The cost of gas forced me out but an Indian brought me back!
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:43 amI began hand sorting this past Thanksgiving and doing about two $25 boxes a day averaging only 16% cu and a dismal 40% on '82s. I averaged 5 wheats per box and my very best roll contained 3 wheats. Last week gas hit $3.81 here in the Los Angeles area and with the rising cost of gas coupled with my palty 16% cu rate I decided it was time to call it quits--just "spinning my wheels" so to speak. I still had three unopened $25 boxes left I was just going to take back to the bank but that "itch" was still there so I decided to sort the remaining boxes and be done with it.
To my astonishment on the very first roll I found four post-'40 wheats which set a record for me! So I anxiously started grabbing rolls. The next 5 yielded no wheats but the next roll had 2. A few rolls later a roll with 5! I couldn't believe it. A half dozen more rolls with nothing and then I hit it big. I opened a roll and it contained one Indian and 7 wheats shattering my old record. And to add icing to the cake 6 of the 7 wheats were pre-40
. When it was over the box yielded 117 wheats with 31 pre-40's. Of course I made an immediate assault on the remaining two boxes but they were of the norm and quickly brought me back to reality. Nevertheless that box reinvigorated me and perhaps it was a "sign" of sorts telling me not to give up on our hobby so quickly after just three months. So I went to a few banks today and picked up some more boxes and so for the time being I'm back being a hand sorter--as long as the price of gas shows some mercy.
I included pictures of the Indian and the 7 wheats found in just a single roll: The bottom right is a 1919-d. I have the feeling some kid got into their father's collection.
To my astonishment on the very first roll I found four post-'40 wheats which set a record for me! So I anxiously started grabbing rolls. The next 5 yielded no wheats but the next roll had 2. A few rolls later a roll with 5! I couldn't believe it. A half dozen more rolls with nothing and then I hit it big. I opened a roll and it contained one Indian and 7 wheats shattering my old record. And to add icing to the cake 6 of the 7 wheats were pre-40
. When it was over the box yielded 117 wheats with 31 pre-40's. Of course I made an immediate assault on the remaining two boxes but they were of the norm and quickly brought me back to reality. Nevertheless that box reinvigorated me and perhaps it was a "sign" of sorts telling me not to give up on our hobby so quickly after just three months. So I went to a few banks today and picked up some more boxes and so for the time being I'm back being a hand sorter--as long as the price of gas shows some mercy.I included pictures of the Indian and the 7 wheats found in just a single roll: The bottom right is a 1919-d. I have the feeling some kid got into their father's collection.
