fact I paid less with buyers fees and postage for it than I will for this submission. $140 ouch again!
    My last submission was an "economy" hodge podge with three silver eagles all ms 2005, 06, & 09. I added another $5 gold 1/10th 2002 and the last of the five was a 1820/19 capped bust half that should come in from 10-12 and 15 if the "grading gods" are smiling.(they better as this coin blew this submission out of the "modern tier") This last submission set me back the least, at $113.50.
    I am sure there are those of you that spend way more at times when you are sending in 50-100 coins at the time but this was my largest ever. I actually wish I had it to do over and I may not have sent quite so much. My problem is that most (85%) of my collection is raw and I am slowly sendind a few in here and there along with all the new products from the mint. I do the math in my head from time to time as to what sending in my entire collection would cost and I very quickly ignore that very insane idea.
    I have so many coins that I like so my mind is in a constant state of upheaval because I get on a binge with one set and then I am off to another. I dearly love my half dollars and have several Walker and Franklin sets going, along with starting a new set with the capped bust halves up to 1836. But on the other hand I dearly love pre 1933 gold and now that gold has backed off a bit there are some great deals on double eagles, Liberties and Saints. I have sent in a deposit on a couple more type three $20 Libertys. I have the ultra low mintage 1902 and the 1905 but the two I have wanted for some time are the 1906 which I will be able to have in my possesion by the end of the month. It's an NGC 60 that looks 62. And I have a deposit on the "ultra sleeper" 1898 NGC 61 that I plan on cracking out and I know it will come back 62 but I would be willing to bet someone $50 that it comes back 63. It is that nice.
    Anyway if I can just pay for this latest submission and pay off the "lay-a-way" on the two double eagles I think I will be completely content. At least until the Jacksonville coin show at the end of May. Every time I say this, I am never content. I always see another coin that I just can't live without. Anyone else relate to that one? At least I am not charging anything and that is the only thing that keeps me relatively sane and as I have said before, there are "worse" habits to have. Happy Collecting to all of you that suffer from the same "addiction" WKF
  7. W.K.F.
    What would you have done?
    Greetings,
    About a year or so ago I wrote a few times about "shady dealers" and actually went on a "tear" about them. Going a little far on subjects at times is something I am guilty of.
    I have, and I am sure most of you that have been in this hobby for a while have had the unpleasant experiance of being taken. Just when I think I have learned enough to stay out of the "serpents lair" wham, I get bit again.
    Just in the last few months I bought a couple of gold coins (raw) on e-bay. One was a 1894 $5 liberty and the other a low mintage 1893 $2.50 lib. Both looked good with the pics. on the auction but as usual I wrote and asked if the coins had been cleaned. One said a definate NO! and the other (the $5) said as far as he knew it had not been altered in any way but it was part of a large estate purchase and what someone had done before him, he couldn't say. Well both came back from NGC as having been "improperly cleaned". Now both of these sellers sold coins on a regular basis and I think, should have known. When I got them in the mail the $2.50 looked good and should have come back 62, 61 minimum. The $5 I was a little suspect of. My point is should these people have known? being "coin dealers" I think so. Did they intentionaly sell "cleaned coins? I think so again. Does this make them dishonest? you be the judge.
    Things like this go on all the time and even worse. I am sure most of you have had similar things, and worse happen to you. It has happened to me more times than I would care to admit and each time it takes a little away from this hobby I have grown to love. Does it upset me? of course. But looking back I really have no one to blame but myself. I just wish I did not feel as if the sellers found a gulible "sap" like myself to unload their rejects on. I don't know if good is the word but it makes them feel as if they got away with getting something or a little extra for something that they should not have gotten. Again, my fault for trusting that all in commerce are honest and upright. We all know that this is not the case.
    We all have to listen the that little voice in the back of our mind and always try to do the right thing. I got $10 too much back in a bank drive thru check cashing transaction and when I counted the money, saw the mistake and brought it to the tellers attention. The little girl started to cry and shared that she was short the day before $50 and they were going to take it out of her pay. She went on to say that she was a new hire and was on probation and had this happened a second day in a row, she may have lost her job. I am in construction and I know many who, had this happened to them, they would have been bragging how they just took the bank for $10 and they would be buying the "case" after work. Little do they realize that "the bank" is not the party that lost out.
    Here at this web site I have been refreshed to hear of those of you that received coins intended for someone else but did not keep them and sent them back. We're not talking a hundred dollars here but several thousand. Then others buying a coin, then the wrong coin was shipped to them, they called the seller who said "keep that coin and I will also send the correct one" I don't know about you all but those kinds of stories makes one feel like there is still hope for society and mankind. But on the flip side, you hear a story about one ordering a $1000+ coin and getting two and promptly sending both off for grading. That to me is the opposite of "refreshing".
    But I have had to question myself of late because I don't know what I would have done in this case. This is supposedly a true story that happened to a guy who wrote into "Coin World" and had this happen: He went in to a local coin dealer, someone he had done business with prior, was going thru the cull/common bin box of circulated silver dollars and picked out several, seems to me it was a dozen or so. What he found in the coins was an 1893-S in fine 30 condition. He paid what I remember to be approx. $17 each for the coins and left. He came back the next day and asked this same dealer how much would he pay for this Morgan dollar? Not mentioning, mind you that it was one of the ones he had purchased the day before. But anyway I think $22-2300 was offered and this person declined and ended up selling the coin to another dealer for $3300 or so.
    This guy used the proceeds to buy a used car for his family and had written in to Coin World "bragging" about his exploits. Well for the next issue or two this guy was lamblasted and called all kinds of names for not bringing this to his dealers attention. Then others came to his defence, noting that that dealer more than likely paid "scrap" price to some little old man or lady and it served him right for losing the coin for $17.
    I have thought long and hard about this and I am still unsure as to what I would have done. One part of me would want to bring it to the dealers attention and another part says, this guy's a dealer and should have known that silver dollar was in that "common box" and that "thrill of the the hunt", that "find" so to speak came thru. Some of you may have read the "exchanges" that were flying back and forth to the "letters to the editor" One even had the nerve to say if the dealer found out about it he could sue for damages as in the money he should have got for the coin and be "made whole". I think or I should say, I know that if I was as close to that dealer as I am to mine here where I live, I would have shown him (the dealer) his mistake. Had I done that I am sure "Emory" (my friend/dealer) would have treated me right, as in some kind of reward for bringing it to his attention.
