SMR vs. VCP

SOM

My cards have been entered into the Vintage Card Pricing site for a few months now. FYI, here is today's real-world comparison of their values vs. SMR. (All Topps Baseball)

1952 mostly PSA 8 commons: VCP is minus 15.3% compared to SMR
1957 mostly PSA 8 commons: minus 10.0%
1959 mostly PSA 7 commons/stars: minus 25.7%
1960 psa 7 stars: minus 8.4%
1961 psa 7 stars: minus 10.7%
1962 mostly PSA 7 high numbers: minus 17.6%
1963 mostly PSA 8 commons: minus 3.4%
1964 mostly PSA 7 stars: minus 24.8%
1966 PSA 7 stars: minus 18.9%
1967 PSA 8 stars/commons: plus 9.6%
1968 PSA 7 stars: minus 22.8%
1969 PSA 8 stars: plus 33.2%

JasP24

Thank goodness I don't collect baseball...lol

Jason

Bosox1976

Great stuff SOM. Bad news, but great insight.

envoy98

I bet the high grade low pop commons are much, much worse. So I would be thankful you're into the collector grade stuff. Most people don't look at this as an investment anyway. Sure it's nice to make some money on it if possible and it's nice know that you aren't losing money but I figure the stuff I lose some money on is part of the cost of enjoying it for a while. Of course when I lose it's probably <$100 on any given card. Some of these you've brought up could be in the 4 digits. Gulp.

Edited to say that this is just against SMR and nobody ever said SMR was right.

BobbyVCP

SOM,

Hope you are pleased with everything on VCP?

I would not worry about the current values because we are in the summer months and prices tend to drop. Starting next month you should see a rise in your portfolio. I would like you to keep this information and in 2 months post again to compare.

Ebay auctions are on the rise again last week we had about 12,000 auctions in the queue and this week has jumped to over 17,000

Also keep in mind in the not to distant future you will be able to set in your preferences how your "My Collection" is tabulated by last sale or the average.

Thanks for the comparison very nice stuff.

Bobby

asphaltman76

I believe though....most of the pre-war series are still going well above SMR values. Bobby, maybe you can clarify....but I know the Ramly's, most the E cards and the likes have been still going strong. Maybe the T206's have fallen off a bit.

Dave

scooter729

<< <i>I believe though....most of the pre-war series are still going well above SMR values. Bobby, maybe you can clarify....but I know the Ramly's, most the E cards and the likes have been still going strong. Maybe the T206's have fallen off a bit.

Dave >>



T-206's in mid-grade (4-5) seem to be selling below SMR (15-20%) but anything 6 and up is solid, and 7+ is 2x SMR and up from what I have seen....

purelyPSA

I did two different '60s sets in baseball, start to finish, using VCP's average PSA price for each.

One cumulative price was 99.1% of SMR. The other was 97.1%.

Pretty accurate if you ask me.

I think you can find any sort of disparity if you look hard enough but if you use the SMR as a blunt instrument it's useful.

**Edited to add that the sets were PSA 8**

jeff8877

Steve...what grade did you do your 60 sets using...thanks.

Jeff

SOM

BobbyVCP -

I was in no way slamming VCP over these results. In fact, I love your product!

I was simply pointing out how big of a disparity there is between SMR and VCP. I know that neither SMR nor VCP sets the prices; the market does. When prices drop, it's not your fault.

And purelyPSA - I wasn't "looking" for any disparity at all. Heck, I was hoping that SMR would be right! What I posted was not a self-fulfilled prophecy.

Yes, Jeff - I am sure that the higher the grade, the closer actual results are to SMR pricing. As I see pops shooting up dramatically for, say, my 1967 PSA 8 set, those prices have nowhere to go but down. Way down.

Nick

BobbyVCP

SOM,

I never even thought you where taking a poke at VCP, we only report the prices in realtime. I just thought you where concerned about your collection value dropping. That is why I was trying to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel in the next few months there will be a rebound.

We are not concerned with any other price service because we know no other comes close to giving you the latest up to the minutes values on your cards.

One thing I tell people that join is to look at the frequency a card you wants comes available in auction. If you see the past history as be very light then you may want to go to the wall trying to win. If you see it sell frequently bid lower and you may get a great deal.

Carew29

I had a friend of mine take 6 PSA 8's T206 Southern Leaguers to the National with some set prices. 2 didn't sell and 4 sold for 10% to 20% over SMR. None of them went to a dealer but to private collectors ( as far as my friend knows). I would have to say the market was strong on the old stuff.

BobbyVCP

I have no idea the values that SMR places in order to compare what they are in reality. According to SOM in his analysis they where plus or minus almost 35% to the actual sales as reported by VCP. To me this is a huge differential in their price gaps from what I have heard in the past they do not adjust there values very often. Only when members complain enough do you see them rise or fall. I just think that the prices in SMR should of been adjusted down 20% or so to account for the usually summer month slow down. But that is a big task to undertake when you have to do it all by hand. Our system is automatic as soon as an auction ends it posts to the site and the new price is updated.