What are Uncirculated Mint Sets and Proof Sets?

The US Mint web site describes their 2017 Uncirculated Coin set (Mint Set) as follows:

"The 2017 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set® contains two folders of 10 coins each, one from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and the other from the United States Mint at Denver, for a total of 20 coins. Each folder includes these 2017–dated coins with uncirculated finishes..."

The US Mint web site describes Proof Sets as follows:

"Coin proof sets offered by the U.S. Mint are a treasured cornerstone for any numismatic collection. With their unique design and official Certificate of Authenticity, they create beautiful gifts and wonderful keepsakes.

In order to create the coin’s sharp relief and a mirror-like background, our specialized “proof” minting process requires manually feeding burnished coin blanks into presses where each coin is struck multiple times so the softly frosted and highly detailed images seem to float above the field. The coins are then packaged in a protective lens to showcase and maintain their exceptional finish."

There are two types of US Mint Proof Sets; 1) the Proof Set, and 2) the Silver Proof Set

The Proof Set consists of coins made of base (non-precious) metals.

The Silver Proof Set has the same denomination coins as the Proof Set, but the dime, quarter(s), and half dollar are made of 90% silver.

Should I Buy new Uncirculated Mint Sets and/or Proof Sets?

The decision as to whether to buy these sets depends on what your purpose is. If you are interested purely for the pleasure of building a collection then buying them is good for you. But if you are interested in an investment for price appreciation, do not buy these sets.

These sets have a proven track record that has been consistent since 1971. The purchase value of these sets is the highest value that they will have through their lifetime. They will steadily decrease in value until they are barely worth more than face value.

Should I Buy new Silver Proof Sets?

The decision as to whether to buy the Silver Proof Sets is different because of the silver coins in the sets. If silver bullion price appreciates during your ownership you will benefit from that. If it decreases that will be correspondingly detrimental to you. Since the future price of silver bullion is largely unknown the future price of these proof sets could increase or decrease. In the long run there's a pretty good chance that you will be able to sell your Silver Proof Sets for more than you paid for them.