Introductory Pricing Ending for Baseball Half Dollars

The introductory pricing period for the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollars is scheduled to conclude on Monday, April 28, 2014 at 5:00 PM ET. This leaves collectors with just a few more days to take advantage of the lower pricing for the individual proof and uncirculated coins.

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Sales for the commemorative coin program had started on March 27, 2014 at 12:00 Noon ET. Amidst an opening day frenzy of orders, the proof and uncirculated $5 gold coins had quickly sold out of the combined 50,000 maximum mintage. This was followed by the sell out of the proof and uncirculated silver dollars at the combined 400,000 maximum mintage after less than two week of availability.

The clad half dollars have trailed the silver dollars in sales figures. As of April 20, 2014, the US Mint has reported sales of 119,869 proof and 74,203 uncirculated half dollars. This represents combined sales of 194,072 coins from the 750,000 maximum mintage.

The half dollars feature the same concave obverse design featuring a glove and convex reverse design featuring a baseball. Under the authorizing legislation for the program, it was the sense of the Congress that the silver dollars and $5 gold coins be produced with the curved shape. Last year, the US Mint announced that the half dollars would also feature the curved shape to accommodate the broadest range of customers at the most affordable price. The coin actually represents the first and currently the only clad concave-convex coin produced anywhere in the world.

Introductory pricing for the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollars is currently $18.95 for the uncirculated version and $19.95 for the proof version. The US Mint continues to impose a household order limit of 100 coins per version. After Monday, April 28, 2014 at 5:00 PM ET, the prices will be raised by $4 per coin to $22.95 for the uncirculated version and $23.95 for the proof version.

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Comments

  1. VA Rich says

    Went through some of these yesterday evening with a 30x loupe.., I’ll just say this, those that have their hands on 70 quality halves should hold on to them.., there may not be many of that quality. Happy Hunting!

  2. Pittsburgh P says

    Many people thought the discount prices were high for the clad… What about after the 28th? Question: Do you feel the increase will hurt the sales for these a lot or not at all?

  3. VA Rich says

    Pitt – imo sales will plummet (in the near term). Collectors and flippers already have their order(s) placed and we’re just sitting around for the goods to arrive.

    Now if the HoF or MLB were to actively market the halves, which one would expect due to their marketing expertise, then we could see further momentum as the summer heats up and baseball comes into full swing (I am still of the opinion that there’s a big audience out there for these coins that still IS NOT aware of them).., in time, word and awareness will spread like ketchup on a ballpark frank.

    These coins aren’t a one hit wonder nor a one trick pony.., this is a coin for the generations, and as Sith has commented previously, many will be tucked away for ‘sentimental value’ – as you can tell, I am, and will remain quite bullish. Just wish they would start shipping!

  4. DCDave says

    Doubt there will be demand for 750,000, but collect them if you like them. They won’t have premiums unless you get an ms70. The UNC Clad would be the way to go IMHO since sales will likely stop with mintage of these under 200,000 (assuming total sales will end up well below 750,000, unless they keep them for sale until 2016).

  5. CasualCollector says

    I believe the remaining BHOF Coins (Clads) can only be minted through the end of this year (according to the law that was passed).

    PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue coins
    minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning
    on January 1, 2014.

  6. joe says

    Kind of interesting that the gold and silver coins sold out quickly; however, the clad is still very much available. This may indicate that the frenzy for these coins may be more a result of speculation on the expensive versions than for interest in the design itself. Otherwise, I would expect the cheaper versions to be doing much better than they apparently are.

  7. stephen m says

    The prompt sellout of the gold and silver coins is a good indication that the coins will increase in value, always be desirable and is and will be an attractive collectable coin for a long, long time, in my opinion. The mint hit a grand slam with this offering.

  8. J. Allen says

    VA Rich, I agree that the quality of the clad HOF’s leave much to be desired as far as quality. I just retuned one for exchange due to all sorts of small scratches on the baseball side of the coin.
    I am purchasing a few to give to my grandchildren who are big baseball fans.

  9. DCDave says

    Stephen m: I think 90+% of people purchasing the gold and silver BHOF coins are big and small time flippers. Regular collectors don’t buy 50 gold coins or 100 silver coins for their personal collection. Time will tell, but I see the hype settling down and prices settling down as well. That being said, I am a big fan of the coin, especially the silver. Baseball fans collect baseball cards and doubt will spend hundreds on a coin, unless they are already coin collectors.

  10. joe says

    Again, the design is the same for the clad as it is for the PM coins. If it was about the design, I would expect higher sales for the clad (which are doing much poorer than I would have expected); especially since the clad coins are MUCH less expensive. In my opinion, this indicates that there is speculation going on here. And the TPGs haven’t even opened the flood gates yet which result in further price suppression.

    Don’t get me wrong…I purchased a set of all the coins on the first day and would love to see prices continue to go up. Sadly, I doubt that will be the case. Realistically, I see it more of an “V-shaped” curve where they start to drop (when the TPGs do their thing and the panic sellers respond accordingly) and then slowly rise again.

  11. Zaz says

    OT–The 2014 silver proof set subscriptions are starting to get processed, they started with a rolling ship date of 5/09 yesterday.

    My HOF silver dollar orders from late on the 27th that had a 4/16 shipping date are now at 5/10.

    Denver clad unc. commemoratives always seem to run in the MS66-68 range, the graded MS70s are a sleeper coin.

  12. Dan in Fla says

    I think people have been using their funds to purchase BHOF silver dollars and now that they have sold out the halves will pick up.

  13. VA Rich says

    Well, If I could have a “redo” on 3/27.., I do know this.., I would have backed the truck up first on those silver dollars rather than screwing around until later in the day thinking.., “ohhh, there’s no big rush” – I forgot who said it, “timing, everything is all about timing!”

  14. Louis says

    @joe- Yes, the design is the same, but the degree of curve on the halves is much less than on the gold and silver, and when you see the three together, the clad is much less impressive. Plus clad halves tend not to sell well because of quality issues, perceptions that they will not increase in value, etc.

  15. Larry says

    I would just like to get the one Silver Proof BHOF I ordered way back on the first day. By the time I get it, I probably will have lost interest.

  16. VABEACHBUM says

    In terms of sheer volume, the BHOF clad have seen vastly improved sales as compared to previous clad. Even with the price increase, I still think totals sales for the BHOF halves will approach 400K units by year’s end.

    And, while just my opinion, I also think the overall quality of these clad commemoratives as compared to the PR & UNC 2011 Army Clad, is so much better. It took me 3 returns to obtain 2011 halves that were acceptable, and I don’t scrutinize with loops for gradeable coins. The finish strike on most of those UNC halves were especially bad.

  17. Eddie says

    I have a question about my silver proof dollar. It has 3 black dots in and around the O in the word of. Should I send this coin back or just keep it? It looks good other than that.
    Any advice?

