What does 2008 have in store for we collectors of round monetary units and their off shoots, like encased coins? Will we be consumed with watching the daily rise and fall of gold and silver spot markets as has been the case for many of us in the last half 2007? It has been a mixed bag for sure. I've stopped adding new precious metal pieces to my collection because of the higher prices, which is a bummer, while at the same time I relish the thought of my holdings growing in value. The questions that keep nagging in the back of my brain is: Should I sell? When? If I do sell I surely need to avoid the mistake that many made during the last precious metal's upsurge by waiting too long to unload only to watch the market collapse. My plan is this. If gold hits and maintains the $1,000 an ounce threshold I sell. If silver hits and maintains the $25 an ounce target I sell. Will we see another great melt down begin? To this day I am astounded that so many common silver coins survive.

Will 2008 begin the exploitation of pre 1959 Lincoln cents in anticipation of the 2009 release of the new Lincoln cents celebrating of 200th year of Abe's birth? We had already seen the prices of key dated cents spiking in 2007 with the semi-keys following close behind. My crystal ball tells me that the promoters will be pushing rolls of common date cents on TV as well as in the popular hobby press hoping to cash in while the stove is hot. Will all of us who have "Wheaties" stashed away in our sock drawer try to ride on the coat tail the big boys and cash in as well?

Will 2008 see the demise of the second and third rung so-called grading services? ANACS had sold once again with PCI is looking for a buyer. I still can't believe that 2007 saw the rise of a new grading service that grades what the existing grading service have graded. The big hoax of "sight unseen" trading proved to be just that, draining millions of dollars out of the hobby that could have been invested on actual coins instead of plastic. The day that I no longer trust my grading skills is the day I leave the hobby.

What I do know about 2008 is that none of the above will effect how we collect encased coins. It's great to know that our hobby continues to grow and prosper irregardless what happens in other areas of our collecting. As Travis Smiley is fond of saying, "Keep the faith!" Happy New Year.