Open discussion of Overstreet GA pricing

[walclark]

Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket...call it the Overstreet Update..that'd go over real well...

 

oh.

already did what?

oh.

nevermind

 

 

Well, I used to enjoy it, but I guess it just wasn't profitable for Overstreet.

 

[JohnT]

Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket...call it the Overstreet Update..that'd go over real well...

 

oh.

already did what?

oh.

nevermind

 

 

Well, I used to enjoy it, but I guess it just wasn't profitable for Overstreet.

 

 

Never seen that...it's gorgeous! Thanks for posting it.

[lou_fine]

Maybe they could do that with quartely golden age,silver age and bronze age market reports? Seems like baseball cards and coins have extra reports, comics seem to be lacking with only a once a year report.Let`s face it, there is a need for it.

 

It must be back to the future again!

 

Overstreet had a quarterly update back in the mid-90's. The GA market was completely different then as it was absolutely red-hot and books were moving up in price like gangbusters across the board. In comparison, the GA market of today is definitely not as robost except for a small handful of books.

 

Nobody will buy a price guide unless there are changes to the prices. And today's GA market certainly doesn't warrant quarterly price, except for the odd exceptions here and there.

 

Not so sure about the SA and BA markets, but I still remember the monthly updatesthat they used to have in response to Wizard. These could end up in a rollercoaster ride and we all know how Bob hates to lower prices in his books.

 

 

[tth2]

On a related note, I have always been a proponent of having Overstreet break out and price each golden age comic individually. On most runs, especially in this day of cover driven pricing, it doesn't make sense to price Superman 31-40 for example all the same.

 

 

(thumbs u

 

Long overdue. The days of "batch pricing" a particular run of a title solely based on chronology have passed. The market is way to cover sensitive and sophisticated to speak in such generalities. Take the time and break them out, it should not be too difficult.

 

I'd think moving past the "batch pricing" would actually be very difficult, and I assume it's why it hasn't been done. Think of the information you'd have to gather to pull out "special" issues, let alone assign prices.

What you guys are basically talking about is making every GA title look like the Four Color section in the Guide. The Guide would become the size a phone book if they did that.

[adamstrange]

On a related note, I have always been a proponent of having Overstreet break out and price each golden age comic individually. On most runs, especially in this day of cover driven pricing, it doesn't make sense to price Superman 31-40 for example all the same.

 

 

(thumbs u

 

Long overdue. The days of "batch pricing" a particular run of a title solely based on chronology have passed. The market is way to cover sensitive and sophisticated to speak in such generalities. Take the time and break them out, it should not be too difficult.

 

I'd think moving past the "batch pricing" would actually be very difficult, and I assume it's why it hasn't been done. Think of the information you'd have to gather to pull out "special" issues, let alone assign prices.

What you guys are basically talking about is making every GA title look like the Four Color section in the Guide. The Guide would become the size a phone book if they did that.

Imagine keeping track of individual prices on books. That's about as hard to believe as someone trying to track all the sales of every CGC book. Oh wait http://comics.gpanalysis.com/

[JohnT]

On a related note, I have always been a proponent of having Overstreet break out and price each golden age comic individually. On most runs, especially in this day of cover driven pricing, it doesn't make sense to price Superman 31-40 for example all the same.

 

 

(thumbs u

 

Long overdue. The days of "batch pricing" a particular run of a title solely based on chronology have passed. The market is way to cover sensitive and sophisticated to speak in such generalities. Take the time and break them out, it should not be too difficult.

 

I'd think moving past the "batch pricing" would actually be very difficult, and I assume it's why it hasn't been done. Think of the information you'd have to gather to pull out "special" issues, let alone assign prices.

What you guys are basically talking about is making every GA title look like the Four Color section in the Guide. The Guide would become the size a phone book if they did that.

 

Actually, I think we're talking about trying to make the guide actually reflect sales. The batch pricing model works OK except when individual books break out of the pack and command a premium due to strong covers. There's no need to list every single book individually, as with Four Color, but clearly more books should be identified. The guide pricing structure shouldn't be based on what's convenient for the guide writer: it should be based on the market. Collectors know that certain books command a premium, so a good guide would reflect that. The pulp guide does. Baseball card guides do.

 

Granted, this is a significant amount of work, but come on, the guide has basically been providing Bob Overstreet with a lifetime income...the least he could do is devote some time to making it accurate.

[lou_fine]

The batch pricing model works OK except when individual books break out of the pack and command a premium due to strong covers. There's no need to list every single book individually, as with Four Color, but clearly more books should be identified. The guide pricing structure shouldn't be based on what's convenient for the guide writer: it should be based on the market. Collectors know that certain books command a premium, so a good guide would reflect that. The pulp guide does. Baseball card guides do.

 

Granted, this is a significant amount of work, but come on, the guide has basically been providing Bob Overstreet with a lifetime income...the least he could do is devote some time to making it accurate.

 

A review of the price guides over the years would indicate that Bob (surprisingly) is breaking out more books over time. Most definitely at a snail's pace as compared to what's actually happening in the real marketplace though.

 

This can work to your advantage sometimes, as information is power. I remember picking up a pedigree copy of More Fun #56 with the classic Doctor Fate cover a few months before it got broken out in the guide. Now the price differential is pretty much double as compared to the batch which it came out from.

 

 

[PokerKid]

The batch pricing model works OK except when individual books break out of the pack and command a premium due to strong covers. There's no need to list every single book individually, as with Four Color, but clearly more books should be identified. The guide pricing structure shouldn't be based on what's convenient for the guide writer: it should be based on the market. Collectors know that certain books command a premium, so a good guide would reflect that. The pulp guide does. Baseball card guides do.

