OSPG vs Reality

[Cat-Man_America]

I use OSPG as a reference book only, not a price guide

 

Prices (in real time) can vary greatly on both ends of the scale for any book. So many variables in play.

 

I am curious - if not for prices, what do you use it as a reference for?

 

Honest question, no snark involved.

 

 

 

-slym

 

First appearances, artist listing etc etc :shrug:

 

Jim

Publication dates, number of issues in a run, etc. etc.

 

I buy it for OSPG advisor Richard Evans's scholarly market reports.

[VintageComics]

Sometimes, for certain comics, Overstreet = reality. There are plenty of dealers out there that still use it as a primary price guide. It's convenient and contains data about books where actual sales data is scarce.

 

This is very true. When I was younger and more foolish I was under the impression that OSPG was obsolete. It isn't. It's just one large part of a greater hobby and I came to realize that many people use it.

 

 

 

..... a whole LOT of people use it when quoting a "buy" price GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

A whole lot of people also using it for selling, including some BSD's.

 

There are still more people without GPA subscriptions than with.

[white_rushin]

I love shops that still use the OPG. (That's for you RMA)

[makeminemego]

For me it's still useful for information and getting a ballpark estimate on something. Obviously, it's not very reactive to "hot" books, which may or may not be a good thing.....I don't know.

 

I'd go to GPA for any book requiring a substantial investment, but for run of the mill, midgrade Silver Marvels (books in the $15-50 range), it at least gives me a starting point.

[RockMyAmadeus]

I love shops that still use the OPG. (That's for you RMA)

 

RMA sighting!

 

[icefires]

The Overstreet Price Guide pricing is the most ridiculously off base in the section in the back where they give price values for back issues of the Overstreet Price Guide. Other than the first issue I don't know of anyone living or dead who would seriously pay anywhere near the prices listed in there.

 

Says the Long Tall Texan who recently sold a rare NM Cherry Mini with a low Buy it Now price.

 

I may never get over that.......

Bedrock City Comic Co., 25 years of angering collectors by selling stuff cheap to somebody else.

 

I bought my very first CGC book from you umpteen years ago - DC 100 page Super Spectacular #6 9.0. In fact, that was so long ago that at the time I thought I had a better DC 100 page collection than Greggy.

[Ken Aldred]

I use OSPG as a reference book only, not a price guide

 

Prices (in real time) can vary greatly on both ends of the scale for any book. So many variables in play.

 

I am curious - if not for prices, what do you use it as a reference for?

 

Honest question, no snark involved.

 

 

 

-slym

 

First appearances, artist listing etc etc :shrug:

 

Jim

Publication dates, number of issues in a run, etc. etc.

 

Since the 70s I've only had 3 editions of the guide. The most involving feature of the book for me has always been this type of information.

[fastballspecial]

Its always been conservative in nature. I used to buy it for the market reports. Those reports for the most part for me are now worthless as a lot of my data is a few clicks away now.

 

Still to this day many stores use them as their primary pricing format. And I know the location of every one of them.

[jools&jim]

 

To get back to the OP's original query...

 

Where do you guys see the greatest disparity between OSPG and real world sales. Meaning, where OSPG is stuck on prices that were in line with actual sales at one point but since then sale prices have not kept up.

...I see this disparity VERY clearly on a lot of non-key, VG-ish SA Marvel, and especially so with The Silver Surfer. For example, do the later numbers of that run ever sell for $20 or more in VG these days? Seems like $5 - $10 (tops) is much more likely...

 

 

 

 

 

[1Cool]

To get back to the OP's original query...

 

Where do you guys see the greatest disparity between OSPG and real world sales. Meaning, where OSPG is stuck on prices that were in line with actual sales at one point but since then sale prices have not kept up.

...I see this disparity VERY clearly on a lot of non-key, VG-ish SA Marvel, and especially so with The Silver Surfer. For example, do the later numbers of that run ever sell for $20 or more in VG these days? Seems like $5 - $10 (tops) is much more likely...

 

 

 

 

 

I'd take Silver-Surfer over the later issues of TTA and TOS. The guide has mid grades as $20 books but they sell for $3.

[KPR Comics]

Back on track! Thanks. Agree on TTA for sure. Not sure I'm w/you on the TOS tho, 1Cool. I'd make it rain for $3 Fine-ish TOSs

[Cat-Man_America]

We can all agree, or at least should be able to agree that the OSG is an important reference book for the stability of the market from the general public's standpoint. As the accepted annual reference it provides an Almanac-like presence with conservative take on the collectibles market.

 

For instance, OPG's grading scale is more layman-useful than the more proprietary one utilized by third-party graders.

 

Nevertheless, for the purposes of providing more accurate price/value forecasting the OSG needs revamping and updating to be sure.

 

One of the problems is that the current OSG covers too much data while providing too little specifics, missing some trends altogether. It would be much more useful if divided into two guides with marginal overlap after the start of the SA (say, the first Guide ending after market corrections following the introduction of the CCA, and the second Guide corresponding with early fandom and start of the second heroic age of comics around 1960).

 

My rational here is that two guides would separate comics that might are more volatile, speculative books (top heavy in grade with popularity trending toward riding a bubble) from earlier collectible books that exist in finite quantities (PA, GA & early SA). This expansion of Guides would allow more detailed issue specific information (perhaps slightly larger type for dealers with failing eyesight, too) and a bit more information on the scarcity of higher graded copies of older books that relies less on a limited grade scale (9.2) and more on market availability through known census information.

