That's it. I'm done with Overstreet. Change my mind. 2 2

[aardvark88]

13 hours ago, innocuous said:

I used to enjoy reading the dealer reports, but we now have the Internet. 

Or try to build a better website to summarize GPA, eBay, GoCollect current values for a specific comic in a specific grade all on 1 smart phone page:

 

[Alawson453]

I love this topic and all the great input.  My 2cents, remember Comicbook Marketplace along with Wizard, Fan and any other 

previous publications that provided price guidance in the past that are no longer with us.  Many have come and gone but,

Overstreet is still the only one left standing and as previous posters have stated.  Having a continuous source of historical data

to compare trends and values can sometimes be priceless.

 

[Qalyar]

This isn't very GA-specific, but still...

The missing and inaccurate information is the biggest reason why I haven't bought an OPG for some time. Other collectibles hobbies have comprehensive catalogs. They are often price guides, too, but their most important feature has always been their role as an index. A (generally) comprehensive, standardized catalog of what exists. For philately, there's the Scott catalogue first and foremost (with a few alternatives and specialist publications). Coin collectors have the Redbook and the Krause catalogs. We have Overstreet.

Except that Overstreet fails at that role. I get that sometimes we learn new things about poorly documented bits of comic history (discovery of a new DC Universe variant, say). That happens to the other hobbies, too. But Overstreet, unlike Scott or Krause, seems uninterested in being truly comprehensive and uninterested in correcting its own elisions and errors. And their layout choices and cross-referencing shortcomings make a lot of things harder to find than they should be, too. Overstreet could do that. They're got the name recognition, 50 years of publication history, and almost certainly one of the best networks of research contacts in the hobby.

They could be Scott, or Redbook, for comics. But over and over again, they've shown they don't want to be a reliable standardized catalog. They want to be a glorified price guide. And I don't need them for that.

[n2wdw]

I collect Overstreet mainly because of my long history with the books and mags.  In addition to working on getting a complete run of the books, I'm collecting every OS mag (which seem to fit in a single long box).  OS has been part of my comic collecting hobby for my entire life, and I can't imagine not having them.  I think it's fun to read the market reports from the past. 

Below are a couple of pics - taken at different times - of where I store the books.  I never spent a lot for them.  Usually I'll buy ones I'm missing from people here on the boards, often on the cheap (where shipping is often more than the cost of the books).  I'll probably wait until the end to buy the first edition as then I'll no doubt have to pay some big bucks.

[sfcityduck]

15 hours ago, SOTIcollector said:

When the new one comes out, I'm going to ignore it.  Unless somebody here has a darned good reason why I should keep buying them.  

Anybody?

 

 

Here are my reasons:

First, I find Overstreet a better quick at-a-glance reference than any other alternative.  I can find basic information in a copy of the OPG far faster than I can from any on-line sources.  GCD is a time suck.  And I can put it in a glove box for when I need it on the go, without fear of wifi troubles.  In other words, it is just an incredibly convenient and easy reference to use to quickly get an answer.  And for me a quick answer is often worth the cover price of the book.

Second, Overstreet has had some great articles and is full of historical data.

Third, I really like the ads.  Especially, seeing the ads evolve over time.

Fourth, the pricing info is a good guide.  It gives me at a quick glance a sense of a what a comic might be worth, especially if it likely to have value beyond other issues in the series.

Fifth, as many have noted, it has a history and a continuity that I want to see sustained.  That's the same reason I intentionally try to buy some of my archive/masterworks/collected edition books from the local comic store instead of Amazon.  To sustain some of the aspects of the hobby which made it great for me.

All of the flaws of Overstreet could be fixed in short order.  Make me editor for a year, and I could fix almost all of the substantive information flaws.  It just would not be hard.  Especially if the expertise of the collector community was solicited, not ignored, as it sometimes is.  Fixing OPG would also serve to fix the inaccuracies that CGC and Heritage propound.  An easy fix that we should be trying to fix to make the OPG better, not trying to kill it off.

What I couldn't fix is that it is a once a year publication that cannot keep up in real time with pricing fluctuations.  That can only be done with an on-line presence.  But, I could make the one-year snapshot much more accurate.  And for me, that's good enough.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

5 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

That's the same reason I intentionally try to buy some of my archive/masterworks/collected edition books from the local comic store instead of Amazon.  To sustain some of the aspects of the hobby which made it great for me.

