The Overstreet Price Guide - Obsolete and outdated?

[jjonahjameson1]

..UNLESS he gets with the times and publishes online with Monthly or Bi-monthly updates.

 

They did that once.

 

Really?

 

Yes, from wikipedia

 

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Overstreet also produced a publication that would serve as a price update regarding newer comics releases from the present to selected titles dating from the Silver Age, including a price guide to current and valuable comics, as well as comic book, collector news, and interviews. These various incarnations of the publication (which were published quarterly to bi-monthly, and eventually monthly) included Overstreet's Comic Book Price Update, Overstreet Comic Book Monthly, and Overstreet's Fan, with this last incarnation showing a great deal of similarity to the successful comics news magazine Wizard: The Guide to Comics. Ultimately, Overstreet's Fan ceased publication in 1995. In July 2003, Gemstone published the first issue of Overstreet's Comic Price Review, which would run for nineteen issues.

 

 

 

 

My emphasis (in bold) was that the updates be online.

[Jeffro.]

Reading comprehension.

[Silver]

What's interesting is that plenty of collectors and dealers still use OS for pricing, or at least as a base for pricing.

 

Everyone can get up on their high horse and decry that OS is hopelessly outdated, but currently we don't have anything better. If OS were to suddenly vanish, what would fill that void? It can't be GPA as that only tracks realized prices of slabbed books.

 

Jeffro,

 

When I go to a con and see the major dealers....

 

They sell GPA and whip out OS when they buy....

 

I know Doesn't make it right.

 

no, but it is reality....

[jjonahjameson1]

Reading comprehension.

 

No worries

[SAGAT]

Anyone know when the OSPG #40 is coming out exactly?

[jjonahjameson1]

Anyone know when the OSPG #40 is coming out exactly?

 

San Deigo comicon

[Bo_Hogg]

The fact of the matter is when you buy from a dealer, he is selling the book for 10X over guide but if you want to sell to a dealer or any company from the Overstreet ads, they only give you like 60% of the guide price. This has to change.

[Silver]

If ComicBase software was browser based with a subscription and the do in fact get their pricing to market based (as they say they are doing) it will negate the need for an OS guide for any reason at all other than having a book reference.

 

Comic Base already has more information than OS and is probably a better reference guide than OS. It is in a good position to be the Internet app alot of us want if they will just change it to software as a service and create a mobile app.

[Mark 1]

The fact of the matter is when you buy from a dealer, he is selling the book for 10X over guide but if you want to sell to a dealer or any company from the Overstreet ads, they only give you like 60% of the guide price. This has to change.

 

Anyone today who sells their comics to dealer for 60% of guide is insane. The internet has made it possible to sell your comics for what they are worth.

 

eBay and other sites like this one allow you to price the right way.

 

Plus, I would never buy a comic from a dealer that is 10x the price guide

[Shark]

The fact of the matter is when you buy from a dealer, he is selling the book for 10X over guide but if you want to sell to a dealer or any company from the Overstreet ads, they only give you like 60% of the guide price. This has to change.

 

Anyone today who sells their comics to dealer for 60% of guide is insane. The internet has made it possible to sell your comics for what they are worth.

 

eBay and other sites like this one allow you to price the right way.

 

Plus, I would never buy a comic from a dealer that is 10x the price guide

 

I want to know which dealers are actually paying 60% of guide. Because if this is true, I have a whole bunch of comics to take to those dealers.

[jjonahjameson1]

Anyone today who sells their comics to dealer for 60% of guide is insane. The internet has made it possible to sell your comics for what they are worth.

 

 

Agreed. However, if your collection is extensive, you may not have the time to grade all of your books, start a website, list on ebay or whatever, deal with the hassle and time of responding to questions, Paypal payment issues, cost of listing/paypal fees, time spent to package and ship the books, deal with insurance claims, etc.

 

Just a thought...

[Mark 1]

Anyone today who sells their comics to dealer for 60% of guide is insane. The internet has made it possible to sell your comics for what they are worth.

 

 

Agreed. However, if your collection is extensive, you may not have the time to grade all of your books, start a website, list on ebay or whatever, deal with the hassle and time of responding to questions, Paypal payment issues, cost of listing/paypal fees, time spent to package and ship the books, deal with insurance claims, etc.

 

Just a thought...

 

That is true...I think it depends on the collection and what you need to sell.

 

For me...most of my books are higher dollar books so selling myself as opposed to a dealer is the way to go.

 

When the time comes to sell my key books I will do my very best to sell them privately otherwise I would get killed compared to what I paid for them.

 

If I'm not desperate for money at the time...selling privately is the only way to go.

 

 

[the blob]

OS does not track raw sales overall. They try to set pricing mostly by using across the board increases year to year.

 

Indespensible as a reference guiide, unreliable as a price guide.

 

they also lower prices and have been doing so slowly and quietly on a lot of non-high gradae 50s - 70's books.

