Is GPA Analysis still worth it?

[thecopperagekids]

However, keep in mind that you can search ebay sold history, albeit yes the search manually is a little tedious and it doesn't aggregrate other site sales. But honestly speaking, when I compare my own manual ebay search against that of the results of GPA, I can independently get a similar picture of what a certain book is being sold for, so GPA is more for convenience and may add a bit more information on the history that you might miss.

 

Doesn't eBay past sales only go back 90 days?

 

Yep.

 

I guess 14 years of data vs 90 days is what he means by "a bit more information on the history" ::

 

I'm not sure about the 90 days, but if you research all sites plus ebay history, regardless of 90 days or more, you can get a picture of what the relevant sales trend is looking like presently. What something sold in ebay 2004 is irrelevant to a fan, new or old, that is just trying to buy something right now. For an investor again, that's a completely different story,

It's completely relevant if you're buying books that aren't common as dirt.

 

Bingo.

 

That statement actually only scratches the surface.

 

For studying sales histories/pricing trends, GPA is as good as it gets i.e. having the data for 14 years worth of sales on books helps one predict future price points by extrapolating the longevity of a given book (and series, to a degree).

 

You have to have a good feel and understanding of the nature of the comic market to begin with to ble to predict future prices with any degree of accuracy, of course.Having the sales data certainly expediates this, and greatly adds in accuracy.

 

A good example of being able to analyze the longevity of a book is Preacher #1.

 

I only signed up for a GPA subscription in this past year, maybe last summer or fall.

 

If I had a GPA subscription some 5 years ago, I would have sought out and bought up every Preacher 1 that I saw, back when it was a $30 book in raw NM.

 

Now, raw NM-ish copies go for about $300 on eBay, because everyone knows that if they pay $300 for a 1, they will at worst break even after grading/pressing fees, and if they get a 9.8....they will make 200% to 400% in profit on that book, when they sell a CGC 9.8 at anywhere between $601 and $1339...which is the low and high recorded sales in GPA for the a blue 9.8 in 2016.

 

A few years back, I could have managed to accumulate dozens of copies...instead of the 4 copies, that I had.Make that 2 raws ( which I'm sitting on til Ennis signs them) , a slabbed 9.6 Fabry sig ( which I def should have had pressed by CCS after Fabry signed it and the pressure caused some NCB's on the spine....but I was too cheap after I handed Fabry $40...mostly out of respect, he wasn't charging for sigs)....and 2 more raws...one of which is likely going to yield a 9.4...the other is a dead on 9.8.

 

Point being, I had to break my balls to track down and buy the Preacher's that I did buy.

 

If I knew that the book had been moving at well over $300 ,and up to $386, as far back as 2006.........

 

...well, I wouldn't be retroactively whining/posting about what I shoulda/coulda/woulda done...

 

After 2006, which was when the movie news kicked the book into gear, it dropped to around a $200 book in 9.8, per GPA....and it had several more similiar ebbs and flows when it was talked about by HBO and as a film ,for a second time.

 

The sales history, from 2005 and onward....and other signs like a CGC 9.8 of Preacher 13 popped off at $250 in CGC 9.8 since Sunday's Talking Preacher (when Rogen confirmed that Starr will be in season 2) makes me believe, along with my affinity (or lack thereof) of the market, that the book will see more growth....in the years to come.

 

Hell, that is why I listed my Preacher 1 Fabry SS 9.6 at $800 and will still be marginally salty, if it sells at $800, bc there is at least a 50/50 chance if it's CPR'd, it'll come back at 9.8.

 

If it doesn't move at $800, as the book is it will either be relisted at $800 intil I can get Ennis's sig on it, and then have it pressed by CCS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gadzukes]

I use GPA whenever selling or buying slabbed books. For me, it's a highly valuable database, and well worth the subscription.

 

+1

 

I make money because of GPA. Why wouldn't I want it? GPA is not the full picture, but it is well worth it.

[sterlingcomics]

This thread doesn't need a lot of cerebral hemorrhages to calculate the benefit. On a bad day this service can save you as much money as the service costs on one book purchase.

 

The service, although not perfect (due to constraints that aren't the owner's fault), is leaps and bounds above....NOTHING or the time you'll need to exert to get 1/20th of the data it has.

 

In fact, the more data/years GPA is around, the more valuable the information to identify trends.

 

Yep, it's a no-brainer. Why haven't you signed up already?

[rainmaker]

for those active whether buying or selling in high value (4 figure plus) slabbed books, especially rare GA its certainly worth the 10 bucks a month.

[silverseeker]

I use GPA whenever selling or buying slabbed books. For me, it's a highly valuable database, and well worth the subscription.

+1

 

My usage varies based on my buying and selling patterns so there are some months where I don't really use the service, but I consider the monthly subscription charge an invaluable "cost of doing business" as a buyer and occasional seller of slabbed comics.

[Buzzetta]

I still like it...

 

It has caused me to pounce on certain books...

 

It has also caused me to back away and saved me some...

 

It is very much worth the yearly price.

[Lethal_Collector]

I'd say it's worth it only if you plan to use it a TON. GoCollect will let you look up 5 books/mo. for free. So I just use that every month and rotate which books to look up. It's not quite as detailed and extensive as GPA, but hey it's free and offers an idea of current market trends.

 

 

Jerome

[Buzzetta]

I'd say it's worth it only if you plan to use it a TON. GoCollect will let you look up 5 books/mo. for free. So I just use that every month and rotate which books to look up. It's not quite as detailed and extensive as GPA, but hey it's free and offers an idea of current market trends.

 

 

Jerome

 

I use it for many books for each heritage CLink and eBay auction I come across...