Will collectors do without?

When collectors are told they cannot have something, they tend to want it all the more. This phenomenon usually occurs when something seems likely to sell out.

For a week now, collectors have been told they cannot have the proof and uncirculated collector versions of the 2011 silver American Eagle coins on the Mint’s website. The actual wording is, "This product is temporarily unavailable for product repricing.”

A week is a very long time in our current impulse driven economy. What exactly is a week in cyber terms?

Also unavailable for the same week are two collector versions of the 5-ounce silver America the Beautiful coins.

What happens when these silver coins go back on sale at presumably lower prices?

Will collectors make up for lost time, pushing up daily order volumes, or will they have realized in the course of seven days that they might not just want these coins after all?

I have already had one email from a collector suffering buyer’s remorse over the uncirculated collector version of the 2011 silver American Eagle.

He lamented the fact that silver bullion prices plunged after he had bought it and that the coin he purchased is now worth less than it was.

Is he alone, or are these thoughts passing through the minds of many others?

Once these coins go back on sale, I will be trying to find the answers to these questions.