The Everyman Mint State Collection

In 2001, BJ Searls helped launch the Set Registry for PCGS. She was a pioneer for the Set Registry program and understood that there was a demand from all collectors alike – and not just high-end collectors. In 2009, she launched the “Everyman Collections” as part of the Set Registry, which became another success for members within the PCGS Universe.

BJ’s comments below, from September 17, 2009, provide us with insight into her thoughts of how the PCGS Set Registry has evolved:

"The PCGS Set Registry is home to many of the finest collections ever assembled, but some collectors have stayed away from 'the classics' because the costs to acquire Mint State or Proof specimens are prohibitive. So, we've created a way for all levels of collectors, entry-level through experienced, to enjoy the fun and competitive nature of the Registry without spending a fortune on Gem Mint State coins. Major Registry categories will now have a separate Everyman Collections listing, where the highest graded entry will be AU58. With Everyman Collections, there's a good chance your set will rank in the top 20 on the first page, rather than near the bottom of the third or fourth page of that group.

I recall my mentor, Cosetta Robbins, mentioning BJ’s name frequently while I was training with her last year. BJ happened to be Cosetta’s mentor at some point in time, and BJ’s words from 12+ years ago about the Everyman Sets seem to be timeless. Her acknowledgment of how members will be able to compete without having Gem coins is on point – as in how collectors may possibly be in the top 20 when building an Everyman set as opposed to being in the bottom 20 in the higher-graded competitive sets. 

Some collectors upgrade their collections on a regular basis when they have a chance to buy a better example. Collectors may not immediately make the jump from AU58 to MS65 (very few do), but some may end up purchasing an MS61, MS62, or an MS63, for example, to gradually ease their way to a higher grade. For those collectors who may have been in the Everyman realm, the upgrades would not be reflected in their sets since the cutoff grade is capped at AU58. Collector upgrades may not be able to compete with the folks who have coins graded MS65 and above in their sets.

The jump in prices from MS64 to MS65 can be astronomical at times as well. Most notably this is the case in U.S. vintage coinage. Unfortunately, there are no sets tailored for collectors who specifically collect coins from the MS60 to MS64 range. Keeping this in mind, we are pleased to expand the PCGS Set Registry and now offer “Everyman Mint State” sets for members to build. We have over 90 sets posted by members and counting to date. These can be viewed at https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/239.

So far, we have listed a limited number of sets under this new category and plan to rollout more sets for members to build. To request a set please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. To date, the number of sets within the Set Registry is over the 140,000 mark, and we are heading to ever-larger numerical milestones as we add more sets for our collectors to build.

We look forward to seeing new Everyman Mint State sets that are posted by members and will be bestowing more Set Registry Awards than we did last year. PCGS is on track to present nine times as many awards than our closest competitor to recognize our members’ achievements. We are grateful for your participation, for without you the collector, the Set Registry would not be as successful as it is today. Thank you for your ongoing support and best of luck building your sets and achieving your goals!