    In summary, this was something that I read that did not appear "black and white". It wasn't a little bit of a "gray area" it was alot "gray" if you know what I mean. Bottom line, if a friend/dealer, let him know. If not a friend/dealer... I don't know? What does that make me? A dishonest collector? What say you? Happy Collecting! WKF
  8. W.K.F.
    1ST Generation PCGS "Rattlers"
    Greetings Everyone,
    I have had to slow down in Numismatics of late as that "hateful" time of year approaches for those that are in business for themselves. Yes "Tax D-Day" is coming soon and with our new President, I fear it will only get worse. Anyway enough politics. I always have a 70+ table coin show to look forward to the last weekend of May which helps to forget this time of year.
    As I said I have slowed my coin buying and the only coins I have picked up of late have been a couple "two roll sets" of the new Lincoln cent and still waiting for my new Lincoln Silver Dollars to ship. I have 3 uncs. and 2 proofs on the way soon. (The run may be sold out as per "Numismatic News" that I got today, there were 26,549 left out of 500,000 total mintage, with 50,000 reserved for the special sets coming out with the four proof Lincoln cents) And press time for the mag was maybe a week ago. Good luck to those of you who will try to get one. P.S. Just read a post from yesterday that they are sold out.
    Also purchased what appears to be an undergraded ICG 1852 Gold dollar. Says AU 55 on the cover but looks 60-61 to me. I plan to crack it out and have NGC take a look. (did I say that out loud again?) Oh well, it will be what ever they say it is. It's fun to take the chance and see what happens. In this case there is minimal downside risk. I picked this up for a little over a hundred dollars and it is my first gold dollar. It will be one more "check off" on my overall gold "type set".
    My most exciting find of late is almost the least expensive one. It is an absolutely beautiful "blast white" 1939-D full band mercury dime. I am putting together the "middle set" or the large "short set" 1934-1945 and I am buying all 1st generation PCGS "rattler" slabs. All the coins are "green holders" with only two being the 2nd generation green holders.
    I have fourteen now and the first six I bought from Blanchard out of New Orleans in the early 90's. These were some of the first graded coins I ever purchased. I remember not even wanting them but the sales assoa. I was working with then almost gave them away. I remember paying either ten or twelve bucks per back then. They are not worth much more now and the ones you see on the market today are very inexpensive in the MS 65 and lower range. Anyway all of mine are MS-65 full split bands except one and it's a 66-FB.
    NGC is by far my favorite grading company but it has been fun attempting to assemble a set with nothing but the "old green" rattler holders. The coins all look to be undergraded and the old slabs of both NGC and PCGS have a tendancy to grade up a point or two when cracked out and resubmitted. I will keep on the way I am going 'til I complete it with the slabs I have described. It will take some time and a few dollars but it is a "labor of love" and I do love this hobby. Take care and Happy Collecting to all of you! WKF
  9. W.K.F.
    Not everyone has your size of holdings or the money for the size safes you so proudly own.
    Boy it takes all kinds to make a world. I had to read my post again to see if I had missed something. I don't particually like being redundant but I will briefly repeat myself. The pipes are for junk, common, culled, cleaned, unsightly, nicked, no date . Bullion and junk silver is not something I need to dig up and look at. But I did go on to say that I would not hesitate to put any coin I own or any coin I have seen here (at the registry) in the container and KNOW that it was safe from the elements and theives. I have a safe from the 40's that weighs close to a thousand pounds empty and all I feel safe having in it for any length of time is two rolls of state quarters, Sac. and Prezzie dollars that I have save since the late 90's. These alone bump the load up another 3-400 lbs. I do go to the bank from time to time and bring home a few things and they reside there 'til my next trip to the bank when they go back and a few more come home 'cause I do like to look at my coins too. But you know, this safe is bolted to the concrete floor with four 10 inch by 3/4 inch stainless steel lag bolts inside a closet that has been framed up with only a 30 inch wide door and the safe is 39 inches wide and 45 inches tall. The door is a solid core door with top of the line solid brass Yale double cylynder deadbolts (2). And the bottom line is, anything made by man can be overcome by man and if I were given the time, there are very few safes outside the banks that I couldn't make it into if I was given an hour or so. I am not saying this to brag, it's just fact. Safes are not that safe if the theif has the time. But I would just love to be a fly on the wall if someone was ever to get into mine. To say they would be dissappointed would be the understatement of the year. My last comment on safes are this: If it can be picked up by two or three BIG boys or less, don't even have it in your house, 'cause if more than the people you can count on one hand know about it, it won't be there (in your house) very long. And you can take that to the bank. You are just making it easy for the bad guys by having all your "goodies" in one place.
    In paragraph (3) I clearly state I LIKE TO LOOK AT MY COINS TOO MUCH TO HAVE THEM PUT AWAY LIKE THAT. (as in PVC pipes) These pipes, coin tubes or whatever you imagine these storage containers look like are simple, cheap, easy, effective avenues of storage for the little guy who does not have the funds for big safes anchored with titanium aircraft screws or the funds for safe deposit boxes or the funds for insurance premiums and the like. Why hell, he or she may not have any junk silver. He may have only a few silver dollars and a few silver eagles and a handful of indian head cents.And he or she may like to look at his or her coins every day and so this idea don't mean squat. But I am certain that the way I described the process he or she would know exactly what to do if they were buried and later wanted to gaze apon the contents. But for the record I will try to make it very clear. In the event you want to look at that which was buried you would (1) Dig it up (2) Wash it off (the pipe) (3) Dry it off (the pipe) (4) Hand saw or power saw the end cap off, first making sure the contents are settled into the bottom half. (of the pipe) (5) Look at them 'til ya pass out if ya want to. (6) Then throw the pipe as far as you can throw it 'cause if you need to look at them (the contents) then you wasted your time and your money to have buried them in the first place.