 

Bottom line on what would be most useful: Two books, two separate streams of advertising revenue for the publisher, more focused for dealers specific areas of expertise/sales demographic. Each OPG would be slightly thinner, offering more detailed and relevant information for a diverging market. Most dealers would probably buy both. And there you have it.

 

Well, some folks wanted a more serious, on-topic discussion. There you go.

[1Cool]

Back on track! Thanks. Agree on TTA for sure. Not sure I'm w/you on the TOS tho, 1Cool. I'd make it rain for $3 Fine-ish TOSs

 

Ok - maybe not mid grade but VG TOS are $15 books in guide and I typically sell them for $3 - $5. Aren't higher number TOS like $25 in FN? Try getting close to that.

[Bookery]

Bottom line on what would be most useful: Two books, two separate streams of advertising revenue for the publisher, more focused for dealers specific areas of expertise/sales demographic. Each OPG would be slightly thinner, offering more detailed and relevant information for a diverging market. Most dealers would probably buy both. And there you have it.

 

I wouldn't mind that. Though, I think you could just put out a single book (with larger text) that dropped the 20,000 or so issues that aren't worth anything. If a book isn't worth at least $10 in 9.2, it really can't be considered collectible (in terms of valuation, anyway). OPG isn't a checklist... it doesn't make any sense for an annual guide to pretend it can keep up with ongoing issues, it doesn't include a lot of indie titles now anyway, and certainly not undergrounds. Just list the issues that are truly collectible... dealers will price the rest from $1 to $5 anyway, depending upon their local demand.

[Sqeggs]

We can all agree, or at least should be able to agree that the OSG is an important reference book for the stability of the market from the general public's standpoint. As the accepted annual reference it provides an Almanac-like presence with conservative take on the collectibles market.

 

For instance, OPG's grading scale is more layman-useful than the more proprietary one utilized by third-party graders.

 

Nevertheless, for the purposes of providing more accurate price/value forecasting the OSG needs revamping and updating to be sure.

 

One of the problems is that the current OSG covers too much data while providing too little specifics, missing some trends altogether. It would be much more useful if divided into two guides with marginal overlap after the start of the SA (say, the first Guide ending after market corrections following the introduction of the CCA, and the second Guide corresponding with early fandom and start of the second heroic age of comics around 1960).

 

My rational here is that two guides would separate comics that might are more volatile, speculative books (top heavy in grade with popularity trending toward riding a bubble) from earlier collectible books that exist in finite quantities (PA, GA & early SA). This expansion of Guides would allow more detailed issue specific information (perhaps slightly larger type for dealers with failing eyesight, too) and a bit more information on the scarcity of higher graded copies of older books that relies less on a limited grade scale (9.2) and more on market availability through known census information.

 

Bottom line on what would be most useful: Two books, two separate streams of advertising revenue for the publisher, more focused for dealers specific areas of expertise/sales demographic. Each OPG would be slightly thinner, offering more detailed and relevant information for a diverging market. Most dealers would probably buy both. And there you have it.

 

Well, some folks wanted a more serious, on-topic discussion. There you go.

 

I would love to see this change. Each of the new volumes would be more useful than the single volume we now have. But it sounds like much more work than can be justified by the likely return.

[Chip Cataldo]

Though, I think you could just put out a single book (with larger text) that dropped the 20,000 or so issues that aren't worth anything.

+1,000

 

Does Boof #1 really need to be in there? Force Works #1? Wild Dog#1?

 

Nope.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

[500Club]

Bottom line on what would be most useful: Two books, two separate streams of advertising revenue for the publisher, more focused for dealers specific areas of expertise/sales demographic. Each OPG would be slightly thinner, offering more detailed and relevant information for a diverging market. Most dealers would probably buy both. And there you have it.

 

I wouldn't mind that. Though, I think you could just put out a single book (with larger text) that dropped the 20,000 or so issues that aren't worth anything. If a book isn't worth at least $10 in 9.2, it really can't be considered collectible (in terms of valuation, anyway). OPG isn't a checklist... it doesn't make any sense for an annual guide to pretend it can keep up with ongoing issues, it doesn't include a lot of indie titles now anyway, and certainly not undergrounds. Just list the issues that are truly collectible... dealers will price the rest from $1 to $5 anyway, depending upon their local demand.

That's what a quarterly update, with current market reports, would be great for.

[MrBedrock]

Though, I think you could just put out a single book (with larger text) that dropped the 20,000 or so issues that aren't worth anything.

+1,000

 

Does Boof #1 really need to be in there? Force Works #1? Wild Dog#1?

 

Some might have said the same about Rocket Raccoon a couple of years ago.

[rjrjr]

Though, I think you could just put out a single book (with larger text) that dropped the 20,000 or so issues that aren't worth anything.

+1,000

 

Does Boof #1 really need to be in there? Force Works #1? Wild Dog#1?

 

Nope.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

And if they dropped those titles, we'd have a bunch a people asking where to find the value of those issues.

 

I think OSPG is fine. I would like to see Overstreet revive their monthly, except of having it as a published magazine, provide the information as a website with a subscription fee.

[Flaming_Telepath]

For instance, OPG's grading scale is more layman-useful than the more proprietary one utilized by third-party graders.

 

What do you actually mean?

 

One is published.

 

One is not.

 

Sounds like lots of big words signifying nothing...