1975 Uncirculated Sets 1 1

[Halbrook Family]

What happened to the 1975 uncirculated sets? I looked at my local stores and also on ebay and most all the sets are really really bad. Don people really pay more for toning coins? Even lots of the proof sets are badly stained. 

[Sandon]

   Most collectors would find this kind of "toning" or discoloration undesirable.  Many people stored these sets in humid or otherwise inappropriate environments, which caused or accelerated this discoloration.  However, both of these sets are quite common, so you should be able to find nicer ones if you look around. I recommend in-person inspection at coin shows or shops.

[Mike Meenderink]

All those sets were improperly stored. The cellophane they came in made it worse. I don't buy just any proof sets I only accept estate or hand me down sets that are in perfect condition. You can find one. If you cant find a set you like buy the coins from the set individually and make your own.

[JKK]

Toning can be pretty, ugly, or meh. I think the cause of these was the cellophane. I'm not sure when it was, but sometime around the 80s perhaps, PVC went out the window as a source of coin storage. I'm not sure if these have PVC or something else, but that's when the major shift in archival quality storage came along. You should see coins that were stored in those old clear plastic PVC tubes for decades--they have to be acetoned just to get the gross greenish-blue slime off. Nasty.

[Coinbuf]

As has been said poor storage has ruined a great many of the 60's, 70's, and even many of the 80's mint and proof sets.   People would buy them and then throw them into a box and shove that into an attic or basement.   Heat and humidity are tough on coins stored in the older packaging which as @JKK noted had PVC in the materials.   There are still nice sets out there that have been properly stored, but many of the collector estates that are being liquidated by heirs are full of these improperly stored coins.    As such many local coin shops and retail outlets like ebay become the dumping grounds for the chaff, the good stuff that shops are occasionally offered are usually broken up with the best or pretty toned coins being sent to grading.