    I almost didn't write this reply and I thought I made myself clear the first time but alas it was not to be. And to close with a quote from one of my favorite old movies, "What we have here, is a failure to communicate". "Some people you just can't reach". COOL HAND LUKE... This will be my last comment on what I only wanted to do was give people an alternative to store their junk that they DON'T want to look at. WKF
  10. W.K.F.
    There are some "do's and Don't's but the price can't be beat!
    Greetings Collectors,
    Many thanks to "Bully" for his very informative peice on safes and Bank boxes, Insurance and the like. I had read it when it was previously posted but was glad he shared this info with all of us again.
    In my prior post touching on the aspect of putting your bullion somewhere where only you had access and the mention of burying it in the woods/forest/yard ect. was actually a serious suggestion. Earlier today I dug up one of my "coin bombs" to inspect the contents after it had been buried almost 6 years. (this June would have been six years for this one) The contents were as follows: Three cloth bags of ciculated common date Morgan and Peace Dollars ($100 face in each) Four PCI slabbed Walking Liberty Halves, Three velvet jewelers bags 3"by5" each containing 10-K, 14-K & 18-K scrap rings, chains, bracelets ect. I also had four stacks of better date Lincoln wheats, in cardboard/stapled flips with each secured with a couple of rubber bands.
    None of the contents were priceless one of a kind coins or jewelry but a pretty good chunk of change worth of goods. I found absolutely no moisture or mold or anything on the inside walls of the 6" schedule-40 PVC pipe. The contents looked just the same as the day they were sealed up. I live in NE Fl. and we have had a pile of tropical storms and hurricanes in the last few years and there was zero moisture on any of the materials inside the pipe. In there I had the following differant materials: cloth, paper (thin copy paper and cardboard) for the contents list and the flips, plastic slabs, and rubber bands.(these were still able to be streched and had not become brittle or dryrotted. If I had an 1804 Silver Dollar or a 1933 $20 Saint Gaudens Gold, it is safe to say they would not be in the ground. But having said that, I do not own a coin that I would hesitate in storing in this fashion. I like to look at my coins too much to have them put away like this. I do have several buried with contents like the one I just mentioned. These will only be dug up when I am very old and gold and silver have made their run to $10,000 and $500 per ounce respectfully.
    I kinda expected to find the contents as they were but having several of these "coin bombs" in various locations on differant properties I wanted to be sure. I have now rolled the lincoln cents and since I have some square large dollar coin tubes from Amos, & have rolled the silver dollars as well. The only pain was picking the plastic saw dust off the velvet jewelers bags when I "saw-zaw'de the end cap off the pipe. Now those bags will go into "ziplocks" when I return them.
    The beauty of this type of storage is the cost. Unless you have hundreds of pounds of coins and bullion, your total one time cost is less than thirty dollars. The only drawback is, it's not something you want to do if you need to get to it often. You run the risk of someone seeing you bury the pipe if you are back and forth digging it up and then it back to being buried.
    The pipe I am talking about would more than likely last underground for literally dozens and dozens if not hundreds of years. One more thing that's important is to not forget "WHERE" you buried it. Also you would need to be able to trust one more family member as to the location in case something happens to you.
    When I started doing this in the mid 90's I did my homework. The pipe needs to weigh enough so that if you live in a place that could flood, the pipe would not come unearthed and float away. If you forget where it's buried, you are "screwed" unless metal detectors have come a long way since I used a "upper middle of the road" White and at two and a half to three feet down and even shallower the thick walled PVC will block the signal. There may be a better detector on the market that would penetrate the PVC but I don't know one.
    I also put one of my "coin bombs" in a laundry tub full of water for twelve days, and then cut it open to find everything "dry as a bone". If you are going to try this at home, just remember the following:
    (1) Only use 4-6 inch SCHEDULE-40 PVC. (thick wall, not thin wall)
    (2) Get CLEANER and good Glue (I think Oatey is the best) & use them both. Someone in Home depot or Lowes plumbing dept. can show you just how to "glue it up")
    (3) The contents should not be "stuffed" and should only fill the pipe just a "tad" over half way. This is to insure that if and when you need to get into your "coin bomb", sawing the cap off will not saw into the contents. And then if it is to be re-sealed, just glue another cap on. If you make the pipes/bombs 18-24 inches, you can go into and re-seal them several times with only having to buy an additional cap each time you go into it.
    (4) Last but not least, DO NOT forget where your "treasure" is buried and let a trusted family member know the whereabouts of said "treasure" in the event of your demise.
    This is without a doubt, the safest, most secure, and least expensive storage solution for any numismatic items and any other items of worth. You are only limited by the size of your items. ( as in no "Dansco/Whitman coin alblums ) Also remember that this size and kindof pipe is used for water MAINS with thousands of pounds of pressure trying to get out so there is NO WAY any moisture can get in. If you want added insurance, throw a couple of de-humidity pouches in the pipe before you seal it.
    If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me and remember to have fun with your coins. Happy Collecting! WKF
  11. W.K.F.
    You don't trust others with your coins,ditto with your bullion.
    I do not mean to be a "Journal Hog" but each couterpoint brings another item to mind. In my opinion I would never trust my coins, gold and silver, diamonds ect. to anyone. I don't even like the idea of them being in a bank vault. I had a nightmare a while back that my bank had "shut down" and when I went there the doors were not only locked but chained. I could see inside the bank and it looked as if the place had been "ransacked". There was paper all over the floor and I could see back into the room where the safe deposit boxes were and all the little doors were opened and the lids raised. I panicked and jumped back in my truck and smashed thru the double glass front doors and got out and ran to the back. Everything was gone. I called the bank on my cell phone and got the recording that the number you have dialed has been disconnected and no further info blah blah blah.
    That replaced the "being attacked by sharks while surfing" nightmare that I have on a regular basis, as my worst nightmare to date. It was so real I went to the bank the very next day to make sure it wasn't real. I shared that with the girls there and they thought it was hilarious. I didn't.
