Using Overstreet to price collection

[mmastran]

I'm looking to get my collection appraised and the method used is the Overstreet Price Guide.

 

What I've noticed from different versions of (ie 2002, 2006, 2009 etc...) is that the guide doesn't show prices for all grades but only for 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 etc...

 

My question is:

 

How would I determine the price of a book that is below 2.0 or between the grades listed?

For example, the guide shows values for 4.0 and 6.0, but if the copy of the book I want appraised is in 5.0 or 5.5, how would I calculate it?

 

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

Any help would be appreciated as I'm looking to get my collection appraised by someone at my LCS and they'll be using Overstreet.

[VintageComics]

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

That's the way most people do it.

 

(thumbs u

[shadroch]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

[PovertyRow]

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

That's the way most people do it.

 

(thumbs u

 

Your formula of 120.00 + (220-120/2) comes out to 280.00. Order of operations dictate the division within (220-120/2) occurs before the subtraction. So you are subtracting 60 (120/2) from 220 which equals 160, then adding that to 120.

 

The easiest formula is simply averaging the 4.0 and 6.0 values. (120+220)/2 which equals 170.

[chrisco37]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

I was going to say for low to mid-grade, non-keys from SA and newer, take OSPG and chop it in half.

[Bodhi396]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

I was going to say for low to mid-grade, non-keys from SA and newer, take OSPG and chop it in half.

 

If this is true, makes you wonder why Overstreet doesn't lower the prices for those levels of comics. They should realize their price ranges are off.

[lou_fine]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

I was going to say for low to mid-grade, non-keys from SA and newer, take OSPG and chop it in half.

 

How about if we really confused the poor guy here.

 

And for rare HTF in-demand GA books, even in low-grade restored condition, take OSPG condition price and multiply it by 30.

[DeliBebek]

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

That's the way most people do it.

 

(thumbs u

 

Your formula of 120.00 + (220-120/2) comes out to 280.00. Order of operations dictate the division within (220-120/2) occurs before the subtraction. So you are subtracting 60 (120/2) from 220 which equals 160, then adding that to 120.

 

The easiest formula is simply averaging the 4.0 and 6.0 values. (120+220)/2 which equals 170.

So the pricing scale is considered to be linear, at least at mid-grade levels. Is this a rule of thumb that's accepted just for convenience of use between most sellers and buyers? (at least the ones who use Overstreet) The scale on most comics gets steeper in the high grades, so it implies a curve on the overall graph. However, I can imagine too many arguments over the math if anyone tries to plot the price with a complex equation. The last thing we need is more arguments.

[PovertyRow]

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

That's the way most people do it.

 

(thumbs u

 

Your formula of 120.00 + (220-120/2) comes out to 280.00. Order of operations dictate the division within (220-120/2) occurs before the subtraction. So you are subtracting 60 (120/2) from 220 which equals 160, then adding that to 120.

 

The easiest formula is simply averaging the 4.0 and 6.0 values. (120+220)/2 which equals 170.

So the pricing scale is considered to be linear, at least at mid-grade levels. Is this a rule of thumb that's accepted just for convenience of use between most sellers and buyers? (at least the ones who use Overstreet) The scale on most comics gets steeper in the high grades, so it implies a curve on the overall graph. However, I can imagine too many arguments over the math if anyone tries to plot the price with a complex equation. The last thing we need is more arguments.

 

Actually I don't consider the price scale to be linear. I was just correcting the formula because if, for example, someone plugged it, as is, into a spreadsheet they would be way off.

 

Many years ago I would use an averaging (this was pre-cgc days) to calc between-grades. For example, a VG/FN by averaging the VG and Fine listings.

 

Averaging can potentially give some kind of ballpark in relation to the values already IN Overstreet. But to actually USE OS to price a collection? It really depends on the purpose. For tax deduction or Insurance purposes, it could work, but for real world buying/selling? Not so much overall.

 

[lizards2]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

I was going to say for low to mid-grade, non-keys from SA and newer, take OSPG and chop it in half.

That's my method for attempting to sell stuff here anyway. The closer you get to NM, the more in line with guide, however, many books you can cut the NM price in half as well. Or deeper.

[youfoundjake]

What does ebay say as far as values go? Will your LCS be using ebay to get prices?

[Sal]

if you are appraising for insurance / replacement value, using straight Overstreet is fine.

 

 

if you are appraising for resale, take whatever Overstreet gives you, remove all the key issues, slice your total by 60-70%, add the keys back in and then total it all up, unless your collection is mostly moderns, in which case you should figure about a dime to a quarter per book, excepting keys as previously mentioned

[Trev]

You may want to factor in GPA as well. It's maybe a better indicator of the market as it is right now. Especially for keys, hot, or higher grade books.

[Trev]

What does ebay say as far as values go? Will your LCS be using ebay to get prices?

 

ebay is good for the floor on prices. IMO ebay is the market of last resort.

[cd4ever]

At first glance I thought that taking the difference between the two grades and dividing by 2 and adding this difference to the lower grade would give me an approximate value for a grade that falls in between 2 grades . Is this correct?

 

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2)

 

That's the way most people do it.

 

(thumbs u

And if the grade is 7.0 or less, then divide by 2.

[Hamlet]

I've found that real prices aren't very linear on above 6.0.

 

For example, many SA books will have a price of 1X at 6.0 and 3.0X at 8.0.

 

I've found that the 2X point is more likely to be the 7.5 grade than the 7.0 grade.

 

The jump in price for a lot of SA books is almost the same from 6.0 to 7.5 as it is from 7.5 to 8.0.

 

I think a lot of people consider 8.0 the minimum "high grade" or "investment grade" for SA books.

 

To my mind, that makes 7.5 books a pretty good value.

 

 

So the pricing scale is considered to be linear, at least at mid-grade levels. Is this a rule of thumb that's accepted just for convenience of use between most sellers and buyers? (at least the ones who use Overstreet) The scale on most comics gets steeper in the high grades, so it implies a curve on the overall graph. However, I can imagine too many arguments over the math if anyone tries to plot the price with a complex equation. The last thing we need is more arguments.

[zuulioso]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

I was going to say for low to mid-grade, non-keys from SA and newer, take OSPG and chop it in half.

 

Then look at the GPA price and realize you need to chop it in half again.

[rabidwolf]

I remember up until the mid to late 90s Overstreet used to price Fine copies of silver age books at about 40-50% of NM. VG books were about 20-30% of NM books. Now Fine will bring you a fraction of NM and true NM will bring you multiples.

[Flaming_Telepath]

Thats the most common method, but realize that OS prices are far from the current market level prices. Most 6.0 and lower books SA and later that dealers couldn't be arsed to grade correctly sell for well less than Overstreet prices.

 

(thumbs u

[FlyingDonut]

For example if:

4.0 is listed at $120

6.0 is listed at $220

 

Then the value for 5.0 would be $170 $20......which is 120.00 + (220-120/2) reality.

 

 

Fixed that for you.