  18. VA Dave says

    Anyone tracking on order fullfillments and what “time” the mint is up to for delivery of the $5 HOF Proofs? I see a few people on the blog have received coins for orders processed during the first hour of sale. Seems the mint has not made it past 1pm give or take a few minutes for the gold $5 HOF’s. I got an order in at 3pm sharp, 3/27 for one of the Proof $5 HOF coins. Status has been stuck as In Process, Backordered for 6/21 now for about 3-4 weeks. I’m pretty sure I’ll get the coin as my order was in several hours before the wait list, just getting a tad impatient – really want to get one in hand! You’d think the mint could crank out 50K coins in less than 3-4 weeks.

  19. VABEACHBUM says

    @ Dave – I’m right there with you. Ordered at 3:34 PM on 3/27. Ship dates moved several times during the first week, but have settled onto 06/21. My first PR $1- separate order but same timeframe – should be in the mail box this evening, while my UNC $1 has slid to the right to 05/05. The additional $1 coins ordered when sales were at 91% (04/07) have pushed out to 06/21 as well. Like you, I know that I will receive the coins I ordered and, also like you, I am impatient to have these gems in hand!

  20. A&L Futures says

    Latest PCGS Population Report for the 50C and $1 Baseball HoF coins

    2014-D 50C Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525645 First Strike 247 184
    • 526703 First Pitch (Baltimore) 219 206
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 32 42

    2014-S 50C Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525646 First Strike 250 113
    • 526717 First Pitch (Baltimore) 242 165
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 27 48

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525649 First Strike 191 177
    • 525651 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 123 175
    • 526719 First Pitch (Baltimore) 162 248
    • 527083 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 27 32

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525650 First Strike 197 293
    • 525652 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 177 314
    • 526718 First Pitch (Baltimore) 284 373
    • 527081 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 24 48

  21. Steven says

    Clad is not cheap at all. Actually it is mostly inflated.
    The premium for gold HOF is roughly 25% over its gold value; silver HOF is 250% over its silver value. Clad? Its metal value is close to 0.
    That is why for modern coins, I guess, few will like very expensive clads.

  22. A&L Futures says

    Latest PCGS Population Report for the $5 (Gold) Baseball HoF coins

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525857 First Strike 84 128
    • 525862 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 10 0
    • 526710 First Pitch (Baltimore) 20 66
    • 527080 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 2 12

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525860 First Strike 67 199
    • 525865 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 3 7
    • 526716 First Pitch (Baltimore) 15 69
    • 527084 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 4 9

  23. VABEACHBUM says

    @ A&L – Interesting distributions. Does PCGS provide any information regarding the total number of submissions received towards the resultant, graded populations?? I’m curious as to the normal distribution for the overall quality of the coins: e.g., 69 & 70 represent 67% (or 90% or 95%) of the total population.

  24. A&L Futures says

    @ Mark

    I agree! Yet, wait for one of these “scribbles” to hit the Bay. Stupid as it may be, they will sell.

  25. Pittsburgh P says

    @vadave one of my orders that has a gold proof was at 1:27pm 3/27. It moved around at first settling on est. Ship date of 4/16. A week after that passed it jumped to 6/21 and that’s where it’s stayed… So I guess they haven’t got that far on the gold. I did receive all the silver and clad from that order.

  26. thePhelps says

    @joe…Louis hit the nail on the head. Many collectors veer away from the clad coins – because it is generally a waste of time collecting them. With no precious metals in them and the quality is usually pretty weak… plus the price point is high for what you actually are getting. (the Denver mint is notorious for poor quality on commemorative half dollar coins).

    I suspect these will do ok – won’t take off and sell out – but will have a respectable sales total when it is all said and done.

  27. A&L Futures says

    @ All

    Sorry for the formatting issues, it looks a whole lot better on my word.doc.

  28. Jon in CT says

    A&L Futures wrote on April 25, 2014 at 3:49 PM:@ All

    Sorry for the formatting issues, it looks a whole lot better on my word.doc.

    Thanks for the info. Here’s my feeble attempt to display your data and recreate the spacing which produces nice columns.
    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525857 First Strike 84 128
    • 525862 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 10 0
    • 526710 First Pitch (Baltimore) 20 66
    • 527080 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 2 12

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525860 First Strike 67 199
    • 525865 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 3 7
    • 526716 First Pitch (Baltimore) 15 69
    • 527084 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 4 9

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525649 First Strike 191 177
    • 525651 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 123 175
    • 526719 First Pitch (Baltimore) 162 248
    • 527083 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 27 32

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525650 First Strike 197 293
    • 525652 First Strike – Cassie McFarland 177 314
    • 526718 First Pitch (Baltimore) 284 373
    • 527081 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 24 48

    2014-D 50C Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525645 First Strike 247 184
    • 526703 First Pitch (Baltimore) 219 206
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 32 42

    2014-S 50C Baseball Hall of Fame PR69 PR70
    • 525646 First Strike 250 113
    • 526717 First Pitch (Baltimore) 242 165
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 27 48

  29. fmtransmitter says

    I’ll take my OGP prices and chances…I don’t like throwing money away on a sig. I am not a flipper though…

  30. fmtransmitter says

    On that note, buy a graded burnished, chunks missing all throughout this years coin. Wow…

  31. VA Dave says

    VABeachbum, Cagcrisp, PittsburgP, Darek: Roger that-tks for the info….6/21 is sure a long time for something so unique – driving me nuts checking status every day. I guess the mint can only crank out a handful of coins each week. I sure hope that date is just a place holder that moves up quick. But it seems the latest ship time I see in the blog is 1:27pm. An hour and a half down (12-130) an hour and half to go (for me anyway). If this rate holds it will be another 4 weeks!

  32. VABEACHBUM says

    @ VA Dave – As we move forward and the Mint continues to retool and catch up to orders after releasing their initial stocks, I think we’ll see our ship dates eventually start moving more to the left. I’m guessing a 01 – 07 June time frame. Other high demand products have seen similar trends. Still way too long between now and then!!!

  33. Pittsburgh P says

    Vadave… No prob but 1:27 wasnt a ship time(wish it was)… The latest I’ve seen has been 1:05!

    Question: was offered 300$ for 2 of each unc. and proof silver BHoF. I already set the ones for my collection aside & will be getting the same amount back on 5/10(hopefully) should I take the money and run… Or sit on them like I planned to do?(really wasn’t sure if I was gonna sell them but if I do will they be worth more in the future or now because of the hype)

    Just want some opinions of what you guys would do. I know no one can speculate what will actually happen. Thx

  34. Jon in CT says

    My latest (last?) attempt to format the PCGS population report data originally posted by A&L Futures, above.