    If you buy gold or silver, buy a 10 foot stick of 6" PVC and a pile of 6" PVC caps and a can of glue. make some airtight "coin bombs" and bury your coins, gold, silver porn books/tapes ect. in the forest. Just DO NOT let anyone keep it for "safekeeping". Seriously safe deposit boxes are the best unless the govt. pulls a Roosevelt and outlaws gold possesion again. And there is a slight possibility of that but that is a whole nother story. I am sure you all are tired of hearing from me and I not being a "typer" but a "pecker" have "blisters on me fingers" Goodnight! WKF
  12. W.K.F.
    Pay little attention to where metals were...
    Greetings once again,
    I always like to hear differant points of view and as Bully made mention, we have conversed on several occations in the past. But having said that, I stand by my thoughts in my previous post to buy both now.
    All who follow investing whether they be in coins, stocks, realestate ect. know or should know that there is always a buyer and there is always a seller. You buy stocks because you think they will go up. The person who sells them to you beleive they are heading the other way, thus a market is made for that security. Life insurance is purchased because one is betting they are going to die. The ins. co. is betting you are going to live, thus a market/rates/premiums are determined. ( We all die and we all know that. The question is when?)
    I have been buying both gold and silver since gold was $200 and silver less than $3. I have continued all the way up to $1000 and $21 and kept on as gold briefly went intraday into the $600's and silver around $10 or less. I have again this year bought it all the way up to where both are today.
    My whole point is, I am not just saying buy it now, I was saying buy gold several months ago here when it was cheaper but I am also saying to buy both now because neither I nor Bully know where the bottom is or where the top could go this year or next year. As I said before, do keep buying stocks, keep buying all you can afford. As Bully mentioned there are some "screaming" bargains which I could go on for hours about and have the data to back up my claims. When I watched GE (as in General Electric not gold eagles), a mutual fund by itself drop to $7 last week, I said to myself, are they not going to throw "all the babies out with the bathwater"? I bought all I could afford. Today at last look GE was down 32 cents to a little over $10. That's 35%+ in a week. Did I sell? No, I bought some more 'cause I think it will be back in the mid teens by summer and higher still by years end. Do the math, that's not a bad return. But there is more to my retirement than GE stock.
    The bottom line is plain, #1 We all need to pay ourselves 1st as in savings/investments #2 We all need to be in differant investment instruments ie stocks, bonds, cash and other.#3 Even if you are 65 years old, you need to have 7-10% of your money that you don't need tomorrow in Gold and Silver and Platinum (I like the 1st two better than the last one) You will never be able to pick the bottom in anything unless you're God.
    What I have suggested is not "herd mentality" it's common sense. You may buy gold now at $950+ and it could drop to $750-800. But it may go to $1200. I personally don't care 'cause I will continue to buy, a roll of '64 Kennedy halves here and a half oz Kruggerand there. I could care less what the price is 'til I am getting ready to sell. To be honest, having bought gold recently, I wish it would drop back to $750 so I could justify buying another half dozen 20 franc gold coins, each weighing around 1/5 of a oz.
    So you see it matters not when you buy, just buy. Don't bet the mortgage or the light bill money or the babies diapers or milk money. Just take a few dollars after the IRA and 401-K and buy some. I can not promise that you will make "X" in so many weeks but I can promise you this, It will make you feel "richer" and that my friends is a good feeling. Use common sense and have fun with whatever you do! Happy Collecting/Investing WKF
    P.S. A little tidbit of info: Money is only something you need in case you don't die tommorow!
  13. W.K.F.
    Times like these may never come again...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Or should the greeting be to "Collectors and Investors". Some of you know me fairly well and some only know me only from what I write here at the CS journals. I realize that we have a "coin collecting" forum here and I do not want to try and pass myself off as some investing guru. But I have grown to know alot of you pretty good and whether I know you well or not at all, I do feel a "kindred"(sp) toward you all and really enjoy hearing when one of you get that special coin or start a new set that has caught your fancy. Having said all that I would like to share a little about me so you have a better idea as to who I REALLY am.
    I was born in 1954 in NE Florida and was introduced to coins/money in general at an early age. My paternal grandparents had a small dept. store in NW La. and my maternal grandparents had a dairy in SE Ga. I grew up sitting on the counter that I could not even see over and was allowed to play with the cash register and even ring up supervised sales. My "Me Ma" would always send me coins in cute little "grandma cards" and I can still recall the excitement coming home from school and my mother handing me that heavy envelope, unbalanced and the thrill to open it up and see those Mercury dimes or Buffalo nickles or whatever it was taped across the card that did not get read 'til way later. I had my little whitman folders and I would see how many more holes I could fill. I truely cherish those early "numismatic" years.
    I have had one business enterprize after another to fuel my collection of money, from cutting lawns in the summer to cutting firewood in the winter, along with catching snakes to sell to the local petshop. I even took my 27 cent lunch money and would spend it all on penny candy before the bus came and then sold each one at break for 5 cents so when lunch came I had my lunch money and would come home every day with almost a "buck" to put toward my coin collection.
    Now I am in home remodeling and and the buying and selling of houses. I drive a 1989 chevy Astro van and also have my Chevy 3500 one ton, a 1996 model. My personal home is paid for but I have three kids that negate most of the positive I just mentioned, mainly due to a 24 year old daughter who is in her second year of law school at Univ. of Fl. (go gators) along with a couple of teenage and pre teen (11&13) boys who also want to be gator lawyers.
    My main reason for this rant and ramble is that we all are at a point in a world economy that presents a wonderful opprotunity for gold and silver. I know some of you may have lost your job or have had to take a pay cut to keep your job, I am truely sorry for those of you that are going thru tough times. But for the rest of us, we all have bills and I know it's hard to find that extra money to use for coins. We have wives or girlfriends who continue to harp, "you spent that much for ONE coin! And we counter with, "but honey, I got a great deal on it and I can always, er, ahhh, sell it if times get real bad. And if they are like my ex-wife they counter with "but you never do! (sell it)
    The market just closed and gold and silver did just what it should have done after yesterdays 1.2 Trillion cash infusion into the federal reserve. Oil is up over $3 today at last glance and May contracts for it are over $52. Wheat, copper, aluminum and everything "commodity" wise is heading thru the roof. I pretty much don't know squat about anything but money. I don't know it all but what I'm driving at is simple economics. Governments around the world are doing nothing but printing money and "throwing" it at the problems they see. Will this help? maybe so maybe not. I tend to think it will but I DO know what the byproduct will be and that's inflation.
