GPAnalysis rant!

[ComicsAndCode]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

[Snake Eyes]

 

Seems to be a valid request, but would also be a bit of work on his part I would imagine (this is complete conjecture as I am unfamiliar with how he gets his data). However, if it is more work, that means he will likely want more compensation. While I am a happy subscriber at present, it would not take much of a monthly bump to have me reconsider being a member (given that I am not a daily user or anything like that). So I would think he has a bit of a balancing act on his hands in regards to adding new services (unless he goes with some sort of tiered membership plan or something along those lines) :shrug:

[comix4fun]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

 

It would be great to see it on the page, but it's not like I can't find that information on my own. As a CS member (I think it's just for CS members) you can input the issue number, grade and serial number and you have the page quality then and there for any GPA sales that look out of whack.

 

The detailed CGC data is the first place I look when I see an outlier sale to check on PQ or other notes.

[PokerKid]

More than the page quality, I am most often curious about where the sales were recorded. Were they from eBay, Heritage, another party?

 

Good site, but it makes me want to know more about specific sales.

[ComicsAndCode]

 

Seems to be a valid request, but would also be a bit of work on his part I would imagine (this is complete conjecture as I am unfamiliar with how he gets his data). However, if it is more work, that means he will likely want more compensation. While I am a happy subscriber at present, it would not take much of a monthly bump to have me reconsider being a member (given that I am not a daily user or anything like that). So I would think he has a bit of a balancing act on his hands in regards to adding new services (unless he goes with some sort of tiered membership plan or something along those lines) :shrug:

 

I agree that it's extra work to gather the data, but probably not by much as it comes from the same source (CGC label). Though I realize I'm saying this without much knowledge on GPA's data collecting process.

[mrlatko]

More than the page quality, I am most often curious about where the sales were recorded. Were they from eBay, Heritage, another party?

 

Good site, but it makes me want to know more about specific sales.

 

That used to be available for individual books when you drilled all the way down. It isn't anymore?

[AGGIEZ]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

 

It would be great to see it on the page, but it's not like I can't find that information on my own. As a CS member (I think it's just for CS members) you can input the issue number, grade and serial number and you have the page quality then and there for any GPA sales that look out of whack.

 

The detailed CGC data is the first place I look when I see an outlier sale to check on PQ or other notes.

 

 

Not everyone that uses GPA is a CS member so that's another $99/year for that data...PLUS another source you have to check to pull all the data together. blech...

 

I think GPA would much better if:

 

1. Add PQ (as discussed)

2. Add source of sale (as discussed)

3. Add CLINK data!!! (huuuuge hole in the product now)

 

 

I like the improvements they've made to the site since I've joined, i.e. linking to current auctions and being able to search auctions based on your saved titles...still needs the three additions above though.

[ComicsAndCode]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

 

It would be great to see it on the page, but it's not like I can't find that information on my own. As a CS member (I think it's just for CS members) you can input the issue number, grade and serial number and you have the page quality then and there for any GPA sales that look out of whack.

 

The detailed CGC data is the first place I look when I see an outlier sale to check on PQ or other notes.

 

Yeah, I figured you can access additional CGC data using the serial # (if provided), but still, you are having to use another site. Wouldn't it be simpler if the data resided on GPA and just do some quick analysis there?

[mrlatko]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

Nope, not too picky and wouldn't be much more work for them either. It sure is easy to sit and do nothing to improve when you are the only game in town as GPA has. I toyed with the idea of competing with those guys years ago and I had PQ in my data as I always thought that was a glaring deficiency in GPA. It would also be great to see the median, mode and range values which are easily calculated. I do like the live auctions feature they added, but would prefer more statistical analysis and more ways to sort/group the data. Also, would it kill them to add cover images? Comics.org allows images to be borrowed as long as credit is given to them. What's the hold-up?

[rodan57]

 

Seems to be a valid request, but would also be a bit of work on his part I would imagine (this is complete conjecture as I am unfamiliar with how he gets his data). However, if it is more work, that means he will likely want more compensation.