 

Granted, this is a significant amount of work, but come on, the guide has basically been providing Bob Overstreet with a lifetime income...the least he could do is devote some time to making it accurate.

 

A review of the price guides over the years would indicate that Bob (surprisingly) is breaking out more books over time. Most definitely at a snail's pace as compared to what's actually happening in the real marketplace though.

 

This can work to your advantage sometimes, as information is power. I remember picking up a pedigree copy of More Fun #56 with the classic Doctor Fate cover a few months before it got broken out in the guide. Now the price differential is pretty much double as compared to the batch which it came out from.

 

 

We he talked with a few CGC boardies in San Diego, he did specifically say that the books getting much greater attention due to their covers were something he was trying to work to keep pulling them out to be listed separately.

[JohnT]

The batch pricing model works OK except when individual books break out of the pack and command a premium due to strong covers. There's no need to list every single book individually, as with Four Color, but clearly more books should be identified. The guide pricing structure shouldn't be based on what's convenient for the guide writer: it should be based on the market. Collectors know that certain books command a premium, so a good guide would reflect that. The pulp guide does. Baseball card guides do.

 

Granted, this is a significant amount of work, but come on, the guide has basically been providing Bob Overstreet with a lifetime income...the least he could do is devote some time to making it accurate.

 

A review of the price guides over the years would indicate that Bob (surprisingly) is breaking out more books over time. Most definitely at a snail's pace as compared to what's actually happening in the real marketplace though.

 

This can work to your advantage sometimes, as information is power. I remember picking up a pedigree copy of More Fun #56 with the classic Doctor Fate cover a few months before it got broken out in the guide. Now the price differential is pretty much double as compared to the batch which it came out from.

 

 

We he talked with a few CGC boardies in San Diego, he did specifically say that the books getting much greater attention due to their covers were something he was trying to work to keep pulling them out to be listed separately.

 

Glad to hear it!

[JohnT]

The batch pricing model works OK except when individual books break out of the pack and command a premium due to strong covers. There's no need to list every single book individually, as with Four Color, but clearly more books should be identified. The guide pricing structure shouldn't be based on what's convenient for the guide writer: it should be based on the market. Collectors know that certain books command a premium, so a good guide would reflect that. The pulp guide does. Baseball card guides do.

 

Granted, this is a significant amount of work, but come on, the guide has basically been providing Bob Overstreet with a lifetime income...the least he could do is devote some time to making it accurate.

 

A review of the price guides over the years would indicate that Bob (surprisingly) is breaking out more books over time. Most definitely at a snail's pace as compared to what's actually happening in the real marketplace though.

 

This can work to your advantage sometimes, as information is power. I remember picking up a pedigree copy of More Fun #56 with the classic Doctor Fate cover a few months before it got broken out in the guide. Now the price differential is pretty much double as compared to the batch which it came out from.

 

 

I hear you...I target greytone covers and sometimes they're not at a premium.

[Paratrooper]

Has Fight Comics #42 broken out yet in the guide?

[Forbush-Man]

Has Fight Comics #42 broken out yet in the guide?

 

No, still lumped together with #30-52

[Paratrooper]

Thanks, that's weird....you'd think that with all the hype over this book last year it surely would have stood apart. Speaking of hype, I haven't seen much talk over this issue this year...

[Point Five]

Thanks, that's weird....you'd think that with all the hype over this book last year it surely would have stood apart. Speaking of hype, I haven't seen much talk over this issue this year...

What was the hype over Fight #42? (I like the cover, but that part of the run is jammed with good covers...)

[Scrooge]

Thanks, that's weird....you'd think that with all the hype over this book last year it surely would have stood apart. Speaking of hype, I haven't seen much talk over this issue this year...

What was the hype over Fight #42? (I like the cover, but that part of the run is jammed with good covers...)

 

Maybe Vaughn is thinking of # 31 ...

 

 

[Forbush-Man]

Thanks, that's weird....you'd think that with all the hype over this book last year it surely would have stood apart. Speaking of hype, I haven't seen much talk over this issue this year...

What was the hype over Fight #42? (I like the cover, but that part of the run is jammed with good covers...)

 

Maybe Vaughn is thinking of # 31 ...

 

 

 

That's what I was thinking.

[Scrooge]

# 42 is nice also and I believe half the board members own a copy as it's a heck of a lot easier to locate -

[Forbush-Man]

Its nice, but its not a stand-out issue or cover.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Maybe they could do that with quartely golden age,silver age and bronze age market reports? Seems like baseball cards and coins have extra reports, comics seem to be lacking with only a once a year report.Let`s face it, there is a need for it.

 

It must be back to the future again!

 

Overstreet had a quarterly update back in the mid-90's. The GA market was completely different then as it was absolutely red-hot and books were moving up in price like gangbusters across the board. In comparison, the GA market of today is definitely not as robost except for a small handful of books.

 

Nobody will buy a price guide unless there are changes to the prices. And today's GA market certainly doesn't warrant quarterly price, except for the odd exceptions here and there.

 

Not so sure about the SA and BA markets, but I still remember the monthly updatesthat they used to have in response to Wizard. These could end up in a rollercoaster ride and we all know how Bob hates to lower prices in his books.

 

What about just taking the top 20 GA/SA titles and just doing updates on them?

examples of this would be well thought out analysis of the Superman,Batman,Barks,EC`s,Fiction House and Timely stuff instead of just lumping like 10 issues together.

[Forbush-Man]

This is just my observation, but it really is time for Overstreet to put the guide into an electronic format, pay website, CD, download & what-have-you and offer the book in print form by pre-order only.

 

If the database is set up properly, it would be a simple matter to update the guide at any time as changes are needed. You could even give pricing for each grade from .5 to 10.0, with all the mid grades in between.