    I think we may have seen the bottom in the stock market. I know all of you that have been watching their IRA's and 401-K's be cut in half or worse are way past ready to hope that is the case.
    I would like to say in closing that if it is at all possible, to consider an alternative to that next coin puchase. And that is to buy a little gold or some silver rounds or "junk silver" (90% pre-1964 halves, quarters and dimes) If you do, you will most likely make some good money in a short period of time. Please don't think that with gold up $65 today and silver up over 13% today alone that you have missed the boat, because you haven't. This ride is only beginning. I wish all of you the best! Happy Collecting! (and investing) WKF
    P.S. Continue to FULLY fund your retirement plans and even increase the amount to take advantage of "dollar cost averaging" and don't put off buying as much gold and silver that you can possibly afford. Good luck to you and yours.
  14. W.K.F.
    "Still hanging, addicted as ever but somewhat humbled"
    Greetings fellow collectors. I have been absent from the journal arena for some time but have tried to keep up with the "goings on" by reading all the inspiring and educational posts by the rest of you. First of all, congratulations to all the registry award winners as they did not win them without earning them. I am so thankful to be in the collective collecting community of this forum. Each and every one of you has taught me so much and I hope all of you have a safe and blessed year going forward.
    I have had one of the things happen to me that we all have gone thru or that we will go thru at some point in our life and that is the failed health of a loved one. In the fall my father, who will be 81 next month God willing had a stroke. I have been very busy attempting to help him regain his strength which with him as stubborn as he is, is no small task. My business has suffered and of course the coin buying has slowed but I have found that reading about others and their achievments is the next best thing to being there. I have spent most of the last few months either in the hospital with my dad or at his home and then driving back and forth the eighty plus miles back to my home to have my two boys every other weekend. But I was able to bring him to my home for Christmas where he, my two boys and even had my daughter home from law school (she is in her second year at the home of the recently crowned "National Champion" Florida Gators) Having said all that, I am very grateful that 2009 has started off as good as it has. I even have a six coin submission in Quality Control as I write.
    Looking back on numismatics for 2008 I can not beleive how "all over the place" I have been in my collection. I have jumped from one set to another and then to yet another. I have a strange relationship with my coins but at this point I feel like a whore jumping from one to another and another and so on and so on... I was able to complete my silver eagles in proof (except the 95-W which I will never own in this lifetime) and lack only the 1998 in the mint state set. I also got on a one tenth oz. gold eagle kick that I was attempting to assemble in MS 70. That is 'til I saw what the '91 was going to set me back so I changed my tune and will gladly settle for 69's on several in that set. I also got on a Morgan dollar craze, a set I swore I would never attempt with the "zillion" differant vam's, not to mention the length of the run. Then there was the Mercury dimes and other pre 1933 gold ect. ect. ect. See what I mean, do I sound like a tramp addict or what?
    Anyway I think I am forced to go into hibernation mode due to things that are out of my control or should I say that I am out of control. I really feel that gold is where to be in 2009 and going forward if it's not yellow, I will try to pass, even if that means I only get one or two coins this year. It's funny how things change but yet remain the same. I am going to blame this long post on Revenant who touched on my whereabouts. Again congrats to you and neverman and all you other winners. In fact even if you didn't win, you're all winners in my book in this great "Hobby of Kings" we all hold so dear. In closing jayh749 had a great idea about as many of us that can, try to get to Orlando Fl. for next years Fun show. None of us are getting any younger and it would be nice to "lay an eyeball" on a few of you that all we get to do is read about. Until then,
    Happy Collecting to all of you! Kerry
  15. W.K.F.
    Five for Five,A First & probaly will never see again!
    Greetings Collectors,
    I submitted five gold 2008-W coins to NGC and once again, a superb job by all there. They received the coins late afternoon on March 5th and they arrived here to me in todays mail. Once again I held back on looking at the results 'til they got here and boy was I pleasantly surprized.
    I was able to finish out the 1/10th oz.in mint state, so now I can concentrate on getting the dates prior to 1998.
    I was also able to add a much needed coin to the 1/10th proof GE's with the 2008-W in "70".
    I started out the 1/4 oz. gold Eagles set with again the 2008-W, also a perfect "70".
    And to round out the submission, the 1/2 oz. gold Eagle and Buffalo that came from my 8/8/08 "Double Prosperity" set.
    What I can't believe is they all got that lofty grade that we all strive for. I am the worlds worst grader when it comes to "modern issues" as almost every one that I get from the mint look perfect to me but yet I like the rest of you, get more than my fair share of "69's
    I still recall sending in all the proof Silver Eagles I had a year or so ago and only got a couple of 70's out of all those coins I purchased from the mint over a period of years. I have found that I have done better sending the coins in quickly rather than holding them for years. That is the only thing I can think of. It is either that or the mint is just putting out a much more "perfect" product. I conclude that it's a little of both.
    These coins will be added to my sets tonight to go with a couple more "Walker Halves" added to my middle set of Walkers in the last couple weeks. 'Til next time I wish all of you the best and continue to "Have Fun" with your coins! Happy Collecting! WKF
  16. W.K.F.

    "Half Dollars Rule"

    By W.K.F.,

    Started yet another set...
    Greetings everyone,
    I forgot to mention in my latest post that I picked up an additional coin on Teletrades Monday pm auction. (I really like those guys at Teletrade.) Anyway it is a "Capped Bust Half". I actually had purchased another one a year and a half ago but it's in an Anacs holder so it can't be entered here. I really love the look of those old silver coins. The one I have had for a while is an 1820 over 19 in 10 condition. I forget the Overton (sp?) desig. as it is in the box at the bank. I think I will crack it out and send it in to NGC on my next submission.
