Author Topic: Value determination  (Read 2957 times)

disgaeniac

PRO Supporter

Re: Value determination
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2014, 05:57:17 am »
Value only matters if you are selling.

it kinda matters when you're buying too  :P
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burningdoom

PRO Supporter

Re: Value determination
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2014, 04:12:55 pm »
Someone needs to publish an official price guide. Comics have them annually, so do sports trading cards, gaming cards, action figures, and even HeroClix.

There was one published back in 2007, and I have it. But it's pretty dang bare-bones. Just pure text on paper (and obviously woefully out-of-date at this point). I wish someone would make one, annually, and would do it justice like the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide which is chock-full of stats, grading tips, pics, and historical guidelines.

Here's a pic of that 2007 price guide, it's here in the database:

http://vgcollect.com/item/36222



Price fluctuates too much. It wouldn't work. Besides, who prints stuff anymore?

Which is why it would have to be printed annually. And it works fine for things like comics and trading cards. All price guides are general guidelines anyways, not precise, of course spikes and whatnot happen. (Which is what market-reports for the past year cover in the good price-guides like Overstreet.) I can't tell you how useful of resource and source of information Overstreet Price Guides are for comic collecting.

Honestly, I think it works in comics and doesn't fluctuate much because almost every comic collector uses that. Because of its widespread use, it is authoritative. Its a catch 22. The price guide would have to be widely used to be accurate. However, the guide would have to be accurate to be widely used. Comics just had the privilege of being pre internet boom. People used Wizard primarily.

Comics fluctuate just as much as games, probably more actually. Spider-Man 2099 #1, for example, rocketed-up in price when the initial announcement of his new ongoing happened, then just as quickly fell again.

A Gwen Stacy Spider-Man book that was just released for $4 last month, is already going for $30-$40.

Like I said, though, price guides are just general guidelines, not exact pricing. Doesn't mean their useless at all. It gives you a general idea. And besides the prices, is a fantastic resource for stats, dates, and facts on stuff.

It seems the general consensus with game collectors, though, is that resellers are evil. And if you need guide, you must be an evil reseller. But I had a price guide as a kid, for my comics. It's fun to satisfy curiosity and flip through even, even if you don't use it as a resource for info.

turf

PRO Supporter

Re: Value determination
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2014, 05:51:16 pm »
Remember that excitement of looking through that price guide?  You studied every comic and all the values.  Remember wishing you'd find that Detective Comics #27 at a shop? 

I did the exact same thing with baseball cards.  I studied that Beckett price guide like it was the Bible. 

I still do that.  Now, it's just with eBay and vgpc.com


desocietas

Re: Value determination
« Reply #18 on: November 04, 2014, 06:26:05 pm »
The other thing is that video games have lots of parts and pieces that change the value of an item dramatically.  Gamestop has fixed prices for everything regardless of condition, but individual sellers and buyers would never do that.

When I try to determine the value of some of my items, I look on eBay for something that's comparable in condition and level of CIB-ness.
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burningdoom

PRO Supporter

Re: Value determination
« Reply #19 on: November 04, 2014, 08:16:17 pm »
The other thing is that video games have lots of parts and pieces that change the value of an item dramatically.  Gamestop has fixed prices for everything regardless of condition, but individual sellers and buyers would never do that.

When I try to determine the value of some of my items, I look on eBay for something that's comparable in condition and level of CIB-ness.

That's covered in an official guide, too. If it's good, that is. Overstreet has values listed for each condition (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, and Near Mint). And they have a grading guide at the beginning of each price guide, so you know what condition is what.