Intriguing Definitional Changes In New 2006 Overstreet Guide

[jimm94]

IMO, the grading definitions are the last thing that should be removed. They provide the framework upon which the entire guide is based.

[ronm3-migration]

I would rather you charge a little more and make the book bigger actually. or just get rid of the gallery section and have a collectors opinions section. I bet that would work out better than you think.

I would rather hear from the collectors around the world rather than hear from the same people year after year.

 

[FlyingDonut]

Could have set my watch by FlyingDonut's reply.

 

The BLB book is not a price guide. No prices in it.

 

Let me take care of your next reply:

 

"So why don't you put the prices in the BLB book and get all those BLBs out of our Guide, they're infecting us with their very presence! Look, my skin, boiling! Oh no, it's spreading...aghhhh"

 

Or something like that.

 

I have nothing against the BLBs being in the Comic Book Price Guide. There's clearly a linkage. That being said, keeping the BLB information IN the Price Guide while taking the grading definitions for COMIC BOOKS out strikes me as being just a little off.

[maxstuf]

Do I hear the printing press starting up on a 3rd edition of the Grading Guide?

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

Fair enough, Flying Donut, I can see where you're coming from. And actually I was only joking around with you a bit.

 

There is definitely a third edition of the Grading Guide on the way, but there's no conspiracy about it, as maxstuf's post *may* be gently implying. Or did I miss that meeting?

[maxstuf]

No conspiracy. It is just that selling 2 books each year might help keep the paper costs down and more manageble if spread across 2 books.

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

See, I always misinterpret these things in a negative way.

 

Well I can certainly guarantee that the grading definitions are in the Grading Guide. Wouldn't make much sense otherwise, would it?

[Aman619]

I agree with th esuggestions here. The book gets bigger as more comics are printed and included every year. But, expanding the sections of stuff that only tangentially relates to the kinds of comics 95% of the books buyers buy it for (known in the industry as "comics") and having those expanding sections (platinum.BLBs) crowd outthe grading defs, is, as has been stated, the cart leading the horse.

 

 

so there was absolutely NO confluence between CGCs PCS plans from last fall and winter and the 'omission' of pressing in the restoration definition section this year?

 

or was the mistake just forgetting to put it back in again....?

[tth2]

We would absolutely consider it, but we are looking at a number of concerns which includes rising paper costs. This is up 30% this year alone. We are looking to cut pages and it may not happen, but is an economic reality.

 

But of course, we will consider it as we appreciate all feedback from collectors and retailers.

 

I cannot believe you are even considering removing the grading definitions. That's the reason for the Guide's existence. You need to reduce paper costs? I can understand that. Here's a start. Get rid of the 100 pages on Big Little Books. They have their own price guide already.

 

Then get rid of Bob Beehrbohm's screed on comics history, which has two pages on all comics published since 1955, and doesn't mention any of the significant changes to the industry since then.

[maxstuf]

How about cutting short some of the advisors comments to say a page or so, as much of it seems to just be a laundry list of their sales numbers. And have them concentrate on anaysis.

[bobpfef]

I personally LIKE the Big Little Book stuff in the guide, but I would prefer that to go rather then the grading section.

 

Perhaps you could cut back a bit of the reprinting of the Victorian and Platinum age articles. I'm not saying get rid of them because I do believe they have a place, but they do gobble up a lot of pages.

[joe_collector]

"So why don't you put the prices in the BLB book and get all those BLBs out of our Guide, they're infecting us with their very presence! Look, my skin, boiling! Oh no, it's spreading...aghhhh"

 

Hey, you're whining about "rising paper costs" and Donut made a very astute observation on how you could get rid of a big stack of pages, all of which shouldn't be in the OS in the first place.

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

You should read more carefully Joe. I said nothing about rising paper costs, and it isn't my place or responsibility to deal with it, either. Tom and the valiant Gemstone team have my support, however, and they're doing an amazing job under constant and extreme stress.

[joe_collector]

Then get rid of Bob Beehrbohm's screed on comics history, which has two pages on all comics published since 1955, and doesn't mention any of the significant changes to the industry since then.

 

 

Those excerpts are just crepe and if Bob has a hand on the pulse of the nation, then comic collecting died a long, long time ago.

[joe_collector]

You should read more carefully Joe. I said nothing about rising paper costs

 

I know, and I was referring to the big "you" as in the entity that produces the OS Guide, not one specific person.

 

So, if "rising paper costs" (as Tom alluded to) are NOT the reason sections were cut, then what is?

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

I'm a broken record at this point, I know, but I'm not strictly part of that "entity" anymore, so the collective "you" doesn't work. But I know what you meant.

[marvelcollector]

Removing the grading definitions while retaining self serving "market reports", obscure peripheral comic collectibles, etc is more than a little

 

Out of curiosity, what was second on your priorities to eliminate to curtail "rising

paper costs"? The prices of the comics maybe? They take up alot of space, all those rows and rows of numbers....

[marvelcollector]

I'm a broken record at this point, I know, but I'm not strictly part of that "entity" anymore, so the collective "you" doesn't work. But I know what you meant.

 

It would help if your name wasn't still in gold or yellow or whatever that color is.....

[Paris_Fred]

Guide is printed in the USA, maybe next year, it will be printed in China, that will save a lot of $

[ronm3-migration]

I would rather you charge a little more and make the book bigger actually. or just get rid of the gallery section and have a collectors opinions section. I bet that would work out better than you think.

I would rather hear from the collectors around the world rather than hear from the same people year after year.