 

it's just one tool out there, but it's not always so easy to figure how to price, let's say, your Vg/Fine copy of Tarzan 57. Ebay and others may have no sales data. You can look at what Metropolis might be selling it for and discount accordingly. But it's easy enough to use OPG as a discount basis as well. Of course, you're skrewed if that just happens to be some issue with some obscure weirdness to it like a bondage panel on page 11, coupled with a headlights panel on p. 12 and an atomic bomb and adolph hitler reference on page 14 that result in the book going for triple guide amongst a small circle of fetishists/collectors and OPG not differentiating it (like OPG doesn't put a price bump in for the Alf seal rape cover, barely has one for the Archie beat off cover and says nothing about the infamous Rifleman/log cover)

[Mark 1]

OS does not track raw sales overall. They try to set pricing mostly by using across the board increases year to year.

 

Indespensible as a reference guiide, unreliable as a price guide.

 

they also lower prices and have been doing so slowly and quietly on a lot of non-high gradae 50s - 70's books.

 

it's just one tool out there, but it's not always so easy to figure how to price, let's say, your Vg/Fine copy of Tarzan 57. Ebay and others may have no sales data. You can look at what Metropolis might be selling it for and discount accordingly. But it's easy enough to use OPG as a discount basis as well. Of course, you're skrewed if that just happens to be some issue with some obscure weirdness to it like a bondage panel on page 11, coupled with a headlights panel on p. 12 and an atomic bomb and adolph hitler reference on page 14 that result in the book going for triple guide amongst a small circle of fetishists/collectors and OPG not differentiating it (like OPG doesn't put a price bump in for the Alf seal rape cover, barely has one for the Archie beat off cover and says nothing about the infamous Rifleman/log cover)

 

Intersting points...and also interesting about those obscure rarities you mention...they all seem to have a theme...

[Larryw7]

Last time I checked, my LCS(Fat Jack's) still paid well under 60%. But I haven't sold anything to them for awhile. Maybe Brian/Foolkiller knows if they've updated their buying rates.

[brasseye]

..UNLESS he gets with the times and publishes online with Monthly or Bi-monthly updates.

 

They did that once.

 

They were great, they came out for about 8 months, and it was a good response to the dynamic nature of the market.

 

Essentially in the internet age, a book published annually is 12 months out of date by the time it hit's the shelves.

Don't get me wrong, I use to use the OSPG as my bible for all information in the comic world, including non-price information. But the timliness of the product is absolutely archaic given where so far into the internet age now.

 

The immediate business model would be to get an internet page, have sublscriptions to pricing content, include all the typical OSPG cursary information as well. The dealers use it, and need to be more actively involved. Thats where Overstreet will excel.

Then, getting web 2.0 fully engaged, linking to all the social network sites, and linking into complimantary venues, Comic Geek Speak, and this place, etc.

 

I don't want to loose OSPG, but it needs to move into the modern era, and it's well overdue.

 

 

 

[Mark 1]

Well said above! I agree

[adamstrange]

..UNLESS he gets with the times and publishes online with Monthly or Bi-monthly updates.

 

They did that once.

 

They were great, they came out for about 8 months, and it was a good response to the dynamic nature of the market.

 

Essentially in the internet age, a book published annually is 12 months out of date by the time it hit's the shelves.

Don't get me wrong, I use to use the OSPG as my bible for all information in the comic world, including non-price information. But the timliness of the product is absolutely archaic given where so far into the internet age now.

 

The immediate business model would be to get an internet page, have sublscriptions to pricing content, include all the typical OSPG cursary information as well. The dealers use it, and need to be more actively involved. Thats where Overstreet will excel.

Then, getting web 2.0 fully engaged, linking to all the social network sites, and linking into complimantary venues, Comic Geek Speak, and this place, etc.

 

I don't want to loose OSPG, but it needs to move into the modern era, and it's well overdue.

 

 

 

Geppi owned Overstreet pricing, Overstreet creator credits, Gerber Guide photos/rights and new comic distribution. His web presence is "Scoop." Back in 2000 he needed to put all this together on the web and I was probably just one of many telling him and Overstreet to do just that. A decade later they are still married to dead tree media and in the meantime other competitors like GCD, CBG, GPA, this forum and other electronic venues have established their stake in cyberspace that will not be easy to dislodge.

[Silver]

Guys, I have bought every guide since number 3....it is done. Nostalgia won't save it.

[jimjum12]

Anyone today who sells their comics to dealer for 60% of guide is insane. The internet has made it possible to sell your comics for what they are worth.

 

 

Agreed. However, if your collection is extensive, you may not have the time to grade all of your books, start a website, list on ebay or whatever, deal with the hassle and time of responding to questions, Paypal payment issues, cost of listing/paypal fees, time spent to package and ship the books, deal with insurance claims, etc.

 

Just a thought...

 

Not to be the naysayer.....but if one can find a dealer to pay 60% of guide for the average collection of 1960-2010 material, they'd best seize the moment, as 60% is probably twice what they'd get on eBay. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u