Let’s do something different. Let’s talk collecting!

I am finding quite a few 2011 coins in pocket change. Most of my finds are Lincoln cents, but there have been a few 2011-P nickels mixed in. For the first time, I found 2010 dimes in change. I have yet to find any America the Beautiful Quarters® in change. Finding 2011 coins in pocket change this early is a good sign, until oil prices rise and put us back into the “Big Recession.”

In recent years, I have purchased the $2 Single Note Collection from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I don’t collect the notes from all of the Federal Reserve branches, I only collect the ones from the Federal Reserve Bank New York. The $2 Single Note Collection features a Series 2003A Federal Reserve note with a a serial number beginning with “2010xxxxD” in a special holder. During the pre-release period, the BEP will only sell the 2011 $2 Single Note Collection as a set. They will begin to sell the individual notes on March 15.

Last week, I purchased the 2010 Presidential $1 Coin Covers. I have been buying U.S. Mint coin covers since they were first released in 1999 for the 50 State Quarters. I find these very cool collectibles and have enjoyed showing them off. They are not popular with collectors and do not sell well in the secondary market, but I like them. To store and display them, I use a two pocket first day cover page stored in a loose leaf binder with anticorrosion pages in the front and back of the book.

I did not buy the 2010 annual sets. The proof sets contain 14 coins and the mint set has 28 coins. Because of the number of coins, the prices for these sets are high. I am not sure it is worth the price since since I collect uncirculated and proof coins in various blue albums and feel that these sets are redundant collectibles. Up until now, I was collecting mint and proof sets dating back to my birth year. But I am not sure I want to continue. I may stop collecting these sets and sell off the collection except for my birth year and the 1965-67 Special Mint Sets.

In fact, I was looking at my collection and may sell a lot of it to just concentrate on my date-mintmark collection, U.S. Mint First Day Covers, interesting world Philatelic-Numismatic Covers (PNC), and some other smaller specialized collections. The rest may end up on eBay!

Speaking of Maryland Colonial currency, I have seen buyer-friendly prices on different auction websites. I wonder if the lack of activity is because of the economy or general interest. For collectors, this is good since we can buy what we want at a good price with a potential for a good future return.

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