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Differences between SMR and prices realized for high grade vintage cards

Mikesc98Mikesc98 Posts: 44
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
I've noticed that some high grade vintage cards I've been watching on Ebay tend to go for many times SMR and others as little as 33-50 percent and I'm wondering if this is just a reflection of some issues being hot and others cold? For example, I think I've noticed some 60s baseball PSA 9s and 70s basketball going for way below SMR recently, while some high grade 50s-70s Football and Hockey cards I was watching/bidding on have been going for 2-3x SMR or more...

Forgive me if this question betrays my lack of experience as someone who is reentering the hobby after a 10+ year break and just getting into graded cards, but I'm not quite sure how to use SMR as a guide. I know low population cards often go for many times SMR, but why such weak demand for some of the high-grade baseball and basketball? Is SMR really off by that much consistently or are these differences simply a reflection of what's hot and not in vintage graded cards at any given time?

Comments

  • stitzenstitzen Posts: 1,771
    It's not even low pop cards that SMR is completely wrong about, and it's not just vintage. I'm not sure why SMR is so off, when there's plenty of information to go by (auction pricing, ebay sales), but I think it just has to be that there isn't someone in charge of keeping it up to date.

  • envoy98envoy98 Posts: 4,000 ✭✭
    A $10/month subscription to VintageCardPrices is well worth it. I just signed up and it's amazing the amount of info I've gleaned from there in just a few days.

    SMR is a guide, some stuff is right, most is wrong. Personally, I think if you are going to spend any amount of money on anything you owe it to yourself to do research on it before you buy. SMR is good to get a quick idea about something. ie. the ballpark you might expect to be in. Other than that, there are other avenues of more reliable pricing figures.

    -Josh
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    My eBay Store

    BigCrumbs! I made over $250 last year!
  • obusek99obusek99 Posts: 262 ✭
    I agree. Heard of vintage card prices through readings on here and it is very helpful. Worth $10 a month.
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>while some high grade 50s-70s Football and Hockey cards I was watching/bidding on have been going for 2-3x SMR or more... >>



    Early '50s football, PSA 7 or better, has been absolutely en fuego.

    Just search eBay for recent sales, which go back 30-days. It's free and you get a clear idea of what the current market value is for a card.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • cardbendercardbender Posts: 1,831 ✭✭
    Like any price guide, the SMR is no different, it's just a guide.
    I use the SMR, the population-if graded, the cards demand, the cards quality within the grade assigned, and past sales results to determine the current value. Even using all this info, you can still be way off the mark on determining a cards value.

    Sometimes it's just dumb luck, sometimes it's timing when you sell the item too. If one or two new collectors jump in and start building a set, that can throw the value of an item all out of whack too as prices can jump overnight 100% by the new demand created by new bidders.

    But yes I would tend to agree with your first post, Baseball and Basketball cards seem to be trending a little lower lately at least for 60's and 70's cards, and Football and Hockey cards seem to be gaining momentum and heading higher.
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