Why not join VCP?

I signed up for VCP about five months ago. Prior to that I used SRM for prices on cards, what a joke when comparing actual auction prices on Ebay. I pay $12.95 a month and have saved that amount many time over on cards that I win compared to what I use to bid.
My question is why would you not join if you are into bidding on cards?
Also, how does SRM arrive at some of the crazy prices they have in the magazine? Maybe Joe should do an article on how they arrive at these prices.
My question is why would you not join if you are into bidding on cards?
Also, how does SRM arrive at some of the crazy prices they have in the magazine? Maybe Joe should do an article on how they arrive at these prices.
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FINISHED 12/8/2008!!!
I agree.
That being said, from what I've read on these boards from Bobby at VCP and others, the service does seem to be a great resource and getting better all the time. I am pondering selling off some of my partial sets, and admittedly I wouldn't mind having the VCP information available to understand how to set pricing. If I decide to part with any of my sets, I will more than likely try one of their short term memberships.
I personally feel that VCP could gain greatly from the use of a tiered subscription level service, with a more affordable service geared towards the more casual/occasional collector.
Lou Gehrig Master Set
Non-Registry Collection
Game Used Cards Collection
<< <i>I'd just get a one day membership to VCP and print out all of the pricing info that you need for cards that you're targeting. And you can do that every few months. VCP does miss stuff however. For example, it doesn't include data for major auction houses like Heritage. So in a way, if you do your own research and combine w/ VCP, you get the best info. >>
It does include some of the major auction houses. I highly recommend it.
Otherwise you'd be blindly bidding without knowing what is a fair market price for the card, the other factor which is more value than the price itself is being able to view all the pictures of the examples in a certain grade and determining "eye appeal" premium - This right here is worth more than anything to me and for those who just ask for a VCP average price is missing out from knowing the eye appeal price factor.
CU Ancient Members badge member.
Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums
<< <i>Its easier to bid what you are willing to pay. No guide or site can help with that. >>
The sellers love you.....
Initially, the price seems pretty high, but you only have to do it occasionally.
When I first started collecting, I would cut corners on card preservation too. No longer.
It's all just the cost of enjoying your hobby.
The prime benefit of VCP is that it compiles data on eBay and some auction house sales in a current market environment. NO other site provides this data...even though eBay does provide a completed listings link, that data does not continue to build on previous sales and self-purges after about 2 weeks. VCP OTOH continues to build a database on sales that will provide valuable info for sales which is also charted in graph format.
SMR does not, nor has it ever IMO, provided current market conditions, merely a guess at what a given card's value is. I could cite numerous examples of this, but you get the idea. I have been a 55 Topps collector for quite some time, the SMR values were beyond ludicrous in many cases. There still seems to be a mind-set of quoting SMR prices, which does nothing but skew the true value of the card to both seller and buyer. Current market conditions are not static, what a card sold for a month ago is not a reflection of what the card would sell for this month. One of the beauties of VCP is that in addition to creating a "wants" list, which provides you an email notification, is that you can see when the card last sold to see just how tough the card may be to obtain.
To the moochers who continue to ask for free VCP help, get a clue, it's a paid subscription website. If you think VCP has data that is valuable to you, pop for a subscription like many of us do.
With more time than money, it's a great way to enjoy the hobby without having $1,000 a month to spend.
<< <i>
<< <i>Its easier to bid what you are willing to pay. No guide or site can help with that. >>
The sellers love you..... >>
the sellers love us(the buyers) because some bid without forethought.....sometimes TMI can be a harness around your aggressive nature and winds up placing restrictions on your will......i'm not negating the importance of having information available to those who want it, but there is still no way to predict the winner of a good old-fashioned guessing game, and trying to win the game becomes more appealing without the abundance of self-doubt.
while i applaud the efforts of those who manage this information, i also believe that it is taking away from the very nature of this business which feeds our adrenal glands.
if there is something out there that i really want, then i will offer MY price, irrespective of what others might have paid.
-CDs Nuts, 1/20/14
*1956 Topps baseball- 97.4% complete, 7.24 GPA
*Clemente basic set: 85.0% complete, 7.89 GPA
<< <i>While I think VCP has some good information, I think it's prices pushes it more as a tool for dealers or high volume/dollar buyers. It personally exceeds the price I can stomach to pay for 'information'.
I personally feel that VCP could gain greatly from the use of a tiered subscription level service, with a more affordable service geared towards the more casual/occasional collector. >>
I could not have said it better myself.
https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/pdub1819/othersets/6204
By Sport would be great..
I've never looked up anything but Basketball on VCP and doubt I ever will... So maybe a discounted subscrition per sport would bring in those who are tight on funds etc.. and make long time customers out of someone who may only get a 24 hour pass every few months...
Just a thought..