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame ................. MS69 . MS70
    • 525857 First Strike ............................. 84 .. 128
    • 525862 First Strike - Cassie McFarland .......... 10 .... 0
    • 526710 First Pitch (Baltimore) .................. 20 ... 66
    • 527080 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland .. 2 ... 12

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame ................. PR69 . PR70
    • 525860 First Strike ............................. 67 .. 199
    • 525865 First Strike - Cassie McFarland ........... 3 .... 7
    • 526716 First Pitch (Baltimore) .................. 15 ... 69
    • 527084 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland .. 4 .... 9

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame ................. MS69 . MS70
    • 525649 First Strike ............................ 191 .. 177
    • 525651 First Strike - Cassie McFarland ......... 123 .. 175
    • 526719 First Pitch (Baltimore) ................. 162 .. 248
    • 527083 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland . 27 ... 32

    2014-P $1 Baseball Hall of Fame ................. PR69 . PR70
    • 525650 First Strike ............................ 197 .. 293
    • 525652 First Strike - Cassie McFarland ......... 177 .. 314
    • 526718 First Pitch (Baltimore) ................. 284 .. 373
    • 527081 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland . 24 ... 48

    2014-D 50C Baseball Hall of Fame ................ MS69 . MS70
    • 525645 First Strike ............................ 247 .. 184
    • 526703 First Pitch (Baltimore) ................. 219 .. 206
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland . 32 ... 42

    2014-S 50C Baseball Hall of Fame ................ PR69 . PR70
    • 525646 First Strike ............................ 250 .. 113
    • 526717 First Pitch (Baltimore) ................. 242 .. 165
    • 527078 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland . 27 ... 48

  35. GoldFishin says

    @Eddie… if those are what I call black specks they are pretty common with Silver coins, Eagles especially. Normally they are very small, circular and can really only be seen with at least 5x magnification. They are not a detraction post strike and IMO unless they really disturb the eye appeal of the coin, they should not affect the grade. They are part of the planchet from the beginning I have been told by NGC grader.

  36. CF says

    Just received my HOF silver proof coins and I’m wondering if I should send them in for grading. I have never used NGC or PCGS or any third party grader. I have always kept my coins in OGP. I have bought some PCGS graded MS70 coins in the past and over the years have developed some spots. Don’t understand why. Has anyone else developed spots on their PCGS graded coins? Don’t have any NGC graded coins so I can’t compare. Not sure where to send my HOF coins for grading. Is it very difficult to send them in and would it be worth it? Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.

  37. VA Dave says

    VABeachBum – left of boom is much better than right of boom….

    Pittsburg PA – Can’t really say – I collect for the fun of it. Been doing so for about 30 years. Don’t buy a lot, but buy what I like a little at a time. Been buying from the mint ever since 86, specific coins (eagles, buffalo’s, annual sets). Prefer older coins which I think had better designs, but older coins tend to cost a bit more if you want nice ones. Not much into selling, but I guess what I would do is take extra’s if I had them of something popular to coin shows and trade for something I don’t have and would like to have. I did buy some extra 2011, 12, 13 Eagle sets that I’ve been holding on to just for trading one day. I only need one of a coin to be satisfied (as long as it’s a damn good one). Long ramble I know just to answer a question – I think if I had extra coins at least the gold HOFs I would hold due to popularity and reasonably low mintage. The others…silver HOF’s which I didn’t buy because they were minted in the 100’s of thousands and I liked the gold one better I would probably sell while the hype is off the charts. I don’t see how the price grows too much for a coin minted in the hundreds of thousands. Just my humble opinion.

  38. Alex says

    EBay closed auctions search results show a huge number of bidders with “0” feedback. It looks like a lot of baseball fans purchase BHOF coins.

  39. Dave says

    FM and Eddie,
    Got my subscription ASEs today ( via US mail) and have to send 4 out of 5 back due to spots and even what looked like bag marks on one. On another there was a blotch so big it looked like a teenager’s pimple!
    The one not sent back was top quality..
    When I return coins to the mint I always Post-a-Note each coin with problem description and location. Never been questioned .
    This time I sent an additional note expressing my belief that for bullion these problems would be acceptable but at 2X bullion or more I expect better for collector coins.

  40. BearMetal says

    Jon in CT… I am curious. Have you tried using FONT ‘Courier New’ which is a Monospaced font (whose letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space)? If you have, then we will know that this Blog’s font overrides the original font posted.

    Thank you for your efforts to share this information.

  41. Natatack says

    Had to send back 2 proof half’s. One had a deep scratch on ball side and one had black spot on glove, both seen without loop.

  42. fmtransmitter says

    Seems like the Mint used most/all of it’s best resources trying to get the HOF right that it forgot about it’s other products…

  43. merryxmasmrscrooge says

    That was a long time to have the introductory prices. I think the Mint is good to its customers.
    I like the clad half best because it’s like real circulating coinage.. Might carry one as a pocket piece until it wears out and show it to the people at work.

  44. VA Rich says

    Excellent point Scrooge – I and few others plan to do the same, great way to strike up a conversation. May want to have a few extras in the trunk of your car for those that must have one.., then pop out a proof silver dollar for effect. Good way to suck up to the secretaries too, well those that like sports… or shiny things.

    FYI – 3:23 pm order for dollars on 3/27 pushed to 5/11; actually, everything snapped to 5/11 regardless of the order date. Hate to be working in the packaging department on 5/11 when 300,000 dollar coins ship.

  45. VA Rich says

    From the website on changing delivery dates –

    About Changing Shipping Dates: We are experiencing technical difficulties with the part of our system that displays the expected ship date for your order, causing the dates to move incorrectly. Please be assured that orders are being fulfilled according to our standard policy. This issue will have no impact on the actual shipping dates. Thank you for your patience as we work toward a solution.

  46. JEFF in TX . says

    These coins will be just like the 2011 American silver eagle 5 coin set, not that hot now. Just certain grades and so on .

  47. Natatack says

    Does anyone know if the signature labels from PCGS are original or signed? The HOF signed labels from NGC are copies.

  48. Pittsburgh P says

    @Natatack they are genuine facsimile signatures! In other words COPIES… rip offs imo

  49. Eddie says

    @Dave You are the only that commented about my problem and I really do appreciate it Dave. The spots on my proof is visible with the naked eye just 3 tiny dark and/or black dots.
    If I do decide to send it back how does one go about doing it? I have never had this problem before.

  50. Pittsburgh P says

    @Eddie I think it was Goldfishin that answered your question… I haven’t had any experience with your problem or I would have commented.

    About the return use the packing slip that came with your order. The return policy is on the bottom, there is also a return label for you to use and a place for the reason of return and resolution you want: refund, exchange or replace. Hope this helped…

  51. VA Dave says

    VA Rich – good read on the HOF coins. All very valid points. These are definitely long term keepers. Now I wonder if a Football is next which would present a challenge to keep round and avoid being gimmicky if football shaped.

  52. MN says

    What determines the cut-off for 2014 Subscription order savings (so days prior to a release date, after so many have been spoken for, metal availability/release date inventory)? U.S. Mint Subscription information reads the next Silver Proof Set available as a subscription will be the 2015, yet the 2014 set does not go on sale until the 29th. Maybe there were a lot of subscription orders to get single-dated Silver Kennedy half-dollars for grading?

  53. thePhelps says

    @VADave… I think the football shape would be problematic. I could however see a helmet on a coin very easily. I for one wouldn’t be overly thrilled to see the mint do a cafe’ style offering that ventures even further into the Perth or RCM realm.

  54. Dave says

    Eddie
    Don’t forget to insure your return and keep the Post Office receipt.
    Also make a copy of your Packing Sheet and your return postage receipt and send them with a letter to Novitex for reimbursement of your return postage & insurance expense.
    You will get a check from the US Treasury. First time I got mine I thought I was getting audited……LOL!