 

AGGIEZ suggested:

1. Add PQ (as discussed)

2. Add source of sale (as discussed)

3. Add CLINK data!!! (huuuuge hole in the product now)

 

 

_________________________

If there is a fixed cost to the data base, I would argue that more information would lead to more clients and less per capita cost.

[VintageComics]

I think they should make a notation for all books sold at auction on a Holiday.

 

I just set a bunch of GPA lows on books that ended on the 4th of July.

 

[ComicsAndCode]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

Nope, not too picky and wouldn't be much more work for them either. It sure is easy to sit and do nothing to improve when you are the only game in town as GPA has. I toyed with the idea of competing with those guys years ago and I had PQ in my data as I always thought that was a glaring deficiency in GPA. It would also be great to see the median, mode and range values which are easily calculated. I do like the live auctions feature they added, but would prefer more statistical analysis and more ways to sort/group the data. Also, would it kill them to add cover images? Comics.org allows images to be borrowed as long as credit is given to them. What's the hold-up?

 

When you say "cover images", are you referring to a generic one or of the actual comic book sold? A generic one wouldn't add a whole lot of value. And providing the cover image for the actual sold comic is a technical and content-management nightmare. As I recall, GPA recently did a major site restructuring where part of it was to reduce response time on the searches. Adding cover images would impact the performance gained from that restructuring. Plus, consider how much work is involved in loading the images to the service, one at a time. I imagine that would hike up operation cost which no doubt would be passed on to the subscriber.

[JazzMan]

To me GPA is right where it should be. If I really want to look up PQ then as C&C said, there's a way. Where I'd like to see PQ is actually in the census data - there's no way to really see it there.

[TempusFugitivus]

I would assume that the extra cost of doing all this would make GPA unprofitable.

Which would be a poor way of doing business.

 

In any case, it can pretty much be done in your head.

For example:

GPA High 400- Assume it is a perfectly centered white pager.

GPA Low 200- Assume it's got cream pages or a horrible cut or both.

Insane price completely out of line: someone thought it was a presser.

 

[seanfingh]

I think they should make a notation for all books sold at auction on a Holiday.

 

I just set a bunch of GPA lows on books that ended on the 4th of July.

 

 

You should be more observant to the needs of your American customers. We share North America, why won't you share some of our culture? I, for one, love doughnuts, back bacon, 7.0% alcohol beer, curling and Pam Anderson.

[VintageComics]

I think they should make a notation for all books sold at auction on a Holiday.

 

I just set a bunch of GPA lows on books that ended on the 4th of July.

 

 

You should be more observant to the needs of your American customers. We share North America, why won't you share some of our culture? I, for one, love doughnuts, back bacon, 7.0% alcohol beer, curling and Pam Anderson.

 

Hey, I made joyful noises on the 4th in honor of our Southern neighbors.

 

 

Then I went back to what I was doing (doughnuts, back bacon, 7.0% alcohol beer, curling and Pam Anderson).

 

[mrlatko]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

Nope, not too picky and wouldn't be much more work for them either. It sure is easy to sit and do nothing to improve when you are the only game in town as GPA has. I toyed with the idea of competing with those guys years ago and I had PQ in my data as I always thought that was a glaring deficiency in GPA. It would also be great to see the median, mode and range values which are easily calculated. I do like the live auctions feature they added, but would prefer more statistical analysis and more ways to sort/group the data. Also, would it kill them to add cover images? Comics.org allows images to be borrowed as long as credit is given to them. What's the hold-up?

 

When you say "cover images", are you referring to a generic one or of the actual comic book sold? A generic one wouldn't add a whole lot of value. And providing the cover image for the actual sold comic is a technical and content-management nightmare. As I recall, GPA recently did a major site restructuring where part of it was to reduce response time on the searches. Adding cover images would impact the performance gained from that restructuring. Plus, consider how much work is involved in loading the images to the service, one at a time. I imagine that would hike up operation cost which no doubt would be passed on to the subscriber.

