SMR needs to be improved
incugator
Posts: 622
I have seen many threads that pertain to 'book' value and 'market' value. SMR claims that the prices listed in SMR represent the average dealer selling prices for PSA-graded cards. The also include a disclaimer that the card market can have major fluctuations in a short period of time. Here are my thoughts.
This magazine is published monthly. Prices can change significantly over the time period of 1 month (even with vintage cards) usually the SMR looks exactly the same as it did the previous month. The people at PSA have the resources to monitor millions of online auctions of PSA graded cards and appear at the largest card shows throughout the country.
I am a PSA member and think that PSA is the most accurate grading company, by far. I think that being a member and spending lots of my money on getting cards graded and a yearly membership, I should have a good idea if I'm paying too much or getting a good deal on card.
I also think that Famous Cards (Mantle, Ruth, Ryan RC....ECT) should have prices listed for each grade. Most collectors of these cards cannot afford a PSA 8 or 9 of these cards and a 3-5 is more in their price range and much easier to find. Yet a PSA 3 and 4 are not listed until you get to pre-war (4's are listed)
Does anybody think that the SMR is very similar to Beckett in the fact that if you buy 1 every 2 years you'll be getting the same thing with the exception of some nice artilces?
This magazine is published monthly. Prices can change significantly over the time period of 1 month (even with vintage cards) usually the SMR looks exactly the same as it did the previous month. The people at PSA have the resources to monitor millions of online auctions of PSA graded cards and appear at the largest card shows throughout the country.
I am a PSA member and think that PSA is the most accurate grading company, by far. I think that being a member and spending lots of my money on getting cards graded and a yearly membership, I should have a good idea if I'm paying too much or getting a good deal on card.
I also think that Famous Cards (Mantle, Ruth, Ryan RC....ECT) should have prices listed for each grade. Most collectors of these cards cannot afford a PSA 8 or 9 of these cards and a 3-5 is more in their price range and much easier to find. Yet a PSA 3 and 4 are not listed until you get to pre-war (4's are listed)
Does anybody think that the SMR is very similar to Beckett in the fact that if you buy 1 every 2 years you'll be getting the same thing with the exception of some nice artilces?
-Ryan
0
Comments
The price can change drastically depending on what day or nite or time of day or nite, or what seller is selling the card, or what the seller's reputation is, or the quality of the scan, or even how many people know it's for sale.
You suggested Ruth, Ryan, etc. I searched "1968 ryan psa 7" closed auctions within the last 2 weeks, there were 6. $475 to $686. All 7s and all NQ. The 475 one was oc on the back. That wasn't reflected in the grade so it wouldn't be in the book either.
I think they do an ok job, ebay is probably more accurate or "real world"
In other words, price guides are set up for people who trip into a card and dont' know if it's worth $1, $100 or $1000. If I happen across some obscure candy issue pre war card that I've never seen before I'll consult a price guide to give me a general feel of what the card is worth. But if it's something I keep even loose tabs on then no-- there's no reason to expect that a company that's trying to price 500,000 cards will know more about it then I will. For even recreational hobbyists I think the clamour for better price guides tends to be an outgrowth of laziness; if you want a 'down to the dollar' value, or even something close to that, then you just have to do it yourself.
Also, note that there's no strong incentive for PSA to produce an extememely accurate price guide. To do so they would have to reduce profits (I'm sure that would be a big hit with shareholders) or raise grading fees (uh, no thanks), and most of the people who would be effected by either of these changes would not consider an improved price guide to be a satisfactory trade off for either lower profits or higher prices for services.
Steve
Luckily, for specifics there are new services just introduced that have links to the exact auction transactions in any specific grade. If you need the information it's well worth the $10-14 those services charge.
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
<< <i>I agree with boo
Steve >>
One of the things I like about Steve is that he can compartmentalize.
A good CU forum rule of thumb: What happens on the Sports Talk forum, stays on the Sports Talk forum!
If my kid came home with that thing I'd have to grab the shotgun...
Thus far, she has a lock on the win. She and TLJ
will make beautiful videos together.
Did she get the encore again tonight? I am in a different time warp/zone.
storm
<< <i>Dilana caused me to throw my SMR into the fire.
Thus far, she has a lock on the win. She and TLJ
will make beautiful videos together.
Did she get the encore again tonight? I am in different time warp/zone.
storm >>
No - the aussie guy did.
mike
ps: like INXS - I will be surprised if they pick a female to front the band
I understand the complications of attempting this across all the different sets available might make this impossible, but I can still dream. Until then, I guess I keep updating the spreadsheet.
The SMR is a guide, and to be honest, one that is pretty damn close on 90 percent of the cards.
But when you're listing that many cards, it's impossible to track every one, every month.
To make it perfect, it would probably take a lot more manpower. Trying to track every sale of every card, I don't know how one person could do more than a couple of issues and concentrate solely on them. It's just not feasible.
But they are close. And remember, they value your help. There's a note and an email address somewhere in the SMR where they ask for help if you see anything way off. I was trying to buy a card several months ago, and four auctions ended on eBay at prices well higher than SMR. I sent an email to SMR with links to the four auctions. The next day I received an email from "Joe Orlando" which said "Thanks for the feedback---keep it coming"
The next months SMR had the card I was looking for with the price change and a "+" next to it. They changed the price reflecting the current market value.
Point is, I think they try, and I think it's close on most things.
Lets face it, even if we could find FIVE THOUSAND cards that are substantially off, that's a small drop in the bucket of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND or more they are pricing. JMO
shawn
SMR is basically a free rag for members; keep that in mind. The cost of your Collectors Club Membership is made up by PSA in the Free Gradings so getting too nuts about minor shortcomings of the magazine should be tempered. The last thing we want is for the magazine to go away.
PSA does a pretty decent job of acknowledging trends in set prices. They may make conservative moves when trends are racing in one direction or another but the trending in and of itself is pretty true. Doing your own due diligence on pricing is critical.
PSA has raised the prices of cards in the T-206 set 4 times in the last 12-18 months. This would be an accurate example of how they recognize pricing strength within a set. Are the prices completely accurate? Of course not; you have to watch the market (sales, auctions, eBay, etc.) to determine real value; but the trend line is there.
I would say that if a set were stagnant in SMR for a long period of time that, that would be an indication of either no particular trend or insufficient data or feedback to make clear trend choices. Do they miss the boat occasionally; again, of course.
Lastly, although I have access to the SMR on-line, I find it much more convenient and natural for me to pick up my SMR magazine to check a reference value. Mine gets pretty ragged by the end of the month, just in time for a new one. But that's just me.
If we get some minor improvements in the magazine content great; but I find the SMR a reasonably useful reference guide as is. Keep the magazine.
RayBShotz
<< <i>I'm done the SMR in 40 seconds.. would be nice if they put a little bit of hockey in there.
Iagree! I only look at the pictures!