    The one I purchased yesterday was a 1827 square base two and a "O-141" desig. I really think I have found a new series that I will enjoy trying to put a date set togeather. When I was putting it in my newly formed set, it being a PCGS coin, more info was needed and I could not believe how many differant Overton coins there were for just that one date. It kinda reminded me of all the differant Vams there are in the Morgan Dollar series.
    Having said all that, what I need from you that are "in the know" on this 1807-1836? 75 or so coin series is what is the top referance book or two on these coins. I want to also pick someones brain as to which coins to go after first and while I would like to have them all in "mint state" my pocketbook is hurting already so I think I am going to shoot for 30-45 on the 1-70 scale. I would love to know which coins it would pay to go up in condition and of course "the keys". I would like to go after those first if I possibly can afford it. So if any of you have "a degree" in these Capped Bust halves, I would love to hear from you.
    Thanks in advance for any help you can render. Hope you are "having fun" with the hobby! Happy Collecting! WKF
  17. W.K.F.
    "Blew thru 100-K & on my way to 150!
    Greetings Collectors,
    The new point totals for the two best half dollars of the 20th century (in my opinion) has given me quite a shot in my point totals and has re-newed my interest in my halves. I have picked up a couple of "Walkers" during the month of Feb. The one that really has me excited is my new 1942 MS-66 PCGS. It is a beautiful "blast white" 66 1/2 CAC. I am not much on third party graders being graded again by others but oh well, it was a really nice coin for a great price and it put another "66" in my Walker short set. It was also my "first" CAC coin. I moved the NGC MS 65 that it replaces to my Walker "middle set". In that set I picked up a nice 1939-D NGC MS 64 that is also a brite-white coin, that is just a "hair" from that Gem 65 condition. Again a very nice coin at a very good price.
    I feel that these added points I received were not earned so I am going to try and leave gold alone for a while and devote some time and energy and of course funds to my favorite sets, the Walkers and the Franklin halves.
    I also stopped at the bank to make a deposit so mortgage checks and the like won't bounce due to the insane month I have just come out of. While I was there I asked if they had any rolls of half dollars and while most of the time they don't, today they had 13. I picked them up and came home and had my '39-D in the mailbox from Teletrade. I then proceeded to open my "goodies" and was pleasantly surprized to find a single 1964 silver Kennedy and 15 40% silver halves out of the 13 rolls. All in all a very good "coin day".
    On a closing note I wanted to mention that the new Lincoln silver dollars are going to be a very fast sellout according to the amount sold in just a few days. I called the mint last night and ordered an Unc. and a Proof. I then sat there and re-read the Coin World article on them and decided since the Proofs were outselling the Unc's 116,558 to 61,164 after just 4-days, with this out of a max combined mintage of only 500,000, I promptly called back and changed my order to #3 Unc's and #2 proofs. If any of you want one of these you may want to act fast. I think the after market may be every bit as strong as the market was for the 2001 Buffalo silver dollars.
    Speaking of Buffalo's, I was able to order another one of the two 1/2 oz. gold eagle/buffalo 8/8/08 "Double Prosperity" sets before they sold out so now I will have the coins intact in that really cool ornate box they come in and having mailed off the other two coins along with three others on Sat. to NGC. I am so used to waiting the long time on modern submissions, the five day wait on the "all gold submission" will seem to fly by.
    Anyway I am done buying coins for at least a few weeks as I have gone absolutely "bazook" since this year started a mere 8-weeks ago. I hope all is well with all of you and by all means, have "fun" with your coins! Happy Collecting! WKF
  18. W.K.F.
    I could not get it to post.
    Greeting Collectors,
    Once again an example of how great NGC is. I had just recently as in moments ago tried to post a journal that I had pecked out for the last hour plus. Every time I tried to save the entry I got nowhere. I then called NGC and Amy again solved the problem. Does anyone think the folks over at PCGS would have done something like that? I think not. Anyway I made a couple of comments in there that I do not want Amy blamed for so "for the record" The post: NGC and PCGS Registries, they are what they are... came from me. Thanks for reading. I may even get more views with "Joiseygirl"'s name there.
    Again Happy Collecting and don't forget if you do not feel like posting a journal, call Amy. She'll do it for you! Thanks again Amy!!! WKF
  19. W.K.F.
    Undecided as to slabbing the two-coin set...
    Greetings Collectors,
    I came home today to find a large cardboard box sitting by my front door. I thought it was a couple of books I had ordered from Amazon. When I opened it there lay my two coin 8/8/08 "Double Prosperity" gold coin set, along with a couple of 1/10th oz. Eagles in unc. and proof. Anyone could have just picked up and walked off with almost $1400 worth of gold. And of course if I were dishonest, I could have called the mint in a few weeks and tell them I never got the package and got four more coins. Of course this I would never do.
    My question is should I keep the two coin set intact in the most ornate beautiful box I have ever laid my eyes on or should I keep the box and send the two coins along with the other two gold coins in to NGC for grading. I see old "Pan Pac" sets come up for auction from time to time and sometimes they are still in the "velvet lined" presentation box they were issued in. Those that are like this always fetch alot more money. I wish I could get a pic. to fit here so I could share the beautiful detail and hardware on this box. It is awesome to say the least and the coins are stunning.
    I wish that if any of you have any thoughts on this I would love to hear from you. If I were made out of money, I would just order another and keep one intact and slab the other. Getting new coins is the best feeling in the world. It may even be better than sex, naw but it is real close.
    I also picked up a real nice deal on the Monday night Teletrade auction. I got a beautiful Proof 67 cameo Roosevelt dime, 1954 to go in my proof set I have started. So far I have the Franklin half, also Proof 67 cameo (this one borders on Deep cameo) and the dime. Still need the cent, nickle and quarter. I was able to get that "Rosie" for $55 and with Teletrade oweing me $25 my cost was $30. Not a bad deal at all!
    I hope everyones week is going well and I hope you are trying to get all the gold and silver you can afford. I really think we may see $1700+ gold and $20+ silver this year and it would not surprize me at all to see them at $2000 and $25 respectfully by years end.