  55. Jon in CT says

    BearMetal wrote on April 25, 2014 at 8:40 PM:

    Jon in CT… I am curious. Have you tried using FONT ‘Courier New’ which is a Monospaced font (whose letters and characters each occupy the same amount of horizontal space)? If you have, then we will know that this Blog’s font overrides the original font posted.

    My test above relied on whatever the default monospace font . Here’s an example overriding the default with Courier New.

    2014-W $5 Baseball Hall of Fame MS69 MS70
    • 525857 First Strike 84 128
    • 525862 First Strike - Cassie McFarland 10 0
    • 526710 First Pitch (Baltimore) 20 66
    • 527080 First Pitch (Baltimore) Cassie McFarland 2 12

  56. GoldFishin says

    @ Alex….You are right…I have closely tracked ebay sales of the HOF coins each day since the release. I look at prices of 69 grade, 70 grade, OGP, and sealed packages of both proof and uncirculated. There are many new people with rating under 5 that are bidding on these coins and there also long time ebayers that have never purchased coins before in their history that are buying these coins.

    Prices after what was a unsustainable ascent have settled into a nice base and over the last few days since the sell out of silver was official have started to catch a bid higher. If you look at graded supply listed on Ebay auction style 69 or 70’s on a 24 hr basis there are less than 20 coins available in a 24 hr period for silver and gold proof. In the uncirculated gold graded less than 5. Each time MCM has come into the market with their releases there has been some pull back in prices, but once their supply has been sold, prices begin to stabilize and slowly strengthen again. I think the fact that we have a lot of new buyers purchasing these HOF coins coupled with the fact that a pretty small supply has actually been delivered by the Mint to purchasers in time to have coins graded FS/ER or even available OGP is going to give some legs to this offering in the short term and longer term as well. Also, if many of these first time buyers of coins get interested in the hobby of coin collecting it should be good for everyone that appreciates the hobby.

  57. Louis says

    Has anyone actually gotten their coins back from NGC yet? Mine shipped at the beginning of the week and every time I check tracking it says “not found.” I think this happens with registered mail when it is transit, which is very odd. Until it arrives, it often does not even show up in the system. Is this happening to others? When I mailed my packaged registered to NGC I was able to track it fine and now as I await my coins I am getting nervous. Any reassuring or other thoughts?

  58. GoldFishin says

    Louis…my wife works for the post office as a window clerk. Registered mail is the safest way to mail a package as it has to be accounted for by an indivdual every step of the way in transit, but is also the least trackable and sometimes scans aren’t visible to the public but are visible in the system only accessible by postal employees with access to the system. I prefer shipping by Postal Express for a couple of reasons for packages with values say less $2000. First, you get your package delivered in one day guaranteed if you drop off by 3pm. Second, the insurance is cheaper to purchase that any other form of purchasing insurance. A little known fact my wife clued me in to. Also, If you purchase online you save a bunch more. I sent my NGC coins express mail, went to the USPS site, printed the label and saved about $5, which was about the cost of the insurance. So I would recommend if you do use this service buy your postage online, print your label and then just take it to a PO and drop it off. I hope with your registered you feel a little better. I have shipped very high value packages before and it is maddening because of the lack of tracking info available, but they have always got there and most times the tracking showed up delayed.

  59. VA Dave says

    ThePhelps – agree 100% I would not like to see the mint get too off track either with gimmick coins. The HOF appears (I’ll appreciate it better when my order shows up) to be really well done and tasteful. Definitely prefer the mint stay with traditional coins and designs. My particular fav’s are the Indian chiefs, buffalo’s, eagles (standing, walking or flying), etc from the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.

  60. Louis says

    Thanks, GF- When I shipped to them (probably because I am on the same side of the country as NGC) it only took a couple days but I know it can take up to 2 weeks with registered and with the lack of tracking, it really messes with your blood pressure. I appreciate the info and am confident they will arrive in the next couple days. I hope so as I am selling a couple items (I had them take pics and e-mail them so I could get them listed fast and I already have bids), but by the time the auctions end and people pay, they should arrive, and it’s not the end of the world if they have to wait a day or two anyway. I agree if the package is under about $2 K there are better methods that are safe and much faster. Thanks again.

  61. coolbowser says

    @ Louis – I’ve gotten my coins back. I had the same problem that I think you are having. For some reason there were two tracking numbers for my coins. One was a really long number that they typically use when you send something by Priority mail. And that number never did show up. So I went looking in the email they sent me or online at NGC in my account and found another tracking number that was for registered mail and that one worked. I don’t what was up with the two different tracking numbers. You might want to see if you can find a second tracking number either in an email or online when you long into your account at NGC.

  62. Louis says

    Thanks, CB- Do you happen to remember where on the NGC site you found the other number. I am using the one in the e-mail from Danny Nunez and it is 22 digits, which like you said is the length of a priority mail #. When I sent my coins and requested registered and had the forms they somehow combined priority and registered and that seem to speed it up, but if they sent it back the same way it’s taking its sweet time coming back!!

  63. Samuel says

    The NGC label printing system is messed up. a couple of months ago, i had the same problem. i kept tracking but no info, until one day the PO truck pulled in front of my door, i knew i got package. i just checked that box just now, the problem is, the label they printed was”priority”, at the bottom of the label, it stated”US registered mail”, then there is a standalone “registered mail” label beside. my understanding is, “priority” and “registered” are two exclusive things, can have both at the same time. so it was messed up.

    G.F. u said u saved $5 to cover the insurance, i usually use priority with insurance, the ins rate is about 1.5% of the declared value. how can urs so low? i also dont think u can insure registered mail for high value stuff. for example, i once returned a package to canada, i paid ins for$500, but the receipt only shows about $50, it is said there is a treaty kind of thing, u just can’t insure that high value across countries.

    guys, what do u use to mail to NGC?

  64. coolbowser says

    Louis. Looks like I didn’t find it on their website. I received 2 emails from them. One from Danny Nunez and the other saying ngc shipping summary. The one from Danny had the long one in it. The second one saying shipping summary had a file attached to it. I clicked on the file and it opened up my invoice sheet with my coins and it had a registered mail tracking number with it. See if you didn’t get 2 emails from them.

  65. Louis says

    Thanks, Sam. International is a whole other thing with its own weird rules and regs and that is why when I sell I only ship domestically. For mailing to NGC is you are sending coins worth a total of at least $2K always use registered mail and indicate full value. Since it’s hard to know for sure the grade and they might not believe you if you had to file a claim, I use the retail price like closing e-Bay price for OGP. For packages under that amount, I like first class with insurance and it gets there much faster. If you have to ship internationally UPS or FedEx or DHL is better, but if you are an individual it will cost you a lot.

  66. coolbowser says

    And registered mail takes about a week for me. And my tracking number never did update until I actually received the coins. It was exactly a week to the day and I live on the east coast.

  67. Louis says

    Thanks, CB- Checked again and only the one e-mail plus one with the images, no shipping summary. if it does not arrive Mon. I will call NGC and maybe the P.O. Amazing that they can’t get a simple tracking # to you. The registered package should definitely have a # that ends with RE and that is what we are paying for!!