[Ryan.]

I love the guide when I'm buying. 

I hate the guide when I'm selling. 

[AndyFish]

I buy a copy every 3-4 years and then only if it's hardcover and I like the cover, usually I come across one at a show I'm doing and pick it up.   It's useless as far as pricing goes, and has been for many years.  The internet has made collecting far too fluid for any print publication to keep up.    I'm not a hoarder/collector in the completist sense so having every copy means nothing to me.   I buy what I like and that's it.   

Still, here are my reasons I do grab one once in a while;

1- The articles and market studies;  most of these are nothing really worthwhile but there's at least two gems in every edition.

2- The Ads; sure I already know most of these dealers but I tend to find something new.

3- The ability to stay off the internet.   I do a couple of days a week where its no internet/no tv for me so on those days if I want to look something up I have to go to the ol' bookshelf.   The internet (and being on a computer all day) can really get to you.   Since most of my published work is digital I'm already on my iMac way too much so a chance to get away is welcome.

4- The nostalgia;  when I was but a wee-lad in short pants I was always excited to pour over the latest copy usually on a warm Summer evening, it still makes me smile to think about it.

5- The color cover galleries, I always find something in there that jumps out.

I believe 100% that the Overstreet Guide will go the way of the Yellow Pages, which used to be so essential (remember those days?).   But at least for now, I'm casually in.

 

[SOTIcollector]

3 hours ago, sfcityduck said:

Fifth, as many have noted, it has a history and a continuity that I want to see sustained.  That's the same reason I intentionally try to buy some of my archive/masterworks/collected edition books from the local comic store instead of Amazon.  To sustain some of the aspects of the hobby which made it great for me.

All of the flaws of Overstreet could be fixed in short order.  Make me editor for a year, and I could fix almost all of the substantive information flaws.  It just would not be hard.  Especially if the expertise of the collector community was solicited, not ignored, as it sometimes is.  Fixing OPG would also serve to fix the inaccuracies that CGC and Heritage propound.  An easy fix that we should be trying to fix to make the OPG better, not trying to kill it off.

What I couldn't fix is that it is a once a year publication that cannot keep up in real time with pricing fluctuations.  That can only be done with an on-line presence.  But, I could make the one-year snapshot much more accurate.  And for me, that's good enough.

It would certainly benefit the hobby if somebody put some effort into fixing the errors in the Guide.  If it were a democracy, I'd vote for you as Overstreet editor in a heartbeat.  But alas, the Guide seems to be run by a dictator of some sort.

I understand and appreciate the desire to see Overstreet thrive for the reasons you've stated.  If they showed that historical information really matters to them, fixing longstanding errors, I might be swayed to your camp.  My personal experience and that of others on this thread indicates that they simply don't seem to care about correcting errors. 

I'm all for supporting the restaurant down the street because I want to see the restaurant do well.  But if the management of that restaurant doesn't bother to clean the tables or keep the roaches out of the food, then I won't bother trying to support a business that seems determined to undermine its own success.  

[KirbyJack]

I was going to quit at 50, but then I remembered that they sell for $5 in the secondary market. 
I’ll most likely get them all.

I bought the facsimile #1, and am missing only #2.

[fifties]

I've found over the years that Overstreet really can't be relied upon to project a guide value to specific genre, esp PCH, and certain pre code crime books.  And that, after all, was what I bought a few issues for.  My last was in 2000.

[woowoo]

I only like the Guide cause I grew up with it. I will say prices go crazy than down than up  The Guide is out once a year so putting prices at middle seems safe.

[Robot Man]

My first was #2. Probably bought them for 30 years. I used to send in a lot of info until I never heard back from them and my info never appeared. I figured if they didn’t care, I shouldn’t either. 

Without me asking, my wife started ordering them from Amazon. 

I would hate for it to disappear but I really don’t need it much anymore. 

I will probably buy the next one and that might be it. Tired of storing them all. 