    Until next time, Happy Collecting! WKF
  20. W.K.F.
    I think people need to be a little less "defensive"
    The reason for my latest post was not meant to be derogratory, mean spirited, or to get into a " contest" about whether or not the UHR's have been sent or not. I simply made some comments about a long conversation I had with what I thought to be a person in the know at the mint. In no way did I portray the person who held Two in his hand out to be a liar. I never even mentioned the persons name, although mine was mentioned twice in a way that whoever read it can draw their own conclusion as to what was meant by it.
    I never assume anything when it comes to the US Mint as for the length of time I have been dealing with them I pretty much never expect anything. I have found you can usually count on whatever they tell you to be wrong. That is why, if you read the post, that I said if anyone knows anything to please let us all know. I also made a point of saying, in so many words, that you really can't trust the mint to say anything that can be "etched in stone".
    Having said all that, if someone says they held two in their hand, then they, more than likely held two of them in their hand. I do think, not assume, that these along with a very few others that get the early release desig. with be very valuable with the limit of one per household. I am also very happy for this person and do hope he gets a "70"
    I do think this hobby much too grand to get into a scrap over what has transpired with the two posts from me and the two posts from the other party. I said that I was happy for this person and I am but what would have made me even more happy was to hear that one ordered one from the mint and then got two and then sent the other back rather than sending them both off to be slabbed. I know that there are those of you who think I am "nuts" to say such a thing but there are others who would aggree. I will always try to take the high road and let things fall where they may. This is all I have to say about it. Good luck to all that have ordered the UHR's WKF
  21. W.K.F.
    Had a long conversation with mint rep.
    Greetings Collectors,
    I have been real busy with work so I have not had a chance to post anything as of late but did want to take the time to share what I learned this evening. I logged onto the US MINT website to check on the status of my two orders and saw where my "Double Prosperity" two half oz. gold Buffalo and gold Eagle shipped today. I had been told earlier that it was due to ship on the 18th. What got me to call the mint was that my checking account had been debited the $1385 several days ago for the two coin set and a 1/10th oz. gold in UNC. and proof. The debit was actually showing as a "pending transaction" and then today the money was back in my account. I freaked out, thinking that maybe my order had been canceled and that's when I called the mint.
    I was assured that my order was showing going out tonight and the rep. said my account would be debited either tonight or tomorrow. My other order for a 1/4 oz. 2008-W gold eagle is showing "on hold" and she said it may be a week before it ships or it could take three weeks. This brought me around to asking about any other fractional Buffalos or eagles available and she said all that was left were UNC. W gold eagles and there were just a few of the double gold set that I have on the way already.
    I then asked about when I could expect a UHR Saint if I ordered right then and she said 6-9 MONTHS. I said what? I then told her that someone had a post that they held two of them in their hand a couple days ago and she then said that was impossible as the mint has not sent any out and will not be shipping any 'til mid to late March per their website. She went on to say that she is hearing that the March ship date will most likely not happen and it will be many months before they ship. She said that the only ones that have been sent anywhere, were to the "home Shopping Network" who have a special deal with the mint. This brings up another question and that is the "early release" designation. If everything she said was true, (and knowing the mint, who knows?) then the HSN will be the only ones who can get that coveted ER designation and their may only be a very few thus making them out of this world valueble. I was actually going to order one tonight but I sure don't want to wait 9 months 'til I get it.
    What I do not understand is, she said the mint is having alot of trouble getting the gold to make these coins. But how long have they planned this coin? Nothing about all this makes any sense. Sure wish someone could enlighten myself and the rest of us as to what the frig is going on.
    On a some what differant note, I am going on record to say that I honestly believe that Gold is going to explode very soon and all of you that can afford it and even those that can't should do all in your power to buy all you can. With the dollar "printing presses" working overtime, inflation will be back with a vengence and the value of the dollar will go into a free-fall. I think all commodities will take off this year but I like gold silver and oil in that order. Platinum will take a while longer to rebound due to the lack of auto sales, so it should stay pretty cheap for a while.
    A little "gold nugget" of info is, not even counting this latest fiasco stimulous, the 750 billion that was printed for Wall Street this last Oct. in one week, surpassed the dollar value of all the gold mined from the time of Christ until now! Puts things in perspective, don't you think?
    Until next time, Happy Collecting! WKF
  22. W.K.F.
    It was an investment decision!
    Greetings Collectors,
    I have been "chomping at the bit" for several months now, waiting for Wed. the 22nd of Jan. to hurry up and get here. Now I hope I have done the right thing. Or should I say, I hope I haven't done the wrong thing.
    I have read several times, in several numismatic publications that they will be minting as many of the new UHRs that we, the collecting community want to buy. In other words, no limits. But as you all know, the mint has a habit in changing things they say like that. I just hope that they keep their word this time so that I will still be able to purchase one later on in the month of Feb.
    I started off this year by saying that if the coin or coins that I am looking at are not made out of gold, I was going to pass. Well, that vow lasted less than two weeks. I ended up picking up four nice MS 66 red Lincolns to add to my birth year mint set (1954 D & S) and my sisters birth year (1957 P & D). In the same auction, I was able to get a nice '73-S Proof 69 DC Eisenhower clad dollar in a PCGS slab, for almost less than the cost of the slab. Again, none of these coins are "yellow".
    Which brings me to the point of my post, in the large "round about" way I always adhere to. I love the gold buffalo coins, and while I do not have any at present, I had decided that I would start the 1/10 oz. in UNC and Proof to go with my 1/10 oz. gold eagle sets. Well as I am sure all of you know, that the mint has decided to stop minting the fractionals across the board. Now while I feel that the mint will change their mind, and start the fracs. up again, because of their greed, I can only hope. Meanwhile I still don't have any "skinny buffalos".
     
    I do alot of my coin buying on Teletrade and have purchased the majority of my tenth oz. eagles there, but they very rarely have ANY gold buffalo one oz and I havn't seen a fractional buffalo there for months. So what I did was I took my UHR budget money and added a few more dollars and ordered the following from the US Mint: 2008-W 1/10 oz gold eagles in MS and Proof and my new "pride and joy" purchase, the 08/08/08 Double Prosperity set that consists of, for those of you that do not know, a half oz. skinny buffalo and a half oz gold eagle. Well now I feel better (and broker) that I have finally bought not one, but four yellow coins.
