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

[SOTIcollector]

My first Overstreet Guide was 1976, a Christmas present from my parents.  Starting in 1978, I bought every new Guide as it came out.  I eventually filled in the empty slots, picking up Overstreets #1-5 and 7.  So now I have this 50+ year collection of Overstreets. 

It started out, for me, as an essential tool that gave at least a rough idea of what things were selling for.  Plus, it was great to see the photos of old comics.  

Eventually, I found it a valuable resource for its information about comics.  How long did this series run?  Why did this series start with issue #102?  What is historically significant about this issue?  And then I discovered the market reports, that gave further information about what people were collecting and why.

But after all these years, all of the things that kept me buying The Guide are no longer relevant.  Pricing information?  There are numerous online sources that are far more accurate.  Information about the series?  I'll take GCD, thank you very much.  Market reports?  There's plenty of information here on the CGC boards and elsewhere that makes the market reports obsolete.  And of course there's that heavy grain of salt required when reading the market reports from dealers who have a vested interest in reporting that the things THEY have in stock happen to be ON FIRE. 

Plus, I've been collecting long enough to know about things that are just plain wrong in the Guide.  I've sent in corrections, some of which were added to the Guide, but many of which were ignored.  In fact, numerous attempts to contact them regarding errors have been met with radio silence.  I only know about a very small slice of the collecting world, and I know of a number of errors and omissions.  If they aren't interested in fixing errors and omissions, how can I trust them to be accurate? 

So I've come to the realization that the only reason I'm buying The Guide is because of this addiction called collecting.  It's not because the guide provides anything useful at all these days.  It's because I have them all, from #1 to present.  

I ask you, fellow boardies, how can I stop?

When trying to become successful in something that is personally challenging, chances of success can be dramatically increased by announcing your intentions.  Tell your friends, your family, event total strangers, what you intend to do.  Want to lose 20 lbs?  Announce it.  Want to run a marathon?  Announce it.  Then do it.  Science has shown that your chances of succeeding are greater if you announce your intentions.  

So I hereby announce my intentions to stop my addiction to Overstreet. 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?

Bueller?

 

[Funnybooks]

Why stop? Once you do, you'll realize you're a hoarder and the reality will sink in...continue to live in blissful ignorance...

[Crowzilla]

If you have any copy of Overstreet from the last ten years, there probably is no real reason to buy another. Certainly not to find out that AA16 is worth more than Batman #1, and errata fixing is so rare that I find buying a copy once a decade now keeps me plenty up to date.

[innocuous]

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

[jimbo_7071]

Over and over again, I've seen books get hot and sell for way above guide only to come crashing back down to around what Over street says that they're worth. I would trust Overstreet over GPA when it comes to the long-term value of a book. That said, I haven't bought a copy in a while because Heritage lists the OPG values for the books that they sell, and they've sold at least one copy of just about every GA issue out there. If I want to know the OPG value of something, I just look it up on Heritage.

[OtherEric]

1 hour ago, SOTIcollector said:

So I hereby announce my intentions to stop my addiction to Overstreet. 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.  

 

I have only one argument to make... and ironically, it only works because you say you have a full run of them so far:

Being able to reference the history of comics over the last fifty years is actually an AMAZING resource.  I think being able to track the progress of how the hobby was viewed and the information we knew over that period is incredible.  And having built that specific resource, it makes sense to keep current on the updates in that form... even if they're not that useful in isolation, they will still be useful as part of the overall set.

Personally, I only get a copy ever 7 or 8 years, when my old one wears out... I still find it useful to have a copy at hand for various reference points, but I don't need a current one in most instances.

[LDarkseid1]

I’m with you. It’s irrelevant at this point. Something printed once a year is wayyyy too outdated for how often prices fluctuate. As far as I’m concerned, if they keep on their current path of acting like Blockbuster did, they’ll go out of business eventually. Adapt, or die.

Edited June 7, 2021 by LDarkseid1

[Mmehdy]

The GA/SA comic book market has grown up to "real time" pricing and valuation. Ha, CC, GPA etc have the most relevance. As a historical tool, the Overstreet guide is second to none but it is not relevant for your GA/SA purchases which happen today. I would say keep the first 20 years, and then one every 5 years or so and regarding the new one I would put that money towards buying the real thing itself, the GA/SA comic book.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

14 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

I have only one argument to make... and ironically, it only works because you say you have a full run of them so far:

Being able to reference the history of comics over the last fifty years is actually an AMAZING resource.  I think being able to track the progress of how the hobby was viewed and the information we knew over that period is incredible.  And having built that specific resource, it makes sense to keep current on the updates in that form... even if they're not that useful in isolation, they will still be useful as part of the overall set.

Personally, I only get a copy ever 7 or 8 years, when my old one wears out... I still find it useful to have a copy at hand for various reference points, but I don't need a current one in most instances.

Exactly. Pulling down an old Overstreet is as preposterously fun as looking at a Theo ad

[shadroch]

Im in the same boat, although I'm missing a couple. My thoughts are I'll stick it out to the 100th Anniversary Issues.

[Hibou]

2 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

The GA/SA comic book market has grown up to "real time" pricing and valuation. Ha, CC, GPA etc have the most relevance. As a historical tool, the Overstreet guide is second to none but it is not relevant for your GA/SA purchases which happen today. I would say keep the first 20 years, and then one every 5 years or so and regarding the new one I would put that money towards buying the real thing itself, the GA/SA comic book.

Half of me wants to tell you to keep the collection going and spend the $40 for each new edition but the other half completely agrees with Mmehdy's statement. I think for you, the decision will be based on the nostalgia factor.

