Underrated SMR Values

Mintacular · April 25, 2009 2:23AM

What baseball sets, years, players do you think SMR grossly undervalues? Not in terms of your favorite ones per se but cards that actually sell much higher than SMR book prices. Hope this makes sense

bighurt2000 · April 25, 2009 3:56AM

Mintacular,
Don't waste your time with SMR prices they are so off it's a joke. Cards are hit and
miss you just have to be buying at the right time and then sale at the right time.
Use Ebay finial prices to figure if a card or set is undervalued. The answer your looking
for wont be found in the SMR.

James

itzagoner · April 25, 2009 3:59AM

i like SMR, it helps to remind me of the prices i could have paid for cards 5 years ago.

Mintacular · April 25, 2009 4:09AM

Hmmm. It sounds like you guys are skeptical of SMR prices. My assumption was that SMR prices were a bit more "fixed" than the traditionally way overstated Beckett ungraded prices, and that one could reasonably expect to sell graded cards close to 80-90% of SMR. Am I completely wrong on that? Are SMR prices just as inflated as Beckett ungraded prices???

bman90278 · April 25, 2009 4:13AM

<< Hmmm. It sounds like you guys are skeptical of SMR prices. My assumption was that SMR prices were a bit more "fixed" than the traditionally way overstated Beckett ungraded prices, and that one could reasonably expect to sell graded cards close to 80-90% of SMR. Am I completely wrong on that? Are SMR prices just as inflated as Beckett ungraded prices??? >>

It's not a matter of being skeptical its a matter of facts..Make a short list of some cards and compare the SMR's to their actual selling prices or prices being offered and you'll see what the others are talking about. Also, do a a search in this forum under SMR and you'll see a bunch of threads already discussing this topic.
b
rian

itzagoner · April 25, 2009 4:13AM

it's a bit more complex than that, but with the PSA registry being so competitive, card prices remain stable for those in higher population, but for low pops and rarity throw the price guide in the fireplace.

Mintacular · April 25, 2009 4:35AM

So the Vintage Card Prices is more accurate, does it cost $ to look up things from them? How do they establish their prices, just factor in past ebay sales??

WinPitcher · April 25, 2009 4:37AM

179.00 per year and yes they average ebay sales and other auctions too I think.

Steve

Jeff85fan · April 25, 2009 4:56AM

The theory for SMR is good, it's just the execution is poor. I wish they'd either make a better effort to make it more accurate or just scrap it altogether.

markj111 · April 25, 2009 4:57AM

<< So the Vintage Card Prices is more accurate, does it cost $ to look up things from them? How do they establish their prices, just factor in past ebay sales?? >>

VCP is linked to several auction houses in addition to ebay. It shows the sale price of every auction. The site explains how the average is computed; it does not use every sale on each card. It sometimes drops the high and low, depending upon the number. I believe it uses only the past 12 months in the average. I find it to be worth the cost.

VCP has a daily rate (3$ or so) if you just want to check a few cards.

Mintacular · April 25, 2009 4:59AM

Thank you all very much. $179 seems steep to me. I guess I will assume that SMR values are probably 25% inflated, especially due to the economy. As a general rule, does that sound right?

dizzle · April 25, 2009 5:22AM

<< Thank you all very much. $179 seems steep to me. I guess I will assume that SMR values are probably 25% inflated, especially due to the economy. As a general rule, does that sound right? >>

There is no general rule to the pricing in SMR some stuff is way over valued some is under... you're best bet is to look on ebay completed listings or bite the bullet and get VCP

daddymc · April 25, 2009 5:24AM

<< Thank you all very much. $179 seems steep to me. I guess I will assume that SMR values are probably 25% inflated, especially due to the economy. As a general rule, does that sound right? >>

Not always. I will buy the '51 Topps Red Backs I need in PSA 5 or PSA 6 all day for SMR. They almost always sell more than SMR on eBay. The lack of accuracy goes both ways - over and under.

mcolney1 · April 25, 2009 6:01AM

VCP = real auction house market value. The prices are up to date, you see the picture of the card. I don't know of a better way to go than VCP. All other pricing methods are like throwing darts at a dartboard.

