Has OSPG lost its relevance?

[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.

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.

 

 

-J.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Yea, I can see where the insane lizard tongued gremlin drives that point home.

[thirdgreenham]

Panties, meet wad.

[500Club]

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

 

No 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.

+1

 

Prices have always been somewhat slow to be adjusted, but that has always been Bob Overstreet's stated goal - to provide a measured response to price trends. The result of this is collectors and dealers need to keep abreast of quick moving trends. Despite that drawback, Overstreet provides a very effective reference point for pricing.

 

I'd like to see the quarterly updates return, with market reports, notes on hot book price trends, and updates on sales of scarce items that are inherently tough to guide accurately.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Panties, meet wad.

Oh stop it

[oakman29]

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.

 

Wholly cow dude,can't you at least make you sig. line a tad smaller?

I know,I know,I know goshdammit Archers bookstore.

[PovertyRow]

 

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

 

OSPG is worth it simply for the listings and the notations for 1st appearances, artists notes etc. In one book you have a real compendium of comic book lore. Beyond that you have interesting reads via the Market Reports (yes, somewhat dated and sometimes slanted but still fun nonetheless.

 

Also the grading definitions give at least a basic understanding of the major defects. Not to mention some beautiful 4-color images, key lists etc.

 

Looking at it as a price guide? Not so much. As a compendium of comic info? Yeah, well worth it.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I'd like to see the quarterly updates return, with market reports, notes on hot book price trends, and updates on sales of scarce items that are inherently tough to guide accurately.

 

This, this, a thousand times this.

 

I wish Overstreet hadn't given up on the updates, but silly collectors had to have their flash and sparkle in Wizard.

[dupont2005]

 

OSPG is worth it simply for the listings and the notations for 1st appearances, artists notes etc. In one book you have a real compendium of comic book lore.

Doesn't the internet have that for free though?

[PovertyRow]

 

OSPG is worth it simply for the listings and the notations for 1st appearances, artists notes etc. In one book you have a real compendium of comic book lore.

Doesn't the internet have that for free though?

 

Spread out rather than in a single volume. Not as convenient or readily accessible IMHO. Besides that, the OSPG is made of paper. I'm sure you remember paper! Do you read electronic comics? They have neither texture nor smell and are danged difficult to leaf through..

[thirdgreenham]

 

OSPG is worth it simply for the listings and the notations for 1st appearances, artists notes etc. In one book you have a real compendium of comic book lore.

Doesn't the internet have that for free though?

 

Spread out rather than in a single volume. Not as convenient or readily accessible IMHO. Besides that, the OSPG is made of paper. I'm sure you remember paper! Do you read electronic comics? They have neither texture nor smell and are danged difficult to leaf through..

 

Lettuce dig deeper into that last thought....

[Jeffro.]

 

OSPG is worth it simply for the listings and the notations for 1st appearances, artists notes etc. In one book you have a real compendium of comic book lore.

Doesn't the internet have that for free though?

 

Spread out rather than in a single volume. Not as convenient or readily accessible IMHO. Besides that, the OSPG is made of paper. I'm sure you remember paper! Do you read electronic comics? They have neither texture nor smell and are danged difficult to leaf through..

 

Lettuce dig deeper into that last thought....

 

It's merely the tip of the iceberg

(lettuce)

 

[blazingbob]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

[jaeldubyoo]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

Good point about eBay. There are very few sellers/dealers that you can trust on eBay. A lot of people bid accordingly. Yet, there are people that will point to the prices paid and say that's an accurate and meaningful average of prices paid for the raw grade.

[PovertyRow]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

Yeah, for pricing that makes a lot of sense. Essentially some baselines are needed. The key is understanding the baselines you are using: eBay, OSPG, a pricing website etc.

 

As Bob says, to properly interpret the baselines, a knowledge of market trends is essential.

[01TheDude]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

seems like most of your pricing information is coming from yourself and not so much from the OSPG-- at least for books you are familiar with. So the guide is more of a jumping off point to begin your discounting

[DavidTheDavid]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

Yeah, for pricing that makes a lot of sense. Essentially some baselines are needed. The key is understanding the baselines you are using: eBay, OSPG, a pricing website etc.

 

As Bob says, to properly interpret the baselines, a knowledge of market trends is essential.

 

But what is that baseline? Where do they get their info? Are some prices just predicated on glacial movement? Others categorized as generic whatever (like 90s excess) and given some value? Gathering data on raw sales seems nigh impossible to do in a meaningful way.

[DavidTheDavid]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

seems like most of your pricing information is coming from yourself and not so much from the OSPG-- at least for books you are familiar with. So the guide is more of a jumping off point to begin your discounting

 

FWIW I find Bob's pricing very fair. Sometimes I raise an eyebrow at something on his site, but that's not often and he knows the market far better than I do. But I buy almost monthly from him, in large part because of his fair pricing, or fair as I see it.

[PovertyRow]

Overstreet still works for raw pricing.

 

Why would I use EBay where buyers discount most sellers 2-3 grades because of bad grading?

 

If you know how to grade then it still works.

 

If you know the different genres you know what is selling and what doesn't and price/discount it accordingly.

 

It is all about the buyers and sellers keeping up with market trends.

 

 

 

Yeah, for pricing that makes a lot of sense. Essentially some baselines are needed. The key is understanding the baselines you are using: eBay, OSPG, a pricing website etc.

 

As Bob says, to properly interpret the baselines, a knowledge of market trends is essential.

 

But what is that baseline? Where do they get their info? Are some prices just predicated on glacial movement? Others categorized as generic whatever (like 90s excess) and given some value? Gathering data on raw sales seems nigh impossible to do in a meaningful way.

 

I think you are misinterpreting my use of "baseline". The baselines to which I am referring are the baselines provided by OSPG, by eBay and by various internet sites. That is why I intentionally pluralized the word "baselines", hoping to convey more than one baseline as a result of different sources.

 

Where they get them from is not as important as the fact that they exist and do influence the market. What is more relevant is your own knowledge and instinct for what books are going for in relation to these various baselines.

 

Something I don't see discussed very often is the concept of how prices increase. I see someone offering, for example, a CGC book but over the highest GPA. I see people complaining and saying "That is over GPA". As if the book never went UP in GPA and always remained at the same price. Which makes absolutely no sense.

 

Basically a knowledge of the market, experience in buying and selling and spending a lot of time looking at OSPG, GPA, eBay, etc. and seeing what actually sells is what should constitute your own baseline.

[prez]

 

Basically a knowledge of the market, experience in buying and selling and spending a lot of time looking at OSPG, GPA, eBay, etc. and seeing what actually sells is what should constitute your own baseline.

 

Good point

 

In a perfect world I would love to buy key books within +/- 5% of guide and sell them well above eBay prices.