[Alawson453]

On 6/7/2021 at 10:00 AM, n2wdw said:

I collect Overstreet mainly because of my long history with the books and mags.  In addition to working on getting a complete run of the books, I'm collecting every OS mag (which seem to fit in a single long box).  OS has been part of my comic collecting hobby for my entire life, and I can't imagine not having them.  I think it's fun to read the market reports from the past. 

Below are a couple of pics - taken at different times - of where I store the books.  I never spent a lot for them.  Usually I'll buy ones I'm missing from people here on the boards, often on the cheap (where shipping is often more than the cost of the books).  I'll probably wait until the end to buy the first edition as then I'll no doubt have to pay some big bucks.

That is just way to organized.  Can I come topple over your shelves

[rabidwolf]

To me It holds the same nostalgic appeal as the comic books I collect - for that reason I need to buy one every year regardless of how relevant it remains 

I picked up my first overstreet in 1989 - it was the single most exciting experience in my newly found love for collecting vintage comics as a kid. - you had price guides, articles, market information, vast comic book historic information, educational tools on grading, nationwide dealers selling rare comics I could only dream of owning one day, and detailed info on 1st appearances, key books. Reading overstreet taught me amazing fantasy 15, not amazing Spider-Man 1 was spideys 1st appearance. It taught me that many other characters like Thor ironman Batman Superman Wonder Woman green lantern etc 1st appeared in other titles and not their self titled issues which blew my mind at the time. In short it has every aspect of the hobby contained into one source 

for me the simple answer to your question is that overstreet is a true comic book institution that must be supported and kept alive for future generations to enjoy and discover - regardless of the fact that it might not be as relevant as it once was. 

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 6/7/2021 at 11:03 AM, sfcityduck said:

All of the flaws of Overstreet could be fixed in short order.  Make me editor for a year, and I could fix almost all of the substantive information flaws.  It just would not be hard.  Especially if the expertise of the collector community was solicited, not ignored, as it sometimes is.  Fixing OPG would also serve to fix the inaccuracies that CGC and Heritage propound.  An easy fix that we should be trying to fix to make the OPG better, not trying to kill it off.

 

I would love to see the incorrect data fixed.  That would be great.  Maybe they could hire you on a voluntary basis...You could be the "Error" Advisor...

I like using the guide for pricing common books.  The real classic, high grade, scarce, or "hot" books will never be fully represented by the guide, and I doubt updating those prices to reflect reality would ever do any good.  Dealers and collectors would just continue to multiply the updated prices...

[Tri-Color Brian]

14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

My first was #2. Probably bought them for 30 years. I used to send in a lot of info until I never heard back from them and my info never appeared. I figured if they didn’t care, I shouldn’t either. 

Without me asking, my wife started ordering them from Amazon. 

I would hate for it to disappear but I really don’t need it much anymore. 

I will probably buy the next one and that might be it. Tired of storing them all. 

Don't worry Robot.  If you stop getting them I'll still bring one to wave around when I negotiate prices with you...

[lou_fine]

On 6/7/2021 at 10:00 AM, n2wdw said:

I'll probably wait until the end to buy the first edition as then I'll no doubt have to pay some big bucks.

Are you by any chance referring to this First Edtion print of the first Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, as pictured here:  

https://comics.ha.com/itm/books/overstreet-comic-book-price-guide-1-first-print-robert-overstreet-1970-cgc-nm-92-white-pages/a/7192-92312.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515

If so, it looks like this copy here set the buyer back some $9K in order to acq uire this copy back in 2018.  

Edited June 9, 2021 by lou_fine

[lou_fine]

 

On 6/7/2021 at 3:36 PM, KirbyJack said:

I was going to quit at 50, but then I remembered that they sell for $5 in the secondary market. 
I’ll most likely get them all.

I bought the facsimile #1, and am missing only #2.

Well, from this picture here, it would appear that the 5-year time period from 1990 through to 1994 were very active years for you.  

As for the 2nd and 3rd issues, have you tried to get any of the hardcover versions or are you only interested in the softcover versions?  

[batman_fan]

I stopped buying several years back but I do snag a copy here and there when they are on sale for a cheap price.  I like reading the market reports, some are pretty interesting.  I also like it to look for break out issues like “1st appearance of Captain IDontCare”  (although EBay is good for this too).