ComicsPriceGuide.com Wants Your Input Regarding An Online Guide

[TomG]

Dear CGC Board Members,

 

As many of you are aware, ComicsPriceGuide.com is currently in the process of preparing to launch ComicsPriceGuide.com 2.0 which will be an upgraded version of the current website. To better serve our hobby and the collecting community as a whole, we are asking for your feedback. Many of you on the boards have been very vocal over the years about what you would like to see regarding an online price guide, so now is your chance to give us your input before the launch.

 

I cannot promise that we will use all the ideas sent to us, but I do promise to read and take everyone of them into consideration.

 

Please send me any PM's with your thoughts.

 

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Ze-man]

I think I had some very good ideas at Dinner last week, but I promptly drank them into oblivion and cant remember what they were.

[mschmidt]

Would be nice if you finally got the Bone #1 1st print issue taken care of - the logo on the 1st print is not green (like you say), it's red. Your site is used by a lot of newbie ebay sellers, so stuff like that needs to be correct.

[BronzeBruce13]

Hope posting is OK, it may be more productive that PMs

 

My advice would be to simplify the site Tom... Stick to "raw pricing" and have it update at least 3-4 times a year minimum. Something Overstreet can't do in its print form. Devise a reporting/valuation system that is more on "mark" with the "actual" raw market. We always hear about what "fractions of (OS) guide" books need to be priced at to move. If that's the case, shouldn't an accurate valuation system reflect that?

 

Also, no offense, (especially since you were not involved), but the current CGC pricing available on CPG is downright awful and a major disservice to anyone that may put any stock into it when making a CGC purchase or sales decision. That, IMHO, is what hurts the site's rep. the most. The first thing to do is eliminate that aspect of the site since its not based on real CGC sales gathering data (and correct me if I'm wrong). I think it must be formulaic??

 

I do like the other "collector features" and the amount of information available. Not sure about whether or not buying and selling taking place on the site is a good thing or not.

 

Good luck Tom, I know you'll improve the site. (thumbs u

Who knows, maybe someday there could be a merger... a CPG raw pricing service combined with a GPA CGC pricing service that is unless Overstreet Geppi is eying a CPG acquisition down the road.

 

[mschmidt]

My advice would be to simplify the site Tom... Stick to "raw pricing" and have it update at least 3-4 times a year minimum. Something Overstreet can't do in its print form. Devise a reporting/valuation system that is more on "mark" with the "actual" raw market. We always hear about what "fractions of (OS) guide" books need to be priced at to move. If that's the case, shouldn't an accurate valuation system reflect that?

 

Also, no offense, (especially since you were not involved), but the current CGC pricing available on CPG is downright awful and a major disservice to anyone that may put any stock into it when making a CGC purchase or sales decision. That, IMHO, is what hurts the site's rep. the most. The first thing to do is eliminate that aspect of the site since its not based on real CGC sales gathering data (and correct me if I'm wrong). I think it must be formulaic??

 

Well put (thumbs u

[Mac Man]

I'd love to see this turn into something along the lines of a hybrid of GPA and OSPG. In this way, we'd have something that was closer to the fair market value on our books but one that reflect raw comics. However, I realize that this would probably be a full-time research position for someone willing to spend hours each day scouring the internet. Still, GPA is nice but falls short due to tracking only slabbed books. OSPG is also nice, but its publishing timeline prevents it from reflecting real price changes in the market. 222222

 

And for what it's worth, I think it'd be pretty worth while to consider having a user rating scheme / review system for individual issues. Let's take Batman 227 for example: this is obviously a classic and highly desirable book due to the homage cover to Tec 31. However, many collectors don't realize that the storyline inside is actually pretty decent. It'd be nice to have some way of indicating the quality level (by popular vote, 5 stars, etc) of the cover art, interior art, and writing. Besides, this would provide some interesting information to collectors about the actual quality level of some of our keys.

 

Just an idea.

 

 

 

[gilbertotorres]

Hope posting is OK, it may be more productive that PMs

 

My advice would be to simplify the site Tom... Stick to "raw pricing" and have it update at least 3-4 times a year minimum. Something Overstreet can't do in its print form. Devise a reporting/valuation system that is more on "mark" with the "actual" raw market. We always hear about what "fractions of (OS) guide" books need to be priced at to move. If that's the case, shouldn't an accurate valuation system reflect that?

 

Also, no offense, (especially since you were not involved), but the current CGC pricing available on CPG is downright awful and a major disservice to anyone that may put any stock into it when making a CGC purchase or sales decision. That, IMHO, is what hurts the site's rep. the most. The first thing to do is eliminate that aspect of the site since its not based on real CGC sales gathering data (and correct me if I'm wrong). I think it must be formulaic??

