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Why do you have to pay for the Population Report???

jmbkb4jmbkb4 Posts: 2,963
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Isn't it kind of, oh, I don't know -- IDIOTIC that PSA makes you pay for the population report by being an PSA member or paying like $4.95/month for it?

Even Beckett's is free.

I know of many buyers that buy PSA cards but don't submit and would probably like to know the populations of the cards that they're bidding on without having to commit $60 per year for the service.

Am I off base here, or is this just an idiotic PSA policy?

Comments

  • FavreFan1971FavreFan1971 Posts: 3,103 ✭✭✭
    They need to make money just like the rest of us.

    but if you would ask nice on the boards we usually look up a request for some people.
  • calleochocalleocho Posts: 1,569 ✭✭
    damn companies that offer a service and expect to get pay for it!!!
    "Women should be obscene and not heard. "
    Groucho Marx
  • jmbkb4jmbkb4 Posts: 2,963


    << <i>damn companies that offer a service and expect to get pay for it!!! >>


    duuuh, uh Beckett offers it for FREE and seems to be doing just fine. We don't like to admit it, but comparable PSA vs. BGS cards will virtually always have a higher price in a BGS case...

    I'm a PSA member, so I don't care too much, it just seems idiotic to me.
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭


    << <i>duuuh, uh Beckett offers it for FREE >>



    You get what you pay for.

    Actually, you can get the psa pop report pretty much for free, via the registry. Just go to the year and card you select, and it shows it right there.



    << <i>omparable PSA vs. BGS cards will virtually always have a higher price in a BGS case... >>



    Not in any issue that isn't shiny and plastic.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • etown99girletown99girl Posts: 259 ✭
    but if you would ask nice on the boards we usually look up a request for some people.

    That's getting it free!image
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>duuuh, uh Beckett offers it for FREE >>



    You get what you pay for. >>



    Wha?
  • helionauthelionaut Posts: 1,555 ✭✭
    I agree that the pop reports should be free, but in the Information Age, information has value. Is it worth $5 to find out the population of a card you're about to spend money on? For a $10 card, probably not, but a $1000 card yes. While there are ways to get around having to pay for it, giving it all away for free versus paying a nominal fee is a business decision that they came down on the side of the bottom line. Plus, the subscription fee also includes the SMR, and that's likely where they are spending money compared to just serving numbers out of a database.
    WANTED:
    2005 Origins Old Judge Brown #/20 and Black 1/1s, 2000 Ultimate Victory Gold #/25
    2004 UD Legends Bake McBride autos & parallels, and 1974 Topps #601 PSA 9
    Rare Grady Sizemore parallels, printing plates, autographs

    Nothing on ebay
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,777 ✭✭✭
    I am so sick of the saying you get what you pay for! Sorry Griffins but when the salesman says it to me after I dropped 1500 on a fridge and the compressor goes 1 year into and costs me 300+ in food and eating out for two weeks , then 2 years after that the thermostat goes which isn't covered for some strange reason and it cost me 500+ in food,eating out and labor. I call Sears and say can you help me out here the thing is 3 years old and he says no you get what you pay for you dumb consumer, you should have read consumer reports before you bought it! I will never ever ever ever give any company my money that says that to me ! I will turn around and walk out! That goes for PSA,SGC,Beckett,Sears,Best Buy or somebody selling on Ebay! If I mean that little to you that you would throw that in my face when I am giving you my hard earned money you can Kiss my behind! Tell it to your next customer! "I am what you get when you are in business" my new motto!
    Collector Focus

    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • calleochocalleocho Posts: 1,569 ✭✭
    modern graded cards are speculating not collecting

    "Women should be obscene and not heard. "
    Groucho Marx
  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    Sorry John, didn't mean to offend! In your case (and in most consumer cases) I agree completely. My point (that wasn't made so well) is that so what if Beckett gives you the pop report for free? As a grading company they are completely irrelevant to anyone that collects anything pre '80, and probably pre '90. And even in those cases where they're strong in the market you're arguing the differences that often aren't even there. There is a reason when collecters talk about the "Big 3" they are referring to PSA, SGC, and GAI. And in vintage (pre WW2) Beckett is about equal to PRO and GEM.
    When you figure in the cost of the free grades with PSA membership, and the Wong book they're giving out, the pop report and SMR are free. If you're not a member you can always ask here or just look it up via the registry.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • AxtellAxtell Posts: 10,037 ✭✭
    The pop report, if you aren't a PSA member and are actively buying and selling cards, seems to be a good investment at $5 a month. PSA, like every public business, has a financial responsibility to its shareholders to be profitable.