    I am not rich and have had my "bucks" for some time for the new "saint" in high relief and have instead, spent it on something else. I do think that the 2008 gold and platinum coins will end up being, not only some beautiful coins, but some very valuble ones as well. If any of you can swing it, You really should think about that two coin set. I have been wrong many times in my life, but of the two $1000+ coin/coins the UHR will be available in Feb, Mar. April? but that $25 gold eagle and that half oz. skinny buffalo may only have days left before they are gone forever. Sorry for such a long post, but I felt I should let my thoughts be known. Sure hope I made the right choice as I would for sure, be ill if I ended up not getting one of those UHRs. Congratulations to all who have one on the way. I will have to wait for my next medium-large remodel job in order to justify the expenditure for mine. 'Til next time, Happy Collecting! WKF
  23. W.K.F.
    Mixed emotions on the results...
    Greetings Collectors,
    Well I was able to fight off the temptation to look at my results and waited 'til the package arrived and what I ended up seeing was a little dissapointing. Two of my coins which were suspect from the git-go, having purchased them for not a whole lot more than melt came back in flips being noted as having been "improperly cleaned". These two were the $2.50 & $5.00 liberties, 1893 and 1892 respectfully. I really hate it as these two issues are maybe my favorite coins at the present. But the way I "jump around" with my collection they may not be my favorites next month. Anyway they came back in a "body bag" flip. I am problely wrong but I thought that if you sent a coin in and it was determined to have been cleaned, they slabbed it in a NCS slab as at least "genuine". Evidently that is not the case.
    My 1915-S $20 Saint which I bought from a girlfriend, I would have never figured at more than an AU 55-58 and even thought ,knowing this person I got it from, would have come back cleaned, actually surprized me with a MS 62 grade.
    The last two were modern bullion purchased from APMEX came back with the gold 1/10 oz. grading MS 69 and the platinum I got the ultimate lofty grade of "70"
    All in all not bad, but now it feels like the day after Christmas, the presents have all been opened and now the tree sits, needing to come down. I always get this feeling after opening a package from NGC or PCGS. I am thrilled to have my coins back home but...... I just hate that "low" after the "high". Kinda reminds me of the 70's not really... Anyway I hope everyone has a great safe weekend coming up and me, I guess I will start my search for my next high..er coin and 'til that time Happy Collecting to all of you. Kerry
    P.S. Lastly the 1907 $5.00 liberty crossed, but only got a MS 61. I'm still happy...
  24. W.K.F.
    Haven't looked at the grades...yet...
    Greetings Collectors,
    My Collectors Society year anniversary always falls in late Nov. so I usually send a few coins off a couple weeks later, this time on Dec. 17th. I have quite a few raw coins but the majority are in the form of mint and proof sets 1950 and newer, mint rolls of silver eagles, state quarters, presidential dollars, nickles ect. I know that I need to get some of them graded if I want to complete my sets for loved ones birth years. The problem is that I can't justify the expence of sending off modern coins and wasting my coupon or spending the $ on the modern tier. Don't get me wrong as I love all my coins, it's just that if I am going to slab something, I want it to be a coin of more worth than a 1954 or '57 quarter dime or nickle. Does this make me appear greedy or ungrateful? I hope not because as I said before, I love all my coins, just some more than others. Plus I do think that so many mint and proof sets have been "broken up" down thru the years, those of us that have them intact still, should keep them that way. It may pay off in the long run.
    Anyway this last batch of coins were several that half were not mint state but yet I deemed them worthy of "slabbing" One was a crossover, and in fact the only coin I have pictured in a previous post, a 1907 $5 liberty in an Anacs 62 old holder. The other five are as follows: 1915-S $20 Saint, 1892 $5 liberty, 1893 $2.50 liberty, and a couple of one tenth oz. 2008's one a $5 gold & the other a $10 platinum. My point is that the grades are available now but I haven't "peeked". I have decided that I want to be surprized so I am going to try to wait for them to arrive and then look and add them all to my sets. I will say this, that the suspence is killing me. Today is the second day I could have looked but haven't so I think I can make it. I live in north Fl. and the coins are coming from south Fl. so I figure maybe tomorrow (thurs.) or at the latest Fri. or Sat. I can't think of a better present from me to me for the upcoming weekend. I know the grades won't be great, but they are gold and plat. and they will be "slabbed" and that's the main thing. I will share the grades with you all in the next few days. Until then, thanks for reading and Happy Collecting! Kerry
  25. W.K.F.

    I may be brain dead!

    By W.K.F.,

    "Not somewhat humbled but very humbled!
    Greetings collectors,
    I feel like a complete insufficiently_thoughtful_person as today was the first chance I got to look at all winners for 2008. At the time of my post yesterday I saw the 2008 winner icon beside revenant and neverman and mentioned them in the post. I did think for just a moment that I was leaving out the other journal winner but I being in a hurry and too lazy to stop and look and then come back to the post figured a "blanket congrats" would be ok for the time being. I never thought in a million years that the other person was myself. Now many others beside my ex-wife know what an insufficiently_thoughtful_person I really am.
    First of all I want to thank the gang at NGC for bestowing this true honor on me. I do beleive that there were many others more deserving of that third slot than myself. I have read so many posts by not only the old crew but many new interesting upstarts with many great thoughts. Having said all that I was going to post something about my submission still being in quality control after sending it in on Dec. 17th. But I am not unhappy at all. In fact I won't be at all upset if it takes 'til Jan. 17th. The people here at NGC are the greatest bunch in the whole collecting universe. Kudos to the two best girls in the world in Amy and Lisa. They have assisted me many times and are always in a good mood. I wish I could meet someone like that.
    Anyway I am very humbled by this award and I know now I will not be able to take 3-months+ off from journal posting like I did the last part of '08. I wish all of you the best in acheiving your goals for 2009. Take care and as always Happy Collecting! WKF