I buy dozens of PSA graded cards a month and have never paid SMR. I usually pay 75% or less of SMR by using VCP.

daddymc · April 25, 2009 6:04AM

Doesn't VCP ignore Buy-It-Now purchases on eBay?

rbdjr1 · April 25, 2009 6:19AM

In my opinion, SMR pricing was in the beginning, was set-up as a "retail price" price guide,

so PSA dealers would have a "pricepoint" buy graded material,

at a percentage "back of book value" (i.e., "back of SMR value").

In the "ideal, active" market environment, buying cards "sight-unseen",

at maybe 40%-50% "back of SMR prices",

...simply did not work, for numerous reasons.

It seemed that, in the beginning, PSA (i.e., SMR) pricing tried to emulate PCGS,

in some sort of a "sight unseen" dealer pricing marketplace?

SMR took on a life of it's own, as the years flew by

(and became just another "value added benefit" to PSA membership)!

Prices, have been established, on almost every series, by the marketplace (not by SMR!).

All those low pop cards, that are next to impossible to find, should command a higher SMR price.

For some reason or another PSA, does not want to address, correcting SMR pricing to reflect true "marketplace" pricing.

Can PSA make the SMR, more accurate. PSA knows, as well as all of us here involved in the graded card hobby, the answer is;

...100% YES !!!!!!!!!!!!

rd

Jeff85fan · April 25, 2009 6:26AM

Of course they could make SMR much more accurate if they wanted to. But that would take resources (i.e. money) that simply isn't a priority. If they want to continue to put out the magazine with the nice articles about different players and sets, do that, but they should discontinue the SMR pricing if they aren't going to take it seriously. SMR pricing on so many cards is so far removed from reality I never even look at it. The set I primarily collect, 1985 topps football, has no basis in reality. They list the Walter Payton in 8 at $12 which is somewhat close (although can be routinely had for $8 or less), but the 9 is only $175 (I've never seen it sell for less than $250 and there hasn't been one up for sale in months) and I'm wondering how they come up with $525 for a PSA10? Only one exists and I have to think if it were to come up for sale or another entered the market, it would sell for thousands.

Again, the idea of the SMR is fantastic, but its execution is quite flawed at this point. I'd rather them kill it off completely instead of having such flawed pricing.

WinPitcher · April 25, 2009 7:56AM

Daddymc

No, BIN's on ebay are included, what is not included (yet) are BIN's from ebay store sales.

Steve

NickM · April 25, 2009 8:31AM

Roughly speaking, most post-WWII stuff sells for considerably less than SMR, but most pre-WWII stuff sells for SMR or higher (and in the case of tough tobacco and caramel sets, often much higher).

Nick

daddymc · April 25, 2009 8:31AM

<< Daddymc

No, BIN's on ebay are included, what is not included (yet) are BIN's from ebay store sales.

Steve >>

Steve thanks, that's good to know. That's still a significant source of data though. I use that method myself as a primary means to sell cards as do several other board members. There are also "big" dealers like 707 that use that method.

Additionally, I would also guess that quite a few low pop items sell via that method in combination with "best offer" as well.

SDSportsFan · April 25, 2009 10:50AM

Basically, SMR undervalues cards that I own, and it overvalues cards that I want

Other than that, I really don't know

Steve

ndleo · April 25, 2009 11:11AM

SMR undervalues PSA 8/9, especially 9's, key 1970's rookie cards in baseball and football (don't follow HK or BKB enough to comment). I get the most interest when I post those card for sales. That generation of fans are 35-50, which are the peak earning years.

Also with all of the steroid mess of the late 1980's-present, I think you will see a several stars from that era get a second look for the voters. I expect Andre Dawson to make it next year. Jack Morris and Burt Blyleven could be borderline.

Underrated SMR Values

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