Expert: PAPAJACK - 12/30/2008

Question
QUESTION: What is your advice to a novice about what the guy says the value is of mint proof sets sold on programs on Shop-at-home shows? Thanks Ron


ANSWER: Hello Ronald,          

The ones I have seen on the shopping channels are extremely over priced. Sometimes Grossly Overpriced, I do not recommend them.

The people on the air do make a nice TV presentation in their holders but the coins themselves can be bought less expensively at most shops and any coin show.

Many are usually common date sets. And NONE OF THEM are hard to get on the secondary market in sets or as single coins.
And there are plastic holders also for sale at large coin shows or directly from the Mint.

Although you need to do some footwork to put a full set of something like this together yourself it is more rewarding. And you learn more about the Hobby.

It is hard to price the sets you mention without seeing them. But for example: The early 1960's years of proof sets from the Philadelphia Mint sell in proof 65 to 67 grade for or about $12 or less each.
The 1968 and later years of proof sets from the San Francisco Mint sell in proof 65 to 68 grade for as little as $5.50 to $6.50 for the 1968 to 1982 $21 or less each for most of the common date Clad Sets.
Please Note the sets that contain the 90% Silver dime, quarter and Half Dollars will cost more.
Then some sets like the 1995 clad go for $45 and the 1995 Silver set is $70 to $95. So the metal they are made of and the date made is important.

IF you give me more specific years and type of proof set in another question I will be able to give you a better range of values.

If there any more information you require on this question just ask.

Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: DId you find this is true with all the informarcials on TV.

Answer
Hello Ronald,          

To my experience there has not been any reasonably priced coin set on the infomercials.

This is just one aspect of how the coin collecting hobby gets ruined.

The coins are so grossly over priced and people’s expectations built up beyond what the common coin they are getting really is worth that it turns people away for good.
The coins they trade would have to be held for another hundred years for the value to come close to the sale price on most of the stuff they sell.

Always buy the book before the coin! Know what may be special or just adorned pocket change.

Good Luck

PapaJack