  68. Louis says

    Thanks, I should take a chill pill. I am sure it will be fine and I just need to wait a couple days.

  69. GoldFishin says

    @ Samuel…I was talking about shipping USPS express mail insured. If you go to the USPS website and compare priority insured vs. express insured you will find out that you can ship express for about the same price or a couple bucks more because the express insurance is cheaper. You can only save the amount I was talking about if you do it online. For example, to insure the package I sent:
    medium box priority mail insured for $1000 is $12.35 for medium size box, $14.25 for insurance, online discount $1.05 for total of $25.55
    same package weighing 2 lbs. sent priority express insured for $1000 was $31.45 for express weighing 2 lbs. , $4.25 for $1000 insurance, online discount of $7.25 for a total of $28.45

    So for only 3 bucks more I sent my package express to NGC, I dropped it off at the P.O. at around 1pm and it was at NGC received and verified the next day at 4pm. I would do that anytime the prices are that close for one day service. You can just go and compare because different package weights can change the price depending on which priority flat rate box you could get your shipment in. I couldn’t get mine into a small flat rate box, so it was better for me to send it express and get it there faster. Just remember that overall the express insurance is much cheaper than priority so it may be worth comparing.

  70. GoldFishin says

    @Samuel …when I compare Registered vs Express for the same 2 lb. package they were almost exactly the same price, 28.65 for registered, 28.45 for express. The registered has to purchased at the P.O., not online. It just really depends on the amount of your package. Registered is always safer, but frustratingly slow sometimes. I have had very good success with both, with never a problem. My personal limit is $2000 before I go with registered, otherwise I choose speed and visibility.

  71. natatack says

    About 1 1/2 years ago I had a package go missing from NGC. I lost a UHR Saint MS70 and 4 SF ASE. I got reimbursed from NGC who got reimbused from USPO. It was a slow and frustrating process. I wish I had the UHR instead of the money, I cant replace it for the money I got back.

  72. VA Rich says

    VA Dave- a football coin you ask? – Lord, I hope NOT! It was inevitable for the mint to release a domed coin at some point, to sync it up with a baseball and glove theme was an out of the park grand slam, imo. What a perfect fit!

    So let’s leave the domed coin as a one time offering celebrating America’s pastime and get back to the Classic designs. Though with that said, I would really like (and hope for) something special to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo landing.., in either high relief, piedfort, or domed. (& in a 2 or 5 oz offering as well).

  73. gary says

    I have a HOF gold UNC scheduled to ship 6/21 and a HOF gold PROOF scheduled to ship 7/7!!! The HOF silver UNC was scheduled to ship 4/16 but is not moved to 5/12!
    I’m hoping that the hype remains high for these coins as I am planning to sell them all to help pay for my ATB 5 oz. silver P-Mint subscription. I suspect that as more and more of the gold & silver get shipped, the prices will be heading down commensurately.

  74. Dan in Fla says

    gary- i hope you bought at least one extra because these baseball coins grow on you. They are truly a work of art.
    I’m not knocking the ATB 5 ounce coins as I collect them also. I hope to have three complete sets in 2021.

  75. HIdalgo says

    @gary – I suspect that you’re correct in your analysis. As time passes by, the excitement of the new BHOF releases wanes, and supplies of the BHOF coins increase on the secondary market, we should see values fall. How far they fall remains to be seen — much of it will depend on consumer demand.

    I question if the heightened demand for the BHOF coins can be sustained in the long term. We’ve seen several examples of this phenomenon with US Mint products that sell out quickly (e.g., 2009 Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set, 2010 Hot Springs 5 ounce silver coin, 2011 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle set, etc.). Prices skyrocket initially, but with time, they drift down. How far down depends on continued interest for the product.

    Where will the values for the BHOF fall in the long term? That certainly remains to be seen….!

  76. Pittsburgh P says

    @VA Rich I agree 100% about any type of shaped football coin being produced by the US mint. IMO I really hope that this BHoF collection remains as a one of a kind offering from the US Mint. I would also liker to see an Apollo Landing 50th anniversary coin but not curved… High relief or reverse proof and so on would be awesome but lets keep it classic. I’m undecided about 2 or 5 oz. also, I haven’t got into the 5 oz. ATB pucks that much either but due to their popularity I ordered some this year to see what the fuss was about. I figured if I didn’t like em I do like silver!

    @gary I do agree with Dan in Fla. that once you get these in your hand you’ll fall in love with them. They are imo one of the best made and beautiful modern coins produced by any mint… Yet, as just about everyone else has stated the prices will fall when the mint starts shipping them out and they get to the secondary market… finally! I am still bullish on the long term value of these especially the gold, the unc. mostly, the silver and even the clad but maybe not to the extent of the former… As Hildago said we have seen this type of hype before with mixed results but imo this is a different beast and is hard to compare with anything previous due to the subject matter and first of it’s kind shape(for US Mint). The clad is the first EVER curved coin of it’s type so I feel, at least the graded 70s, will hold a very high premium in the future.

  77. Samuel says

    think this way, if they make a “ball” series, the baseball one is the first of the series……………

  78. VA Bob says

    Well if ever there was a reason to ask ‘why’ in regard to getting a modern coin graded it’s the numbers from PCGS that Al kindly provided. It appears roughly a 50/50 split on average between a 69 and a 70. Did half the people think they had 70’s but didn’t? Are 70’s that common? How many 68 and lower where there? Do people know what they are looking at when they examine a coin?

    I still don’t see a reason as a collector for grading a modern coin. Of course I know why people do it. They are hoping, when they sell, an uninformed person will pay a premium for the coin, it’s human nature. Some will buy out of ignorance, some will buy because they believe a label makes the coin special. Some, and I can appreciate this buyers reasoning, is to avoid being ripped off over the internet. The question there is what is a fair price for that piece of mind? I’ll agree that is subjective, but usually not something that would keep a seller awake at night, they know exactly what they a peddling.

    We all want our collections to increase in value when we sell. I just don’t care for the artificial prices that a piece of plastic and a label placing on the hobby where the dies haven’t even cooled yet. I realize some people want to make money, nothing wrong with that. I do worry that when these buyers discover they lost, sometimes a sizable amount of, money that it hurts the hobby in the long run (like what happened to stamp collecting). It bugs me a bit when I see people, usually not the regulars, post here speculating on the money a certain coin will bring. That’s on me of course, as this blog is not excusive to collectors.

    Unfortunately, for the most part, the hard lessons will be learned by the buyer, not taught by the seller (with few exceptions). People come to these coin sites to be informed, for cottage coin re-sale community, luckily not nearly enough that need to. Enjoy the coin.

  79. VA Bob says

    Sorry about the long rant above. I just feel the need to provide an alternative voice when the conversation, by number of comments, might imply that TPG’s are the definitive last word on all things coin related. If they were non-profit….well then maybe.

