Who's familiar with both Beckett online and PSA/SMR?

TripleCrown

I've used "Beckett online" for my collection organization, and researching card condition/values since I began collecting again a few years ago. After finding the CU forum a few months ago I was convinced that going "graded" really was the next, best step I could take.

A few recent posts here have been beating up on the SMR for it's inaccuracies, and I believe it "comes with the package" as soon as I join the PSA Collectors Club? Fully understanding that both Beckett and SMR can only give "guidelines" to market value, I'm curious if anyone has found one or the other to be closer(reasonably) to the true selling value for cards?

Also, does PSA offer an online version of pricing guide like Becketts? I ask because I have become very used to Becketts system and if their online sytem is better I might just keep it.

pandrews

theyre 2 different "price guides'.. i can't really say i use either one to determine "value", but i'm subscribed to both SMR and Beckett online for reference purp0ses..

BigRedMachine

They are indeed both just guides. The Beckett magazine gives a high and low price which is suppose to reflect the full market value on one side and the best price you can find with extensive shopping on the other. With that being said, the internet allows you to find the "best" price a lot so cards tend to sell close to the "low" end of the Beckett price guide.

The SMR is closer to the actual selling price in my opinion. Of course, there are hundreds of examples of cards where they are off base, but they are probably pricing a million. Graded examples and the set registry combine to produce prices sometimes that are astronomically off base.

I think a lot of people would agree that eBay is the best price guide. I keep a notebook by the computer and jot down the actual selling price of the couple dozen cards I'm interested in at a certain time. There's no better guide than to know what the card is actually selling for.

Shawn.

divecchia

BigRedMachine...

Very well put.

Donato

TripleCrown

<< <i>They are indeed both just guides. The Beckett magazine gives a high and low price which is suppose to reflect the full market value on one side and the best price you can find with extensive shopping on the other. With that being said, the internet allows you to find the "best" price a lot so cards tend to sell close to the "low" end of the Beckett price guide.

The SMR is closer to the actual selling price in my opinion. Of course, there are hundreds of examples of cards where they are off base, but they are probably pricing a million. Graded examples and the set registry combine to produce prices sometimes that are astronomically off base.

I think a lot of people would agree that eBay is the best price guide. I keep a notebook by the computer and jot down the actual selling price of the couple dozen cards I'm interested in at a certain time. There's no better guide than to know what the card is actually selling for.

Shawn. >>



Thanks for the info Shawn, very thorough explanation (much appreciated). I actually couldn't get an explanation from Beckett about the High/Low so I'm glad you included that for me.
I also do the eBay charting thing, but that was one of the things that made me curious since so many cards were selling SO much higher than condition/value listed. I normally just set myself a comfortable ceiling given the cards average worth and bid within it.


Thanks also Perry for your info. Do you prefer the layout, database, etc... of either online service better?