    I would say if you are so enamored of the beckett business model, and you truly feel that they get the same price as PSA, why are you here complaining?
  • SoutherncardsSoutherncards Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
    SGC gives free pop reports.


    and no membership fee!
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,777 ✭✭✭
    Anthony ,
    I just think that phrase is used way too much nowadays? I just don't want to hear it when I am spending my hard earned money at a store. It really has nothing to do with a service based company but I will say that when I see others getting cards back faster then me at the same price teir I get upset.
    Jim,
    SGC doesn't charge for their pop report because people have given up on trying to access it. I have not been able to access a pop report from their site in 3 years so I have given up. Believe me if it was getting 1000+ hits a day they would be charging!
    Collector Focus

    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • IlovebaseballcardsIlovebaseballcards Posts: 144


    << <i>SGC gives free pop reports.
    and no membership fee! >>

    I bet that PRO and CCG also do free pop reports.





    how does that matter to what PSA does?

    PSA requires a membership to Submit cards, so why is it a surprise that they charge (a small amount) for their other services?


    always amazes me that people want something for nothing.

    and if they do, they do not want it from the people that Give it away, but from the ones that charge... (wonder why, could it be BETTER PRODUCT????) image
  • jackstrawjackstraw Posts: 3,777 ✭✭✭
    One more thing? What is the fascination with pop numbers? I don't care if there is 100 or 1 in a certain grade if I want it and have the money I buy it. A tough ,popular or high grade card is always going to sell regardless if you put the pop numbers in the auction title or not. If I collect a certain set or player I know what the condition sensitive cards are. I think I have used the population report 2 x for my own use and maybe 6 times for someone else in 3 years. I couldn't care less if it was there or not.
    Collector Focus

    ON ITS WAY TO NEWPORT BEACH, CA 92658
  • kobykoby Posts: 1,699 ✭✭
    SGC's population report is a joke. So hard to navigate and useless for modern cards. GAI does not have a population report.
  • julen23julen23 Posts: 4,558 ✭✭
    jmbkb,

    i guess you don't have DBH's username/password combination. most of us here have been using that exclusively for the better part of 2 years.

    Julen
    image
    RIP GURU
  • AxtellAxtell Posts: 10,037 ✭✭


    << <i>SGC gives free pop reports.


    and no membership fee! >>



    The products on the bottom of the heap ALWAYS have to do something the big guys don't do, in order to try to secure market share.

    Bigger, more successful companies charge more for their services, because it's a better service. Bringing up SGC (yet again) only illustrates this point even clearer.

    Southerncards, do you get a commission each time you post SGC's name on this board?
  • jmbkb4jmbkb4 Posts: 2,963


    << <i>SGC gives free pop reports.


    and no membership fee! >>


    SGC, in all fairness, does do a few things much better than PSA and this is clearly one of them. Isn't their CS better too?
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>SGC gives free pop reports.


    and no membership fee! >>


    SGC, in all fairness, does do a few things much better than PSA and this is clearly one of them. Isn't their CS better too? >>



    I completely agree with that. But, they're also smaller.

  • SoutherncardsSoutherncards Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
    Its funny that whenever anyone else posts something pro SGC, they don't get criticized the way I do.

    and no, I dont get a commission for each time I post "SGC". (Although it does give me a warm fuzzy to read some anti-PSA comment from a PSA member that I am able to reply to with something wonderful that SGC does)


    Click it, you know that you want to!
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Jim

    Someone has to be the whipping boy for SGC.

    Steve
    Good for you.
  • jmbkb4jmbkb4 Posts: 2,963


    << <i>Its funny that whenever anyone else posts something pro SGC, they don't get criticized the way I do.

    and no, I dont get a commission for each time I post "SGC". (Although it does give me a warm fuzzy to read some anti-PSA comment from a PSA member that I am able to reply to with something wonderful that SGC does)


    Click it, you know that you want to! >>


    I always try and approach things with a fair mind.

    And I still think that it is idiotic that PSA makes people pay for population reports -- IDIOTIC. They should be in the business of trying to promote business/chatter about their graded cards from people who aren't members and don't want to beg on stupid message boards.

    .
  • SoutherncardsSoutherncards Posts: 1,384 ✭✭
    Steve,

    For the SGC cause, I'll gladly take my lashes. Whip away!


    Jim
  • Bosox1976Bosox1976 Posts: 8,557 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would think PSA would give it away to demonstrate the sheer volume differences between the number of cards graded on any issue. Can't imagine that there are too many cards where BGS or SGC has graded more than PSA - even modern. Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

    edited for spelling.
    Mike
    Bosox1976
  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭


    << <i>Steve,

    For the SGC cause, I'll gladly take my lashes. Whip away!


    Jim >>




    I recognize and respect the fact that everyone has their own opinions on this matter, but it's a little sad that anyone would feel as passionate as you apparently do about a sports card grading company. That being said, if I've misinterpreted the spirit of your posts then I honestly apologize.
  • kobykoby Posts: 1,699 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Steve,

    For the SGC cause, I'll gladly take my lashes. Whip away!


    Jim >>




    I recognize and respect the fact that everyone has their own opinions on this matter, but it's a little sad that anyone would feel as passionate as you apparently do about a sports card grading company. That being said, if I've misinterpreted the spirit of your posts then I honestly apologize. >>




    The SGC cause?

    It is sad that one would treat advocating for a grading company to be a "cause." I am willing to bet that even employees of SGC find this kind of mindlessness to be pathetic.

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