  80. Tony W says

    On my BHOF order:

    Made 6/27 @ 6:20pm

    Status : your order request is in process

    2014 Inc gold – backorder expected 7/17

    2014 Inc and proof silver’s are same status wig expected shipping on 5/12/2014

    But hey….. I did get my bag 🙂

  81. gary says

    @VA Bob… No need to apologize for your “rant”. You make some astute observations and are obviously a passionate coin collector as well.
    I’m not surprised that HOF coin grading seems to point to a 50/50 split between 70 and 69 grades. All of which illustrates my (rant! lol) that a difference that makes no difference is no difference. (But only to collectors of labels & plastic). I can only guess that a lot of a collector’s money otherwise tied up in expensive 70 grade pieces could have permitted them to collect other coins or series with the money saved. For that reason alone, I get my modern issues only as OGP from the U.S. Mint.

  82. VA Dave says

    VA Rich – that’s what my second post said (I thought) that I hope the do “not” make any more coins, football or otherwise that are gimmicky. Yes – I hope the HOF remains a one-off not to be repeated. I like prefer classic designs. The Apollo landing however, would be a good choice and worthy if they can come up with a good design. The eagle landing on the moon (see Susan B. Anthony $1 reverse) was kind of nice.

  83. fmtransmitter says

    CoachMike says
    APRIL 26, 2014 AT 4:27 PM

    Subscription cutoff is 5 days before release.

    That is NOT what I was told. At least 30 days. Someone please clarify…

  84. Pittsburgh P says

    @fmtransmitter you were told 30 days? I was also told 5 business days by customer service but once when I signed up for a subscription on a Sat. for a Thursday release and it was processed on Monday… I was told I missed the deadline but then still received my coin at the discounted price.

  85. HIdalgo says

    @fmtransmitter – I have, on more than one occasion, stated on this blog that you cannot rely on what the U.S. Mint’s Customer Service (CSR) representatives tell you. It all depends on who is answering your call. If you call the U.S. Mint’s customer service phone number, say 5 times, you can possibly receive five variations of the same answer…. or five totally different answers.

    @CoachMike and @fmtransmitter – I can tell you that I ordered a subscription for the America the Beautiful 5 ounce silver coin on March 15, 2014 and my order was processed on April 4, 2014 — well within the quoted 30 day pre-order period (but outside of the quoted 5 day pre-order period). It is entirely possible that, because of the volume of subscriptions the US Mint has received for the 5 ounce coins, that a 30-day pre-order period has recently been imposed.

    You can order a subscription now if you want the Shenandoah coin. If your order is processed, then you will receive your coin. If your order is not processed, you can cancel your subscription or wait for the next coin in the series to be automatically shipped to you.

    Remember the rule of thumb: If you snooze, you lose.

  86. Ray says

    People dont just submit theirs coins blindly (well, for the most part), and thinking that these bhofs are either falling into the 69 or 70 grades, is a bad assumption. i have yet to receive a coin that i would think would grade above 68. yeah, im a bit frustrated, and i have about a 50% return rate with the usmint. im also sending back my GSM AtB because there are scratches on the reverse. I’m hoping for better results with my exchanges.

  87. HIdalgo says

    The US Mint’s 2014 silver proof sets go on sale Tuesday, April 29th. I hope you ordered a subscription for the sets already if you want a 10% discount!

  88. MN says

    I ordered 2 Sliver Proof Set subscriptions 4/15/14 and the most recent info shows a 5/12 ship date. I asked the “last date to order Subscriptions” question on this site after seeing the Mint Subscription info had changed to 2015 for this item by Saturday and was curious as to why.

    I have a recent BHoF Clad order “On Hold” but it was over $300…a small order placed later that same day shows “in process” but that has standard shipping. My previous orders from the Mint were smaller quantities too, so that may be the reason I never saw a HOLD status (not long enough for me to see it anyway).

    Two Silver Proof replacement coins from my 3/27 @12:18 order are in stock/reserved and a cc charge is pending. 10 days after 4/14 tracking showed return delivery, Order History status updated and a credit email followed.

    I got a flawless looking Unc Clad from the PA Gift Shop but the other 2 unc had line dent/s and the 3 prf had many numerous “dog teeth marks” on the ball side (two capsules were set in the case sideways so these coins may have been picked over). Regardless of paying $9.95 postage + $3.11 to return, the Gift Shop got their coins back. No major finish issues with the Denver Gift Shop Silvers but I’ll be sticking to U.S.Mint purchases from now on.

    The cheapest version Unc Clad Half-Dollars can be beautiful but like another mentioned, it will be a challenge to find the “70” looking ones (agree this coin may be a sleeper). The unc clad look has a pure look and from what I saw, it’s a lot better looking than the proof clad (rough frost in this metal). Off to order more of the clad, the version I was not interested in before I saw how stunning the unc can be! Ditto on Happy Hunting!

  89. Pittsburgh P says

    I’m sorry to hear that so many people have had issues with their BHoF coins. Personally every one I have received so far from the mint and the gift shops have been perfect… The worst being a silver unc with a dull spot on the top of the ball side. I don’t grade all the ones I keep but I posted my results before and I only received one 69 back and the ones I kept in ogp were even better… Even the 2 clads I submitted were 70s. In fact I’ve only had to make one return ever. Maybe I am just lucky or not as picky.

    I know everyone doesn’t want to hear about grades and so forth but others do so I am just letting others know of my experiences. I don’t collect labels or grades and only buy my modern coins from the mint but don’t mind getting a few graded to keep & to help pay for my collection. Sorry to carry on… Happy collecting

  90. GoldFishin says

    Thank you Ray, MN and Pitt P. for your info and experience with the HOF coins. Much appreciated. I am pretty picky myself, like to keep the best coins I possibly can.

  91. VA Bob says

    Pitts P – The Sheldon coin grading scale is the hobby recognized standard. I believe there are few if any that would not enjoy hear about the grades your coins received. Grading existed before TPG’s came around. Who graded before them? Dealers and collectors themselves. One learned about their coins, in some cases sought second opinions, and they developed relationships with other hobbyists.

    Now many people rely on the TPG’s. And to tell you, other than seeing a lot of any particular coin, their opinion is as subjective as anyone else’s. Many people would be surprise to know the number of coins re-submitted to other, or even the same TPG’s for a re-grade or do-over if you will. What are they really selling you when grading a modern? Seems a nice uniform holder and a label. Nobody has ever sent them a <69 expecting a 70 back.

    Grading coins is not difficult (except for perhaps for varieties, and not even those if you know what to look for). There are reference books that show most coins in various stages of each grade. True this is mostly for coins that have circulated, not these modern commemoratives. One should be getting a 69 or 70 from the Mint(s) every time unless there is an obvious defect. Use a 10X loupe to look. If you use a monster high powered loupe (microscope), you WILL find imperfections at high levels even 70's.

    What does frustrate me is buyers that have no idea what they are buying and sellers that specifically target those buyers. Neither are helping this hobbies long term health. Now I'm not suggesting anyone commenting here falls into either category, I don't know anyone well enough to say.

    I can say I was pretty happy with all my BHOF coins. I bought one of each finish and denomination, except for proof silver, which I bought 3, one which will be a gift. I bought not so much because of baseball, more of the first of it's kind by the US Mint. Now that they did it, as many of you feel, I hope that's it. I also hope they don't go over board with gimmicks… come on a shark bite coin. Really? Some might like that.. collect what you like.

