Has OSPG lost its relevance?

[1904 Comics]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

 

+1

 

I like my LCS dealer who uses the OSPG to say that he should buy the slabs for OSPG guide because the value is the same in or out of the case

[Buzzetta]

OSPG becomes equally as relevant with each passing year as the newspaper compares to an internet feed linked to a smart phone.

[lizards2]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

 

+1

 

I like my LCS dealer who uses the OSPG to say that he should buy the slabs for OSPG guide because the value is the same in or out of the case

I'd say that is pretty much the case for 98% of the books that are encapsulated. In fact, it is probably way too generous if they are actually offering guide.

[Kevin76]

haven't bought an Overtstreet in years

[Jeffro.]

There are still many, many collectors and dealers across the country who price using OSPG. I see it all the time at local shows and various online retailers. It may not have the relevance it had in the pre-internet age but it's still heavily used for pricing and, of course, as a reference.

[RCheli]

When pricing my convention stock, I use Overstreet as a guide and an informational source. $5 in OPG is usually $2 or $3 for me, because that's the price point where I can sell them.

 

However, it is also good to find information that might not be readily noticeable (a key artist on the last story of a book, and early appearance of a character).

 

I very rarely price at Guide, but I very often price around Guide.

[archer]

Why do collectors buy physical copies of comics when they can get digital copies? It's the same reason OSPG is still being published. I want the guide to alphabetize lists and such. Scanning the pages one would sometimes reveal a book you haven't realized had become a collectible. It also refreshes my memory of books that might get relevant again.

 

The reason I don't buy it anymore is I can't find it cheap. I'm not even sure if the LCS here carry it.

[Tom473]

I think there is a sense of nostalgia among many collectors with regard to OSPG, especially pre-internet collectors. For me, OSPG has become the opposite of Playboy, I read it for the articles.

[vaillant]

I would be lost without Overstreet.

[Dr. Balls]

I use OSPG and Ebay completeds to build a picture of what I'm looking to get out of a book. (GPA sometimes when I'm looking to buy an expensive slab) Plus, OSPG has great information on appearances, etc. I don't think it will ever lose it's relevance - at least for me.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

Don't you ever post anything good. So yea, all dealers should be giving you FMV on all of your books so they can lose money. Or maybe they should buy all your low grade Marvel at 75% of guide value, when everyone knows it will sell around 33%. Give me a break

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I still use my 2008 OSPG. It is pretty useless.

[jaeldubyoo]

I used to buy OPG religiously in the 70s and 80s. I haven't bought one since 1990.

 

Having said that, I still like to refer to OPG. It has a wealth of information. These days, I just borrow from the library. And despite what others say about the prices, you cannot get away from thinking in terms of how comics are priced percent-wise to OPG. For me, it's a gauge for determining approximate value in older common, non-key books.

[Bookery]

I have a lot of issues with OPG, but if one were to use only ONE source (it wouldn't be bright to do so, but if...) then OPG is still the best SINGLE source around. It's high on way too much stuff, and low on some stuff, but if you bought or sold hundreds or thousands of books over time, it would probably even out.

 

eBay is probably the worst single source of info. The comic sellers that come into my shop that get all their data off eBay are the most misinformed by far. On lower-end stuff, eBay is fine... but on higher-end collectibles there are just too many variables... inexperienced grading of seller, inexperienced grading of buyer, bad scans, lack of interior info, outright frauds, shill bidding, etc., etc.

 

GPA is great for slabbed silver and bronze age, but not very useful for most golden-age and various rarities, as, through no fault of their own, there simply isn't enough sales data to determine patterns on those.

 

An informed accurate price guide would still be the best solution out there... but unfortunately OPG is very stuck in its ways, and unwilling to make changes that would vastly improve the book. Still... OPG made a significant effort this year, breaking out many hot issues, and at least taking a stab at keeping up with some of the volatile issues. What GPA prices that do turn up for golden-age seem to often mirror OPG pretty closely, unless it's a hot cover book, which OPG seems to never catch up on. The guide's biggest errors come from over-pricing too many books no longer relevant to many of today's collectors (Disney, many humor titles, movie and TV tie-ins, etc.). As a dealer, though, I simply mark various levels of discount off these books, and even here, OPG at least gives you a starting point.

