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When a collector uploads a coin to the PCGS Set Registry, they are embarking on a journey. Often, the destination is still a bit of a blur. Each addition increases the set's completion percentage, while the grades and attributes of those coins begin a tally that lets the collector see how they measure up against fellow travelers.
Just as in the days of penny boards and coin albums, some coins are merely "hole fillers," destined to be replaced when something better comes along. For many collectors, this is the moment where the possibilities seem endless.
What personality will the set take? This is largely dependent upon the personality of the owner. Do you chase grades or chase coins? If you chase grades, what is your target? For which coins will you make exceptions? If you chase coins, what "look" are you after? How long are you willing to wait to realize your goal? The key word is goal.
For many, it's the thrill of the chase that gets them hooked: the pride of ownership, the hours of intense study, and the heat of the hunt. If you are new to the hobby, you might be surprised to learn that collectors often move on almost immediately after completing a goal. I can't tell you how many times I've seen major sets sent to auction within a year of the journey's end. It makes sense; once the hunt is over, it's time to turn that focus toward the next one.
In my years as a professional numismatist, I've always admired "collecting excellence." In my view, excellence isn't the exclusive purview of the ultra-wealthy; it is the stock-in-trade of the fully engaged.
Years ago, I followed the progress of a friend who pursued a complete set of classic silver commemorative coins. His criteria were specific: the coins had to have great eye appeal and absolutely no toning. Given the age and composition of these coins, it is difficult to find both qualities in a single example. A knowledgeable collector or dealer can "dip" a lightly tarnished coin, but you can never be sure what the curation process will do to its eye appeal. Some coins can handle it, while others can't. Many learn this lesson the hard way.
For my friend, the coin he feared most was the Cincinnati Half Dollar. I assumed it would have been the 1915-S Panama-Pacific (which always seems "oily" to me) or the typically yellow and spotted 1928 Hawaiian. I don't think I've seen more than one or two white examples of the latter that didn't look lifeless.
Another friend began his journey with Eisenhower Dollars. He had a talent for finding examples with exceptional eye appeal and early die states. Over several years, he built and upgraded; some coins he bought, while others he "made" himself. Every weekend he was on the hunt for rolls and sets, looking everywhere for a better coin. He single-handedly added at least a thousand coins to the PCGS population reports and had a knack for finding 1972 Type 2s. He simply lived in the right place and knew what to look for when others didn't.
I bring up these two collectors because the PCGS Set Registry provided them the opportunity to compete, both against others and against their own ideals, and to network. I remember a group of us "Ike nuts" meeting in Pennsylvania to review each other's collections. One participant even mailed us his coins to look at because he couldn't make it in person.
Now that I'm at PCGS, the Set Registry means even more to me. It is the bridge between us and the collectors. When I look at certain sets, I see the hard work, the grind, and the personality. It's what you do. It's what we do as Collectors.