Here in the United States, the first Monday of September is Labor Day. Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that dates back to 1883 to create a day off for the “working man.” Today, it is a symbolic mark of the end of summer as school begins either the week before or after the holiday.
Along with the start of school comes the start of Meteorological Fall. As opposed to astronomical fall, the meteorological seasons are aligned with the calendar and not the orientation of the Earth from the Sun. It is supposed to signal the beginning of atmospheric cooling.
With the summer over and the return of the routine, this change has me thinking about my collection. While I have a number of interests, including the “oh neat” factor, I have a number of collections that I am assessing whether I want to continue. Of today’s concerns are the dollar coin Registry Sets at the Collectors’ Society. Two of those sets are of a Susan B. Anthony Dollar uncirculated and proof Registry Sets. Although these sets are 50-percent completed, I am just not interested any more. I might keep the 1979 Wide Rim dollar because it is worth a bit more than the others. But the rest of the coins my be sold soon.
I also feel the same about my Eisenhower Dollar Registry sets. Aside from being my first set, I find the coin appealing as the last large dollar coin produced in the United States. But like my Susie B. sets, that spark is no longer there. If I sell this set, all but the 1976 dollars will be sold, including the 1971 coin graded MS65 where NGC Census reports that no 1971 Eisenhower Dollar has graded higher than MS66. This makes my MS65 worth a bit more than other coins of the same grade.
Regardless of what I do with these sets, I will continue to build the Bicentennial and the uncirculated American Silver Eagle sets. In fact, I have a number of coins I sent to NGC for grading that I hope improves my scores. I still like the competitive aspect of Registry sets as I wrote about in Competitive Collecting. But there is no need to collect something I am not interested in just for the competition.
If I decide to sell off the Eisenhower and Susan B. Anthony dollars, I will be posting them on eBay. Watch that space for these coins, possibly including the 1971 dollar that brings in over 300 registry points!