Domenic,

Overpriced is true on the silver Proof set! The Mint raised the price of it by $25 from last year, from $105 to $130… While silver has been dropping this year and today is about $22.50 an ounce. I will buy 1 set to keep my collection going, but not the 5 sets I have always bought in past years since 1976.

NumisdudeTX

well, for $400 divided by about 70 proof sets works out to about $6 more per set – I guess you can call that a premium for potentially getting a higher-grade set from the mint directly than you would likely get buying aftermarket (since those resale sets have almost certainly already been checked for any higher-grade coins). given that a higher-grade coin, even just one per set, would command a premium way over $6, it may work out better getting from the mint – though this of course means hoping you get lucky which is no guarantee. but the chances of scoring a higher-grade coin are better than winning even a $10 lottery ticket prize.

Kaiser,

I too prefer to purchase most items I’m interested in on issue day directly from the Mint. It is beyond me why many people do not know they can purchase items directly from the Mint & instead turn to the “Wild West” of eBay & HSN etc. to purchase new Mint products.

NumisdudeTX

c_q

Yes, the 2012 Proof sets were an anomaly for sure. But the price is way down on those from the height of the market on those sets (about $95 for the 2912 clad set now). The reason that happened in 2012 is because the Mint stopped selling them without warning & they were supposed to be “unlimited” mintage as usual, so many collectors who put off purchasing the sets that year got a big surprise & started buying multiple sets from coin dealers & the prices skyrocketed. As you say, it is “nutty”.

NumisdudeTX

yeah, the problem is that if you want ‘all’ then ‘most’ will be cheap but ‘some’ will be way overpriced. for example the 2012 proof set still has a fairly nutty price

You are on to something there for sure. Most U.S. Mint “modern” annual Proof sets (1968 forward for example) can be purchased now for less than issue price or not much higher. Even some silver Proof coin sets can be purchased for less than issue price or close to issue price. Sometimes waiting to make a common, unlimited mintage Proof coin set purchase like these can be rewarding, if one is the type that can wait.

NumisdudeTX

one spot on e- PAY says pre sale, 7 sold 3 available for only 48.75.
another indicates the ‘proof’ dollar coin from the set, 92 sold, 8 available only 8.78. though I see in the notes above “However, it is important to note that these dollars have a regular circulating finish.”