Vintage Card Prices vs Card Prices ?

mijm

I'm thinking of joining one . Which is better?
For those that belong to one or the other, what are some pros and cons?

weinhold

I only subscribe to Vintage Card Prices (VCP) thus I can only answer the second question.

VCP's membership pros outweigh the cons. Before I subscribed to VCP, I had overpaid for a number of cards. Since I bought the membership earlier this year, I easily recoup the little $12-$15 VCP monthly fee or whatever it is with the real pricing knowledge gained. When I started collecting cards last year, I thought I "got a deal" whenever I paid less than the stated SMR value (whoops).

One thing that I keep in mind is that VCP averages can dip (artificially) with sellers whom present cards with poor quality scans on eBay. Therefore, if a card that I consider buying is presented well with a clear scan from a reputable dealer, I have to consider that it is often worth more to me than "VCP average".

Further, from the pricing page, look at the dates of the actual sales realized for the card in that particular grade. For cards at some grades, "VCP average" may really only reflect the last sale for cards that are sold infrequently at a respective grade.

For eBay auctions, VCP updates very quickly. It typically takes a few days for auction houses to report. However, eBay "Buy It Nows" can take a while (weeks) to report to VCP.

I have found VCP's Customer Support prompt and responsive.

VCP isn't perfect, but nothing is. It is definitively the best pricing tool that I know.

Happy Collecting!

smtjoy

I have never used card pricer but I am a very happy VCP subscriber. Well worth the cost to me.

Griffins

I've been a vcp subscriber for years, and think it's a great service that has saved me a lot of money and time.

gemint

<< <i>I've been a vcp subscriber for years, and think it's a great service that has saved me a lot of money and time. >>



Ditto to that.

Sportsamerica

I also use VCP as well... VCP only does graded cards, and also has a feature I use a lot "Want List" in which you can put cards in your want list at your grade level you wish, and you will get emailed whenever the card comes up for auction in ebay or major auction houses.

No site is perfect, but VCP has been good for me over the past years..

To answer the issue with BIN auctions taking time, I understand that ebay only sends BIN when the actual "date auction ends" come up, so it can take up to 30 days to get them on VCP.

mijm

Thanks for the information. I will sign up for VCP.

hammered

Totally depends on what you buy and collect.
They are very different services.

Cardpricer PRO: They price modern cards.
Cardpricer CON: They only do baseball.
VCP PRO: They price all major sports.
VCP CON: They don't price beyond 1989.

Both do a good (but not perfect) job.