 

 

 

 

[mintcollector]

So yeah, I know that some of you are thinking, "A better question is 'When did Overstreet lose its relevance?'"

 

As one of those boomerang collectors, the first thing I did was pick up an Overstreet. After all, it's what I had used for all those years. Of course, things had changed tremendously since I stopped collecting at the age of 25 (41 when I resumed).

 

GPA is another animal entirely and an excellent resource I don't want to go without as long as I'm acquiring slabs.

 

I still reference OSPG when looking at raws, but really, I can't fathom that they have some massive data gathering capacity for this. Does anyone have insight into where their pricing comes from? I mean, they can cull ebay and such, but they must be relying on anecdotal information or just making slight, formulaic adjustments to books that hardly move on the market year to year.

 

So yeah, is OPS worth it any more? How many of you have stopped buying it?

 

It hasn't. There are many eager speculators who will continue to woefully buy the Overstreet Guide year after year to justify the amounts spent on their own comic book purchases. If Overstreet would to cease being published I would venture to say that a lot of books would drop in price as Overstreet in the only thing helping to justify their overinfated values.

 

 

[Jaydogrules]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

Don't you ever post anything good. So yea, all dealers should be giving you FMV on all of your books so they can lose money. Or maybe they should buy all your low grade Marvel at 75% of guide value, when everyone knows it will sell around 33%. Give me a break

 

Funny, because it is dealers who have told me this. And no one said dealers shouldn't make any profit on a book or overpay for dreck. Might I suggest you try actually reading a person's post before commenting on the quality of it?

 

-J.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

Don't you ever post anything good. So yea, all dealers should be giving you FMV on all of your books so they can lose money. Or maybe they should buy all your low grade Marvel at 75% of guide value, when everyone knows it will sell around 33%. Give me a break

 

Funny, because it is dealers who have told me this. And no one said dealers shouldn't make any profit on a book or overpay for dreck. Might I suggest you try actually reading a person's post before commenting on the quality of it?

 

-J.

Broad paintbrush. You have no problem making all dealers look bad. Must be nice, being such a model human being and all.

[Jaydogrules]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

Don't you ever post anything good. So yea, all dealers should be giving you FMV on all of your books so they can lose money. Or maybe they should buy all your low grade Marvel at 75% of guide value, when everyone knows it will sell around 33%. Give me a break

 

Funny, because it is dealers who have told me this. And no one said dealers shouldn't make any profit on a book or overpay for dreck. Might I suggest you try actually reading a person's post before commenting on the quality of it?

 

-J.

Broad paintbrush. You have no problem making all dealers look bad. Must be nice, being such a model human being and all.

 

Resurrection, while my post was terse, I don't believe it makes "all dealers look bad". Again, I was merely re-iterating what other dealers have said they use OSPG for at this point. You are free to take it for what it's worth either way, but don't make it more than what it is.

 

-J.

[MusterMark]

I consider the original posed question (title of the thread) to be laughable.

 

Not only is OSPG relevant, it is INDISPENSABLE.

 

As others have mentioned, I too use it every other day, often every day. (thumbs u

 

Each year, I can't wait for the new one to come out. I love, love, love it.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

OSPG is published for dealers who use it as a reference to low ball you when you try to sell them your raw books.

 

-J.

Don't you ever post anything good. So yea, all dealers should be giving you FMV on all of your books so they can lose money. Or maybe they should buy all your low grade Marvel at 75% of guide value, when everyone knows it will sell around 33%. Give me a break

 

Funny, because it is dealers who have told me this. And no one said dealers shouldn't make any profit on a book or overpay for dreck. Might I suggest you try actually reading a person's post before commenting on the quality of it?

 

-J.

Broad paintbrush. You have no problem making all dealers look bad. Must be nice, being such a model human being and all.

 

Resurrection, while my post was terse, I don't believe it makes "all dealers look bad". Again, I was merely re-iterating what other dealers have said they use OSPG for at this point. You are free to take it for what it's worth either way, but don't make it more than what it is.

 

-J.

ill give you 200.00 for all the books in your sig line. I have to make some money too. Sorry, but I have never liked the evil dealer stereotype. Although some exist, they typically don't stay long.