[1950's war comics]

the print is too fine and i can't read the Overstreet anymore

[Mr. Lady Luck]

What is Overstreet?

[Point Five]

My last one was #37 in 2009, and even that one I've rarely opened.

 

[bronze johnny]

8 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

The GA/SA comic book market has grown up to "real time" pricing and valuation. Ha, CC, GPA etc have the most relevance. As a historical tool, the Overstreet guide is second to none but it is not relevant for your GA/SA purchases which happen today. I would say keep the first 20 years, and then one every 5 years or so and regarding the new one I would put that money towards buying the real thing itself, the GA/SA comic book.

Agree with you on the Guide’s significant use as a historical reference but respectfully disagree on your point about relying on other sources in lieu of the Guide where pricing and valuation are concerned. The Guide should never be an exclusive source in the area of pricing and valuation. It is a “Guide.” It’s not a broker telling you what to buy or invest in. A collector (not a speculator) will refer to the guide as a relative source. That said, relying on auctions that have no transparency raise a number of questions in terms of serving as a credible source so I wouldn’t call this a “grown up market with real pricing and valuation.” The shenanigans that include but aren’t limited to manipulation (see ebay) aren’t reliable. The long term changes in pricing will determine what’s real and where value is and that length of time is a number of years exceeding the average time a speculator jumps in and out of this hobby. I’ve seen so many come and go during my 16 years here on the Boards and the decades that preceded the internet. The Guide has its limits but there’s much to be said about collecting over decades and seeing the more conservative movement of pricing and valuation. What we have right now is an updated version of the 1990s “Wizard Magazine Top 10 Hottest Books Exponentially on Steroids” given how quickly misinformation or unsubstantiated sources of sales can move on the internet. Unlike the 1990s, the hype occurs on a 24/7 clock and there’s no regulatory function required to even call the hobby a “true market.” The idea that the pre-20th Century caveat emptor is the exclusive guiding principle for a 21st collectibles “market” is laughable. Thankfully, CGC has given credibility to ensuring that most of the books bought and sold are what they are.

Greater transparency in auctions will result in a greater degree of credible and reliable information in terms of pricing and valuation. This along with a regulatory check on buying and selling collectibles will enhance this hobby for everyone. The end result will remind us of short term speculation driven by hype doesn’t lead to long term permanent changes in pricing and valuation. We will also be reminded of a time when some asked “what was the Wizard Magazine hottest books several months back? Was it Amazing Spider-Man 149?

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

47 minutes ago, bronze johnny said:

Thankfully, CGC has given credibility to ensuring that MOST of the books bought and sold are what they are.

 

[comicginger1789]

To me its convenience. When I first got serious into collecting and learning more, I bought one (circa 2009). Helped me recognize keys and kept me abreast of the market reports. I feel like from 2005-2010, ebay buying was a fraction what it was now, and so were the available options online for finding values for things.

Now...why would I ever carry around a book when I have apps at my fingertips to track my books and sales of recent books quicker. I need to save time you know. I am sorry Overstreet...while I appreciate what you did for me, I have to evolve. 

[buttock]

The guide certainly has value as a reference, but not really for pricing.  It lost me over a decade ago when I went a year or two without buying one and didn't miss it.  Other things it did that I found turn-offs:

1) emphasizing victorian age books so much.  There were even cartoon strips in there talking down to people who dared disagree that these were "comic books".  99.9% of collectors don't care about anything pre-1935.  If you want to sell a product, adjust your product to your market.  Why is there 40-50 pages of Beerbohm's drivel in there.  That should be a blog post.  There are so many more interesting and relevant topics for articles.  

2) separating out promotional books.  This is an arbitrary definition and makes flipping through it a PITA.  Why are there now 4-5 different sections?  Why not separate by GA/SA/BA/CA?  Just make it completely a nuisance to flip back and forth to find anything instead of only partially a nuisance. 

3) Turning the dealer market reports into an advertising section.  Doug Sulipa's market report was the absolute highlight of the year.  There was information in there that NOBODY else even bothered to collect, yet he made it so interesting to read.  There were other dealers who tried to submit similar reports, but they were turned down in favor of Metropolis hyping their inventory and auctions.  Now read Sulipa's report.  It's a shell of what it used to be.  

4) refusing to listen to submissions for corrections of errors.  There are threads on these boards of errors that a number of collectors have tried to correct time and time again with no response.  

 

But by and large it's just become a relic that is easily replaced by a few much better websites.  

[jimjum12]

5 hours ago, 1950's war comics said:

the print is too fine and i can't read the Overstreet anymore

This began for me this year and it's not a joke. I usually get one every third year to keep current on new stuff. I do keep a magnifying glass handy. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[ThreeSeas]

1 hour ago, buttock said:

4) refusing to listen to submissions for corrections of errors.  There are threads on these boards of errors that a number of collectors have tried to correct time and time again with no response.  

 

 

I suspect one reason for this, which I remember being talked out in the weekly CBG, was that Overstreet was concerned about copycats taking his work and publishing their own guides. So some errors are in the guide on purpose, just in case they want to go after another price guide saying they stole their work "See your honor, this issue doesn't exist except in our guide, and they copied it, here is the proof." I've read that there are a few items like that in Overstreet's guide, so that issue that you are trying to track down, may or may not exist.  Mapmakers used to do the same thing, insert an occasional fake name or place just to catch the plagiarists. 

Krause published a large comic reference guide quite a few years ago, and they noted that they wouldn't put any fake/error entries in theirs like Overstreet does. I think that they figured due to the sheer research they did, it would be hard for someone to copy it without getting caught.

So yeah, I doubt Overstreet will ever correct some of those errors many collectors bring to their attention.