  92. DCDave says

    Just went through all eBay SOLD listings for BHOF 70s (gold, silver and clad) from the first day of sales and discovered prices are plummeting across the board with a downward trend.
    Golds and silvers around 1/2 of initial sold prices. Still big premiums for 70s, but all are trending down.

  93. HIdalgo says

    @DCDave – are you surprised? We’ll likely see further drops in prices as the US Mint ships more and more of the gold and silver BHOF coins. Of course, there will be an equilibrium point where secondary market values will level off. What the price level remains to be seen…..

  94. Pittsburgh P says

    @va bob I agree with what you say but Imo its not the dealers fault or the inexperience of the buyers(not always at least) that these labels and slabs are selling… And at a huge premium! Its the tpg’s themselves and the media who push them along with collectors who create demand for their slabs/labels. I’ve read article after article telling people(mainly new collectors doing research) to only buy ngc and pcgs, here is a recent example:
    http://www.thinkadvisor.com/2014/04/20/how-to-cash-in-on-rare-coins

    Also, that is all some collectors will buy… I’m not saying shady dealers have zero to do with it but its almost expected if its not a dealer you trust and have built a repore with. Money is money I guess.

    About your point of 69s being resubmitted… My freind has done that on a few different occasions. Broke open a 69 and sent it back to pcgs and each time it came back a 70!!! Honest, I have watched him do it.

  95. VA Rich says

    Good grief guys, you crack me up with the misinformation on the price trends – for the $5 in OGPs, the price has GONE UP, not down from two weeks ago. $1 sales are all over the map for one to even assess a trend.

    The day of the week and time of day of the sale appears to have the biggest influence on the variation that you’re looking at – you all should know that.

    Ray – I think we’ll see some much improved grading numbers coming forward. If you’re really interested in the grading breakout numbers, I’ll post my PCGS numbers which should be showing up here later this week. This would be for the order that shipped out first in the first batch the mint shipped. (And those that have commented that they’re slow.., I soooooo concur!)

  96. merryxmasmrscrooge says

    But we were not the first to inovate a curved coin. The Australian Royal Mint was.

    2012 Southern Sky Crux Curved Coin

    Engineering Innovation Awarded at Excellence Awards in Canberra
    Royal Australian Mint receives Engineering Excellence award for Engineering Innovation
    The award was handed to the Royal Australian Mint at the Engineers Australia (Canberra Division) on Thursday 12th September 2013. The engineering innovation celebrated at the awards event was the 2012 Southern Sky Crux Curved Coin which was developed by the Royal Australian Mint and is in recognition of the engineering innovation that was required to produce the Crux Curved Coin.

    The Engineering Excellence Awards National Finals will be held at parliament house, where again the Royal Australian Mint will showcase it’s engineering innovation, on the 20th November 2013…

    scrooge had to tell you

  97. says

    I agree with what VA Rich about what he said about pricing of the Golds in OGP. I have an excel spreadsheet with every sell done for the Golds since the first and the pricing for OGP on AVERAGE are at the highest point ever. The day of the week, the hour of the day, the way the pricing is structured, all these things much be considered. In my analysis I do not consider graded coins, just OGP. If you can get an OGP Gold less than $825 you are doing good. Back in March you had Buy It Now pricing for Golds in the upper $500’s.
    Early on I posted that I thought a six coin set in OGP would sell for 2k and on 04/27 a 6 coin set sold for $1,999. 00 +$9.99 shipping.

  98. Pittsburgh P says

    Scrooge most here know this… What I said earlier was the US Mint produced the first CLAD curved coin ever….

  99. natatack says

    Even tho my unc clad halfs havent been delivered yet, from what I hear from others here it is a stunning coin. I may order a few more before the price increase deadline. Not sure what the special set price will be and if there will be a special label produced for that set or not with the unc half.

  100. Pittsburgh P says

    @natatack yeah I’m going to do the same thing… Imo they are stunning even if a little pricey for clad. I want to open one up to carry around in my pocket. We have till 5 p.m.

  101. fmtransmitter says

    TR Set shipped finally today…No clads HOF’s or UNC $1 HOF yet…sloooowwww….

  102. fmtransmitter says

    As for TPG’s I was told by an old time dealer the new coins are graded by the new employees just starting out and classics pre 1933 are done by the experienced guys, 20+ years in business…

  103. Steve says

    I just picked up my gold and silver proofs graded 70s from NGC. These BHOF coins look amazing in NGC slabs. The OGP doesn’t do them justice.

  104. fmtransmitter says

    No Steve, in hand with a pair of white cotton gloves does them the best justice but that is just my HO. Congrats!

  105. ips_stuff says

    Not sure about the 70’s graded gold, but I know the OGP gold is not moving down. I sold a proof gold in OGP on 4/26 for $848, started out selling first as presale at $629. Very apparent to me that the prices have not started to drop yet. I also am seeing a continued uptrend in the Silver in OGP.

  106. Pittsburgh P says

    @Steve agreed that the NGC slabs look good, especially with the side veiw. Yet, having both, I prefer the ogp holders… I think they are high quality and(to some it may be sacrilege) I like to take em out and handle the raw coin. Hope you asked for the casing back… I think some people will want them in the future.

  107. HIdalgo says

    Coin World Weekly has published an article related to the $5 gold Baseball Hall of Fame coin said to have a missing “W” mint mark. According to the article, the US Mint checked all of its dies for the $5 coin, and all of them had a mint mark.

    Coin World Weekly also states that the Great Smoky Mountain bullion coin has sold out. The coin will be minted to demand, up to 40,000 pieces.

  108. VA Rich says

    ips – congrats on your sale; I got less for sealed ones a week or two prior to your 4/26 date 🙁

    cagcrisp – if you plan to maintain your spreadsheet and analysis, I’ll gladly pay a little royalty for that info or throw a $1 PRF/UNC or two your way for bi-monthly updates over the next year. Be great if it supported a pivot table. Think about it about please

  109. Louis says

    @Scrooge- The French issued the first curved coin in 2009 and the legislation creating the BHOF specifically mentioned the French coin and said the baseball coins should be similar, so one of the first things the Mint did was reproduce the French coin.

  110. fmtransmitter says

    Pittsburgh P says
    APRIL 28, 2014 AT 10:41 AM

    nevermind, they did… If gold was at this price last month the BHoF unc 407$

    Obviously we all know how the price is manipulated by the touch of a button but also NO ONE would have one if we waited…lol

  111. Ray says

    VARich, I’d love to see the #s on your PCGS submissions. I got my burnished silver eagle and it looks like a 70 to me. I’m on the fence about rejoining NGC, or going for PCGS this time. I know the submission fees are higher for PCGS, but they draw higher premiums and it would probably be a better long term bet than NGC. I’m also flirting with the idea of keeping anything new in OGP. ugh, decisions, decisions…

  112. Pittsburgh P says

    @fmt I was only makin an observation about the price… Why would anyone wait since it could have jumps two tiers up instead

  113. DCDave says

    With the stock market tanking, I believe more that people will not spend hard earned money on TPG BHOF coins selling for multiples of issue price and high mintages. I’m a collector, but I almost think some of the commentators are professionals (flippers) that are trying to build hype to keep their sales at higher premiums. Just go to eBay and search 2014 baseball 70 under “coins: US” and check off “SOLD”, and you will see a clear pattern, week to week of lower sale prices across all items graded ms70 or pf70. I bought some more clads today since I don’t think I’ll ever regret buying them at issue price. 750,000 or even half of that are a lot to go around though.

