How many coin collectors seek complete sets of moderns?

[Zoins]

One of the complaints about the US Mint's recent activities has been the increasing number of issues they are putting out. This makes it more expensive to buy examples of everything the Mint puts out every year. It gets even more difficult when TPGs are included and people want only TPG 70s or, in some cases, 69s.

 

What percentage of coin collectors do you think fit in the category of wanting one (or more) of every modern issue the Mint puts out? What absolute number of collectors have this approach?

 

If the Mint increases the annual number products so that there is something for everyone but fewer people can buy everything, is that necessarily a bad thing overall? Overall being when the collecting interests of those that collect only specific issues are included.

[jgrinz]

I retired and sold everything - It is impossible

[EZ_E]

I collect modern commems and clad/silver proof sets and mint sets as a secondary pursuit.

[DC Dawg]

It depends on the collection and collection type. For example, I am not collecting commemoratives. For some reason, I am just not interested. I divested myself of the commemoratives with themes I am not interested in and will collect only what I like. I do like to collect circulating currency and products associated with them. For example, I have two collection of state quarters (one circulated in Harris folders and the other Uncirculated in a Whitman album), complete set of Sac Dollars, proof sets, silver proof sets, and mint sets. I also collect proof and uncirculated silver Eagles.

 

There are a lot of people interested in modern mint issues judging by the Mint's published sales figures, but I also think that many of these collectors are new and have not discovered the joy in collecting entombed coins. Most collect Mint packaged sets or pull coins from change. Other than the Eagles and the Buffalo gold coin, I would be surprised to see moderns slabbed in high numbers!

 

Finally, I do not think the US Mint is as bad as the Royal Canadian Mint! In 2006 there were three different versions of the Maple Leaf coin, alone. Go to their web site and see what is happening with our neighbors to the north!!

 

Scott

[cladking]

It used to be common for people to order one of everything from the mint. Some would even order their limit of everything.

 

This is probably very very uncommon now days. Not only is the cost prohibitive for most people the there is such a diversity of products that few would be interested in all of them. You still see massive collections of this sort of stuff come into the coin shops but no longer is there one of everything. There might be one of several things and a pile of a specific product but not one of everything.

 

Perhaps a thousand people or so are doing it. Perhaps not even quite that many.

[World Colonial]

I do not know how many collectors have this as a goal, but I can certainly think of many better uses of collection funds than buying this stuff. I happen to collect world coins and have quit collecting US coins for now, but if I was a US coin collector, I would rather collect just about anything else. All of this material is common, except as conditional rarities, and at current prices, there would appear to be better values out there aside from strictly collector considerations. Several of the modern commemoratives are of dubious historical significance and the designs are mediocre too.

[cpm9ball]

In 2006, it was reported that it would cost almost $15,000 for someone to buy one of every item the Mint sold for that year. With the price increases the Mint has announced for 2007, that figure has certainly gone over $15,000.

 

Chris

[astrostu]

I'm a lot like Scott B in what I buy. I don't like most commemoratives, so I only collect ones that have special significance to me. For example, I bought the Library of Congress one a few years ago because I worked at a library; I bought the First Flight one because I'm pursuing astronomy as a career (can't wait for the 2019 50th Apollo commemorative ).

 

In the late '90s, I would collect MS stuff from circulation. I would also buy an annual SAE and clad set. In 2000 (one year late!) I started to buy the silver proof sets, too. In 2005, to commemorate starting grad school, I started buying the 1/10 oz platinum. Last year, I added the 1/4 oz gold bullion. This year, I may add the uncirculated sets because of the different finish along with the presidential dollar set (still debating on that one).

 

Otherwise, I generally don't bother with the stuff the Mint puts out unless it's a "circulating" coin not released to circulation anymore (e.g. Kennedies).

[Dwaine]

I collect just the proof, silver proof, mint sets. Just started with the Eagles.

[BillJones]

I keep up with the normal Proof sets (clad and silver no varieites or missing mint marks) and the modern commemorative series. If the First Lady series is viewed as a part of the commemorative coin series, my complete set will end there.

 

I don't collect any coins by date and mint mark any more. I find that too boring and too expensive.