Wondering how long mid-grades have been over-valued?

[ninanina]

Common knowledge that guide values for mid grades (VG - VF) are over-valued....generally. Wondering how long this has been the case. Was this discovered when comics started selling on e-bay at a fraction of their guide value or long before?

 

And...(dare I say it) ... are we in the middle of a "crash" as far as mid-grade comics go?

[uclapeterg]

People have been selling VG for 50% of guide as long as I can remember. Fine and VF books really depends.. are they keys? Fine nonkeys have been selling for less than guide as long as i can remember. I also remember that Overstreet downgraded the values for G-VG-F awhile ago to better reflect the market.

 

VF keys for early 60s usually sell for more than guide ands I think Ebay has borne that out.

[shadroch]

First,let me start by saying I don't consider VF books to be mid-grade.

There are really three markets right now.Conventions,eBay and CGC.

At cons,you can look at the books,examine them and judge them yourself.CGC books speak for themselves.

On eBay, it is quite dificult to judge a Vg to Fine book.

The VG-Fine range is so extreme that its almost like buying blind.The multitude of defects which make a book a VG are so many,it is often difficult to tell if there are multiple defects or only one or two.You can be getting a book one notch above Good or one notch below Fine.Many books I buy as VG on ebay(almost always pre-1968) disappoint me even though they do grade out correct.

I buy and sell many VG books at shows and the prices tend to be much closer to guide than on eBay.Perhaps most buyers simply bid on VG eBay books as if they are overgraded,just like most do on supposed HG books.I find eBay a great buying source but there are much better places to sell your books.

[sfilosa]

Most mid-grade books from 1965 and on have always been overvalued in the guide. The reason was simple for a very long time. When Overstreet increased the value of NM, he also increased the value of the lower grade books. Several years ago (1997 Guide #28) he states

 

"we have change the price spreads on mosts books to reflect last year's correction. The Silver Age was affected the most where Good to Fine copies were being discounted 20% to 70% off guide list. The new price spread was accomplished in most cases with a slight increase in the Near Mint price and a reducton in the Good and Fine price.Most Silver Age books are now on a 1 to 10 spread.....As higher prices are paid for true Near Mint to Mint books, these spreads will probably continue to increase in the future".

 

Obvioulsy, the falacy with this "SPREAD METHOD" is that a 10% increase in NM also means a 10% increase in GD and FN, and we all know it doesn't work that way.

[Scrooge]

I would gladly be lead to where VG to Fine books can be purchased for half guide. Note that these are my preferred grades as I can still afford the prices and obtain presentable copies so I am familiar with what I have to pay for these.

 

On eBay, I would be lucky to win an auction by bidding half guide (actually, I know I would virtually never win). My experience says (once you include shipping charges) that the eBay discount is 20% for VGs and 15% for Fines.

 

I attend two conventions a year: Mid-Ohio and Wizard World Chicago. While it is possible to negotiate discounts, I must not possess the best bargaining knack as I don't recall getting such deep discounts (Caveat: I can never attend the last day in the p.m. to get the better deal so I can't talk about late-hours discounts).

 

Maybe, it's because I buy early 50's books. Later period books could possibly receive the 50% discount but it certainly has not been my experience.

 

I don't dispute your observation but I would like to hear from other forumites on this topic.

[ninanina]

 

VF keys for early 60s usually sell for more than guide ands I think Ebay has borne that out.

 

Soooo.....what about VF's late 60's/70's that are not keys? Are they generally selling at or close to guide? Or, is it just the lower grades VG - F/VF?

 

Anyone got a "feel" for what's going on?

 

Perhaps the perception VF's are selling lower than guide is people feel on e-bay they are bidding on an "e-bay" Very Fine which quite often is an actual VG or F. What's happening at your LCS. Silver/Bronze pretty healthy at guide prices generally in the mid ranges?

 

Anyone?

[joe_collector]

Soooo.....what about VF's late 60's/70's that are not keys? Are they generally selling at or close to guide?

 

Now way, and that's even for good, smaller EBay sources, that often sell "VF Lots" with a few NM and VF/NM copies in them.

 

And no, that doesn't count Showcase NE.

 

I'm not sure how much impact the "buy VF, but receive F" issue has on sales, but if you follow multiple auctions, do your research on the seller, and keep your bids within reason, you can still get a lot of great deals in the VF to VF/NM range.

[FlyingDonut]

I would gladly be lead to where VG to Fine books can be purchased for half guide. Note that these are my preferred grades as I can still afford the prices and obtain presentable copies so I am familiar with what I have to pay for these.

 

Call me.

 

Maybe, it's because I buy early 50's books. Later period books could possibly receive the 50% discount but it certainly has not been my experience..

 

Ah. Completely different marketplace. VG/F books published since 1965 have sold for half-Guide (whatever Guide is) as long as I've been selling books.

[ninanina]

Soooo.....what about VF's late 60's/70's that are not keys? Are they generally selling at or close to guide?

 

I'm not sure how much impact the "buy VF, but receive F" issue has on sales, but if you follow multiple auctions, do your research on the seller, and keep your bids within reason, you can still get a lot of great deals in the VF to VF/NM range.

 

Are there any dealers on board that can comment on how VF's are selling relative to guide in the LCS. Or .... buyers out there that have LCS with good selections of 60's and 70's VF's?