Question about GPAnalysis

[skybolt]

It really frustrates me when I purchase a CGC book for $250 on Ebay, and a month later that same graded book is listed in the GPAnalysis as selling for $125. What bothers me is that I have no idea where that sale came from. After purchasing my book, I check Ebay and Comiclink several times a day to see if that book was offered again. On occassions, that same book would sell 4 other times on Ebay for around $230-$270 (which is fine). However, when I check the GPAnalysis listing at the end of the month, the $125 value is there. The only way this book was sold on Ebay is if it was listed as a buy it now, and sold within a few hours. This has happened on other key books as well, where I think I've made a good consistent purchase, but saw the same book sold for much less (on one occasion) a month later.

 

Which brings me to my question. What sources does GPanalysis use when listing CGC books sold. I mean I've pruchased 4 CGC graded books from Metropolis and none of them were listed. Do books sold at conventions or by private dealers count? What I'm afraid of is lets say I purchase a nice rare GA book for $1,000 (which is the OS guide value), but 1 year later that book sells somewhere (not Ebay) for $500. Now, If I decide to sell this book a couple of months later, someone may check the GPA site, and say "wow, that book is way overpriced at $1,100, I can get it for $500".

 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting the best bargain possible, but I would like to find out how people are getting these key books at half price (if the sale is legitimate), where everywhere else I look they're selling at premium. This does not make much of a difference for SA or BA books, since we're dealing average sales of over 30 books, but for GA books it makes a huge difference.

[sterlingcomics]

I know that they get their prices from Heritage as well as eBay--and some other dealers. Best to call them and get the scoop.

 

Also some assumptions here you are making is that the copy sold was accurately graded--it might have been a fugly book....(or maybe the page quality was bad)

[skybolt]

Also some assumptions here you are making is that the copy sold was accurately graded--it might have been a fugly book....(or maybe the page quality was bad)

 

Good point.

[sfilosa]

The main sources for GPAnalysis are eBay and Heritage. A few other auction houses also give sales data.

 

Now PedigreeComics is also submitting sale info.

 

Remember, with GPAnalysis, you don't know the PQ or QP. Those can affect the price tremendously.

 

A Cream to Off-White book with a miswrap and date stamp on the front cover could easily sell for a 30-50% discount compared to a White page, perfect eye appeal book.

[skybolt]

A Cream to Off-White book with a miswrap and date stamp on the front cover could easily sell for a 30-50% discount compared to a White page, perfect eye appeal book.

 

I agree with this statement for HG BA or MA books (where a 9.6 with white pages may sell for 4 X guide, etc.), but C-OW pages for GA books (and some SA books) are fairly common. From my experience, miswraps or page quality do not warrant the book to sell for 50% guide. For instance, when an early Batman book CGC graded at 7.0 or 8.0 sells for 40-50% guide, I become a little suspicious. Especially, if 99% of the books similar to it are selling at premium. It leads me to 2 conclusions: 1.) The book has some sort of defect (SCS, extreme damage to the slab, etc.), or 2.) the book was not sold to an open market. Otherwise, I'm sure someone would be willing to pay more.

[gpanalysis]

I understand that you guys believe page quality makes a huge difference in price, but it rarely does. From our observation, PQ rarely influences the price. Especially when you consider that for many books, too few sales spread across a long time line means you can't effectively analyze the effect of PQ on price.

 

George has suggested we take a couple of highly traded books (where we do have PQ info) and do an article on PQ effect in one of our newsletters. It may give us all a starting point for discussing PQ influence on price. This is not to say that there aren't collectors who seek and pay more for "white page" copies. But it may be (and the data seems to point to that) that most collectors do not and hence why PQ does not influence prices greatly.

 

Finally, what is the book you're looking at Skybolt? Maybe I can give you some further info about the other sales. We report sales from eBay, Heritage, Mastronet, AllStar, JPTheMint, Colmore, Pedigree, Mile High, Vault, Yahoo and Swenson.

 

Best

Andy

[sfilosa]

This is not to say that there aren't collectors who seek and pay more for "white page" copies. But it may be (and the data seems to point to that) that most collectors do not and hence why PQ does not influence prices greatly.

 

To me, it's not the White Page thing as much is it is the Cream to Off-White on SA or newer.

 

There are many collectors that don't buy CR/OW (including myself). On a GA book, it is different.

 

Here is a perfect example. Sold, same source just two months apart. I know I would have been all over the first one if not for the Cr/OW at that price.

 

TTA -#49 Cr/OW

 

TTA #49 OW

[gpanalysis]

I agree - when the page quality drops below OW/W there seems to be some indication that collectors don't flock to buy - but, again, we have seen examples where this doesn't have a great effect (on books which are rare, offered rarely for sale, etc).

[fantastic_four]

From our observation, PQ rarely influences the price. Especially when you consider that for many books, too few sales spread across a long time line means you can't effectively analyze the effect of PQ on price.

 

I wouldn't take titles and issues in short supply with sparse data as any kind of way to "especially" show that PQ rarely influences price. The way to determine it is to look at books in higher supply, such as a Hulk 181 or some Byrne X-Men, and compare cream-to-offwhite page sales to white page sales. In my experience with the Silver/Bronze Marvel titles I collect, cream pages go for less than white pages with some consistency, i.e. at least half of the time.

[gpanalysis]

From our observation, PQ rarely influences the price. Especially when you consider that for many books, too few sales spread across a long time line means you can't effectively analyze the effect of PQ on price.

 

I wouldn't take titles and issues in short supply with sparse data as any kind of way to "especially" show that PQ rarely influences price. The way to determine it is to look at books in higher supply, such as a Hulk 181 or some Byrne X-Men, and compare cream-to-offwhite page sales to white page sales. In my experience with the Silver/Bronze Marvel titles I collect, cream pages go for less than white pages with some consistency, i.e. at least half of the time.

 

Yes FF, that's why I noted above: George has suggested we take a couple of highly traded books (where we do have PQ info) and do an article on PQ effect in one of our newsletters. It may give us all a starting point for discussing PQ influence on price. This is not to say that there aren't collectors who seek and pay more for "white page" copies. But it may be (and the data seems to point to that) that most collectors do not and hence why PQ does not influence prices greatly.