VCP vs SMR - Which one do I use

jsanz

I'm mostly into unopened product but am thinking about getting into graded cards. Is VCP or SRM better? more accurate? Which one do you use and why? Or are they both good for their own reasons. Thanks for the input.

charrigan

VCP is the most accurate, definitionally, because it only reflects actual selling prices. The only reason not to use it is cost. SMR listings are estimates of sale prices that provide a ballpark but are frequently outdated.

dberk12

VCP is more thorough. However high grade vintage HOF'ers are playing by different rules these days. I would use VCP as a guideline but may need to be somewhat flexible if you really want the card.

slum22

Pretty sure it will be unanimous for VCP. The only benefit of SMR is that it is a free service. VCP is much more up to date on pricing. They don't catch every auction house sale, but they do get most eBay auctions/sales. If it is a thinly traded card (and even if it is not) be sure to click on the grade you want to see the individual sales and not just the high, avg and low prices. Sometimes there are price anamolies or errors that can throw prices off. This is obviously especially important for those cards with less sales as each sale impacts average price more greatly. I have seen instances where a card sold for unbelievably low price, I clicked on the listing and the sale was for an 8 but was filed under the 9's. This will artificially lower the avg price for that card. Good luck.

jsanz

Does anyone know how often VCP updates its prices? Does it pull from ebay closed auctions and BIN? So if I get VCP is there any reason to also check ebay completed items?

charrigan

It updates essentially immediately. At least within 24 hours. It does auctions and BIN and completely replaces checking completed sales if you are looking for pre-2000 cards graded by PSA/BGS/SGC.

timpatg

<< <i>VCP is the most accurate, definitionally, because it only reflects actual selling prices. The only reason not to use it is cost. >>



And the fact that they miss about 60% of actual sales including most BINs.

jsanz

So it already sounds like VCP is the way to go. I was on their website and it doesn't seem like there is much of a benefit to going with the Gold membership but it is only a few dollars more than the silver. Any thoughts on this?

Dnice

I wouldn't say 60% but they sure do miss out on a lot. Especially more so within the past year from the 3 years that I've been using it.

charrigan

Gold allows you to see images of previously sold cards. Pretty essential feature, IMO.

And, timpatg is somewhat correct: it does miss some sales. I would say that 60% is a bit high. But, even if that number is correct, VCP is still the best option available. It's not perfect, but the best tool currently available.

bounce

VCP is better than SMR. That's easy. In my opinion, SMR isn't useful for anything - maybe as a baseline guide on commons but that's it. I wouldn't use it for any stars or HOFers.

On VCP, it provides a good "average" price but you should definitely do your own homework. The drawbacks of VCP include:
1) It's an "average" price, meaning that especially for cards in the PSA 5 to PSA 7 range where centering can vary greatly without having a qualifier attached to it, you're getting everything in that "price". Well centered cards generally get higher prices than VCP would otherwise show, poorly centered ones generally less. It's why I call it a good "mid".
2) It doesn't capture all the pricing - this can be good or bad. A lot of the times the "Buy It Nows" you see on eBay are unusual, however where offers are accepted it's probably more useful but VCP won't pick these up.
3) VCP goes back pretty far, which is useful for looking at the trend but the trend won't necessarily reflect in the pricing it shows.

Again, make sure you do your homework before you go throwing money around. I generally rely on the prices I see online and from auctions, and haven't run into too many issues doing that. Certainly for thinly traded cards, as others noted, VCP could be a benefit since there aren't that many sources for prices going back more than a few months.

Good luck!

Sdub

Someone's actually using SMR for pricing?

Meatloaf

<< <i>2) It doesn't capture all the pricing - this can be good or bad. A lot of the times the "Buy It Nows" you see on eBay are unusual, however where offers are accepted it's probably more useful but VCP won't pick these up.
! >>



How are ebay BINs "a lot of the times" unusual? People pay what they want to pay at the time they want to pay....so whether they do it via BIN or auction does not matter. Also, there are MANY forms of transactions outside of ebay that VCP does not capture.

Bottom Line: all price guides are just "guides." They do not predict future value and they do not capture everything, which makes them VERY flawed. You make your buying decisions based on bankroll, collecting focus, motivation, timing, and if into the selling slide, likely targeted operating margins required based on overhead and expected tax rate. If you want to "feel good," buy below the price guide past value. If you want to "make money," know the market better than others regardless of what a price guide "recommends" or states as "historical."

Griffins

From what I understand VCP can't pick up prices until the listing has hit the full period. Can't figure out a better way to put it,but here is an example
I list something with a BIN on a 30 day listing. You hit the BIN right away. But vcp can't get that info from ebay until the 30 days has ended, due to some sort of glitch in ebays reporting- it's not the same as when you go on ebay and hit completed listings.

In regards to the question, VCP is straight forward facts, not conjecture. SMR is theoretical, and I believe at least in the past based on input from dealers.
Both should be used only as a guide.

bounce

<< <i>How are ebay BINs "a lot of the times" unusual? People pay what they want to pay at the time they want to pay....so whether they do it via BIN or auction does not matter. >>



Many of the Buy It Nows are often THE HIGHEST PRICE PAID for a card, and often well above the average price that a card would generally sell for. That's "unusual" in my view especially if it's well outside the recent normal range. There are lots of reasons why it can happen, I'm not arguing that, all I'm saying is that "Buy It Nows" should be scrutinized closely.

When it does happen as I describe, it skews the pricing up and it happens all the time. I think it's important to remove outliers for a "more accurate" price and VCP does not do that.

That's why I say do your homework so you'll know if outliers exist or not.

jsanz

Thanks for all the input and suggestions. It was really helpful.

begsu1013

if anyone is selling, i will reluctantly take all mantles 5 - 10s @ smr!