  114. VA Rich says

    For the record, I for one am not a professional flipper.., I’ve been collecting coins aggressively since 2006 and have NEVER sold a coin in my life.., well, until April ’14. And now, wish I had started long before now.

    I think many of us out here enjoy analytical side of what’s evolving with this amazing offering. It’s been a blast to watch this unfold, it’s exciting, and it’s been a lot of fun to make some profit along the way.., which is helping me maintain my collecting at a rate that I otherwise COULD NOT MAINTAIN (this hobby is way too expensive year over year),

    & it’s a great way to help offset the cost of bucket list items.., the proceeds from the sealed boxes I sold will go towards a trip to Kissimmee for a flight in a P-51D Mustang so I can go tearing ass across the Florida skies with a big ole smile.., call it what you will DC.., I call it a kick in the pants! 🙂

  115. ips_stuff says

    well if being a “professional” means you made money doing something, then I think lots of us are professionals. However, if I can sell a portion of what I buy to be able to pay for what I keep, then that is a plan that works for me.

    Again, I am not monitoring the graded coins and I am not trying to manipulate the market in any way. I just know that the coins in the OGP have been selling for higher prices for me every time I have posted a new ebay listing.

  116. Louis says

    @DCDave- Stocks are about 2% off their all-time high. They are not tanking. They can’t always go up, and it is actually very bullish that they have softened a little recently.

  117. Wes says

    Really haven’t read about any other possible errors on BHOF coins after the first claim of missing mint mark was debunked.

  118. Wes says

    I understand the capsules in OGP being curved with the coin really look nice. Don’t understand why anyone think’s a label adds to the display of the coin.

  119. steven says

    The problem for OGP, in the long run, is after cherry pick by a lot of “picky” collectors and dealers during changing hands, will end up with not so nice coins inside. New buyers will have to presume the worst when they buy OPG online, I guess, which will reduce enthusiasm.

  120. Don says

    For what it’s worth, at an upstate NY coin show on 4/27, the dealer next to me had 10 silver HOF coins in OGP (I believe half & half). He priced the UNCs and Proofs at the same price-$100. He sold 9 of the 10. I won’t get mine until May (the silvers that is). I can hope, but I don’t expect to get anything close to that price. Needless to say, a happy dealer.

  121. Natatack says

    There is a possibility with the $4 price increase that sales will slow down and possibly not meet the 750,000 max mintage. $19-20 was kinda pricey for clad but a 20% increase might stretch sales till the end of the year or they stop it early. Could be a potential sleeper for those looking for a cheaper version of the gold/silver coin.

  122. Durf says

    Perhaps it’s sacrilege but my BHOFs arrived late last week and I couldn’t resist taking one of the PR halves out of its capsule – the shape and texture is irresistible and literally in hand enhances this coin’s attractiveness. (Of course I did not do this with any of the $1 or $5 coins.) Interestingly, although the curvature is markedly less than the $5 and $1 (which is proportionately slightly less curved than the $5) it feels just right.

    Okay, I did have a motive – took it along to the Mariners’ game Sunday (go M’s!! 6-5 over Texas after an 8th-inning 3-run homer) and passed it around the usual crowd around our seats. Those who have posted that the general public is unaware of these coins can pat themselves on the back – but not too heartily. Many did show a range of interest from an interested but mild “Cool.” to warmly enthusiastic “Wow!” (the latter were dominated by young people who will get proofs as a surprise gift this summer) – but even more glanced at it and just passed it on. Not many questions as to where I acquired it.

    Perhaps it’s this: to the majority of folks, even baseball fans see this as just a coin or just a coin that looks like a baseball – they did not see a Baseball Coin or a Hall of Fame Coin. Perhaps text arching around the rim above the glove stating “75th Anniversary – Baseball Hall of Fame” would have made a difference. As it is, there’s no direct tie-in to what fans care most about: their team, or something tangible about the sport.

    We all know the USM isn’t the best at marketing (it preaches to us, the choir) – so if this is to take off and capture the imagination of a wider audience, MLB would’ve had to participate in the marketing. That ship has sailed. I looked at the M’s schedule; there are Poster Nights, Bat Nights, a Beard Hat Night, Reusable Beg Nights (this is Seattle), several Bobblehead Nights – but there’s no “Recognition Night” for the 75th anniversary of the Hall of Fame.

    Teams could still have simple promotions this summer where each game one or two lucky fans would get a commemorative proof half (perhaps with a special added certificate and/or packaging identifying with the team) throughout the summer. Otherwise, doesn’t seem like interest is going to pick up from the general baseball fan crowd.

  123. Wes says

    I might think that buying OGP from a dealer will be Cherry picked but not so much from a collector who bought coins from the mint.

  124. Natatack says

    I am sure within the next 6 months every coin shop will have these coins in one form or the other. Be interesting to see how many sports memorabilia stores will carry them. Some people have compared these to the 2001 silver buffalo dollars which have a mintage of 500,000 which have seems to have mostly been of absorbed into the collectors market placeand have maintained a decent premium. I use to see a few in the local dealers shop but none the last few times there. I see more on ebay with prices all over the place. Looking at the price history of the proof 70 (NGC ) I was surprised to see that in the height of the market in 2007 they were retailing over $1000 and the ms 70 were going over $800. Let’s hope these do close to this record.

  125. VA Rich says

    Natatack – good points! For reasons cited previously, this offering continues to throw a lot of curve balls.., not only in mintage and delivery dates, but in quality as well. For example, in going through two orders of 5 this evening of the $1 PRF – 1 coin of 5 was good (four had the same shiny tick mark(s) at the 7 o’clock position just South of the threads on the obverse and it’s was quite noticeable) and of the other lot of 5 – one had rough spots in the field North of the glove and two had blemishes East and West of the Glove in the fields.

    That’s 3 of 10 that didn’t have issues apparent to the naked eye, granted I started with a LED lit 30x loupe and backed down to a visual inspection and saw the same.., while I may be overly scrutinizing.., I’m coming to the opinion that it’s luck of the draw with this one.., though with that said, it’s still a pretty awesome and unique coin, even if its circus coinage! 😉

  126. natatack says

    Durf, good idea about promoting a free give-a-way of the HOF coins. I think the HOF museum should procure a set number for promotion at all major stadiums, since they are on the receiving end of the surcharges it would be to their benifit to try to make sure they can get the 750,000 numbers sold. Currently with only 194,000+ sold the added sales if it would reach the 750,000 number could bring in over 2.7 million dollars for them. Something for them to think about.

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