does ephemera (brochures, packaging, etc. add value? 0

[GuyWho]

I'm the classic collection inheritor.  Trying to respect the passion of my late Dad and do right by my 5 siblings as I finally start to deal with his collection.  I'm starting with the easy, and probably least valuable stuff - his proof and un-circulated sets he bought each year from the mint primarily from the 70's to 90's.  Nearly all are in their original packaging down to the boxes and envelopes they were shipped in.  Often, when he ordered multiples (sometimes 4-10) he only opened one of the multi-box shipment so others are unopened but identifiable from the one that is open.  He also kept a lot of the brochures the mint sent selling these sets.  

I'm wondering if my assumptions are correct about what is valuable when it comes to selling:

- the coins are really what matters

- the settings/mounts, etc. add a little value 

- the shipping boxes the sets came in add very little value unless a rare coin that might have been faked (then such offers supporting authenticity) - lets only hope I have some of those!

- matching brochures may be fun for a collector but offer negligible value (I'm not eager to sort these out so at least half hoping this is true)

- other general mint mailings from this period have little to no value

Thank you for your thoughts

[kbbpll]

I'm not knowledgeable about this at all, but it sounds like you have it about right. It seems like the farther into the future we get, the more value these things might have because so many will have been trashed when the coins move on. On the other hand, brown box Ikes in the original boxes are still common as dirt, and it's been 50 years. I think it's funny that I have a pristine Matchbox car box from the 1960s and it's worth more than the car that came in it. So you never know. I wonder if selling all the brochures and mint mailings together separately would be better than along with each set.

[GuyWho]

Thanks for the perspective.  I have plenty of brown box Ike's and the blue boxes from the mint they came in.  Not sure what dad was thinking - really couldn't look at his collection.  On the other hand he had a world class banana sticker collection he enjoyed displaying!

[Moxie15]

To some people the original government packaging means nearly as much as the coin. 

If you are just trying to sell this keep all the paperwork, boxes, mailing packages, etc. If the holders are after market, such as a set of WWII nickles in a cardboard holder with a short write up or pictures and inside a plastic holder, or a set of Lincoln Memorial cents in a holder made to hang on the wall then value is minimal.

[James_OldeTowne]

For items like GSA dollars and the like, the original packaging adds significant value.  And I have personally sold just the ads for GSA dollars for a fair amount of money.  So for sure, sometimes the superfluous stuff adds value!

[GuyWho]

This is all govt packaging and literature. 

A bit surprised the mailing boxes have value but seeing now there's more counter fitting than I thought.  

[Insider]

Keep everything.  There are collectors who value the containers and the condition of the containers.  When you sell, most dealers will trash the stuff and keep the coins.  That's a good thing of us pack-rats.

[GuyWho]

How do I sell to these like-minded pack rats?  Are collectors really looking for proof and uncirculated sets from 1968 to late '90s?

[VKurtB]

13 hours ago, GuyWho said:

How do I sell to these like-minded pack rats?  Are collectors really looking for proof and uncirculated sets from 1968 to late '90s?

Some are, most are not. I believe a set of literature is a great thing. One of my “things” is competitive exhibiting, and no, that’s NOT the same as a registry set. It is museum-like exhibits that relate the story of the numismatic material being displayed. The addition of original literature surrounding ANYTHING creates a huge increase in scores.

[GuyWho]

Wow, competitive exhibiting, who knew.  I'll look to see if I can find a thread on that.  Maybe post some examples to see if the materials are of interest.  Thanks!

[Insider]

On 8/30/2020 at 11:43 AM, GuyWho said:

How do I sell to these like-minded pack rats?  Are collectors really looking for proof and uncirculated sets from 1968 to late '90s?

Ebay, coin show dealers.

[VKurtB]

9 hours ago, GuyWho said:

Wow, competitive exhibiting, who knew.  I'll look to see if I can find a thread on that.  Maybe post some examples to see if the materials are of interest.  Thanks!

You won’t find anything on competitive exhibiting anywhere other than the ANA’s website www.money.org. It is the primary way I enjoy numismatics.

https://www.money.org/numismatic-events/convention-exhibits/john-r-eshbachs-preparing-a-winning-exhibit#:~:text= 1 Select a theme. 2,items as they are packed. Don't... More

One of my most cherished parts of my tenure in numismatics was being a friend and protege of the late great John Eshbach. We were club mates at Red Rose Coin Club of Lancaster, PA.

Major national shows offer exhibiting: ANA, FUN, Central States, the spring Baltimore Whitman, and (I believe, but do not know) Long Beach. 

Edited August 31, 2020 by VKurtB