 

I'm talking about generic images and I absolutely see the value there. As I am browsing Batman (1940) and can't remember the issue number I'm interested in but can remember the cover image, seeing a little thumbnail as I open the tree-view next to a number would help me identify the correct issue.

 

Other ideas off the top of my head that would benefit all:

 

At least sort the "title" combo box by most popular descending or by start date of the series, not alpha-numeric or however they do it now. If I type in "Incredible Hulk", I need to hunt through tons of entries to find Hulk (1963). This should be the first entry in the list, not somewhere in the middle.

 

Why limit the search to comic title? The "title only" search system is terribly inadequate. Allow common searches that most all comic related sites allow:

Searchable by issue story synopsis

Searchable by character cross-reference

Searchable by creator (Writer, Artist). I know I want to find Neal Adams books and I want to browse them all in one search, rather than run hundreds of individual queries.

 

Show me Live Auctions that were listed for a particular date or date range, so I can browse the newest additions for Buy-It-Nows and check GPA data on those books at the same time.

 

Once implemented, these improvements don't cost GPA anything. Only the initial cost of doing the data entry and improving the code.

 

No charge for these suggestions GPA, get crackin please.

[gaz973]

Although I agree that PQ info would be useful, GPA provides the service that I want now. The price for the service is reasonable and I don't want to get it hiked up to pay for a bunch of services that I'm not bothered about. There are loads of existing sites where I can match a cover image to an issue number in seconds, I don't need GPA to be bogged down with it.

[ComicsAndCode]

First off, I'm a GPA subscriber and consider it a valuable resource. So thanks George, et al for the site. BUT isn't it about time the service started providing page quality data? I mean, I really think that in a lot of cases, the sales data would make more sense with PQ because it would likely answer for the disparate prices realized for a book at a specific grade (i.e. white pages statistically command more than cream, off-white, etc.).

 

Is this a valid request or am I being too picky?

 

Nope, not too picky and wouldn't be much more work for them either. It sure is easy to sit and do nothing to improve when you are the only game in town as GPA has. I toyed with the idea of competing with those guys years ago and I had PQ in my data as I always thought that was a glaring deficiency in GPA. It would also be great to see the median, mode and range values which are easily calculated. I do like the live auctions feature they added, but would prefer more statistical analysis and more ways to sort/group the data. Also, would it kill them to add cover images? Comics.org allows images to be borrowed as long as credit is given to them. What's the hold-up?

 

When you say "cover images", are you referring to a generic one or of the actual comic book sold? A generic one wouldn't add a whole lot of value. And providing the cover image for the actual sold comic is a technical and content-management nightmare. As I recall, GPA recently did a major site restructuring where part of it was to reduce response time on the searches. Adding cover images would impact the performance gained from that restructuring. Plus, consider how much work is involved in loading the images to the service, one at a time. I imagine that would hike up operation cost which no doubt would be passed on to the subscriber.

 

I'm talking about generic images and I absolutely see the value there. As I am browsing Batman (1940) and can't remember the issue number I'm interested in but can remember the cover image, seeing a little thumbnail as I open the tree-view next to a number would help me identify the correct issue.

 

That's a lot of work for GPA with unproportionate value. OR...they can tap into a third party service for the cover images. ComicBase, perhaps??

[Flaming_Telepath]

Although I agree that PQ info would be useful, GPA provides the service that I want now. The price for the service is reasonable and I don't want to get it hiked up to pay for a bunch of services that I'm not bothered about. There are loads of existing sites where I can match a cover image to an issue number in seconds, I don't need GPA to be bogged down with it.

 

Very important point. You want more from GPA, you will have to pay more.

 

Additionally, I think more relevant to explaining the price outliers is where it was sold, rather than PQ. We know that certain submitters skew/falsify submitted data (much to George's disgust and anger) and this can help validate...or not...certain sales.

 

Oh, and for all those who would like to see CLink data included...start shouting at Josh, would you, 'cause it ain't GPA that's the problem with this. (thumbs u