 

I do like the other "collector features" and the amount of information available. Not sure about whether or not buying and selling taking place on the site is a good thing or not.

 

Good luck Tom, I know you'll improve the site. (thumbs u

Who knows, maybe someday there could be a merger... a CPG raw pricing service combined with a GPA CGC pricing service that is unless Overstreet Geppi is eying a CPG acquisition down the road.

 

(thumbs u

 

(coming from highest poster on cpg boards!)

[comic_list-migration]

Please send me any PM's with your thoughts.

 

Thanks,

Tom

 

Tom, could you post your email or the email address for suggestions, so other Boards can contribute also? Thanks!

[CAP Freak]

How about setting the prices and people with knowledge being able to rate if they believe they should be higher or lower.

[gilbertotorres]

you can ask the mods to change prices if you give proofs of sale.

[Subliminal]

I think the best thing CPG could do is marry itself up with the Overstreet price guide as the online version with OSPGs more respected pricing, CPGs wider range of grade prices and both improved with weekly/monthly price updates based on real sales data.

This marriage should happen while CPG has these things that OSPG lacks before they create an online version or their own with a wider range of grades and CPG merely becomes a less respected pricing guide and competitor to it.

 

 

[szelim]

I think the best thing CPG could do is marry itself up with the Overstreet price guide as the online version with OSPGs more respected pricing, CPGs wider range of grade prices and both improved with weekly/monthly price updates based on real sales data.

This marriage should happen while CPG has these things that OSPG lacks before they create an online version or their own with a wider range of grades and CPG merely becomes a less respected pricing guide and competitor to it.

 

The problem with using OSPG pricing is that it really isn't indicative of street prices. For example, it's widely viewed that Timely's are well underpriced and mid-grade SA books are well overpriced. Add in the fact that OSPG only goes to 9.2, the guide isn't really that good for pricing.

 

I do think a tie-in with GPA pricing would be useful. Since GPA tracks sales of CGC'd books and there is a CGC effect on prices for high grade books, perhaps the new CPG could cite GPA prices for high grades, say 9.0 and above.

 

Of course, GPA (and OSPG for that matter) may claim royalty fees if their pricing data are used.

 

[Arcade]

I love the idea of pricing for all CGC grades like you have now.

It just simply needs to reflect today's prices better.

The formula you seem to use is not accurate enough. But real world prices for all grades would be tremendous.

Having users able to rate books for price and content would be a great bonus as well.

[ashrael]

Don't estimate CGC pricing, but use real data. Perhaps users can submit realized prices?

[JazzMan]

I guess GPA has it easier since the grade is established while for raw books, an eBay grade of good to near mint is not unheard of. The source would have to come from reputable dealears on the realized prices at auction or direct sale. I would love to have a near real time source of raw pricing, not just a straight multiple based on a single grade.

 

I agree that OSPG doesn't capture the actual value of some books, especially GA - how many time do you hear X times guide? But it's a static guide, not a dynamic price book.

 

Thanks for seekeing the user community's feedback!

[innocuous]

Improve your affiliate program. Since signing up, I've sent a number of new customers your way, but have never received an email or suggestions for improving sell through. (Or a check either.)

 

Because of this, I'm moving over to selling the OSPG via Heritage's program the next time I update comicseeker.com.

[CollectingStanLee]

I use comicspriceguide.com quite often, since it's free and convenient. I don't take the values too literally because the real value is what someone is willing to sell you the comic book for or as a buyer what they are willing to pay for it.

 

One way you could distinguish yourself is to list prices for CGC SS comic books. I'm one of those collectors who believe witnessed signatures are really cool and add value to the comic book, especially a Stan Lee signature, which I happen to collect.

 

You could also talk about hot trends on the site, movement in prices that reflect current events. For example, I've read news about upcoming marvel movies, including Thor. That has put some sizzle into the values for Journey Into Mystery 83.

 

Bill.

[conditionfreak]

Don't estimate CGC pricing, but use real data. Perhaps users can submit realized prices?

 

This is well said. The prices are way out of wack in many cases. Take for instance Blonde Phantom #12 listed in a CGC 6.5 for something like just over $1700.00 (going from memory here), yet you can buy one for about 6 or 7 hundred.

 

I know with all of the comic books that there are, it is a daunting task and may be impossible to keep up to date daily, but somehow being able to tap in to what sales are actually occurring on a weekly or monthly basis would be the way to go. Although some readers could attempt to manipulate the market, if anyone was allowed to post sales and/or purchases. I belkieve only reports of sales by reputable sellers (not just Joe Blow), would be a decent way of going about it. Maybe send out a questionaire to those that "do it for a living" on a monthly basis, is an idea.

[Subliminal]

The Comicpriceguide.com BETA site is up : CPG BETA