Is The Price Guide Dead?

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Posted By: DJ

I remember 1987. There were many stores full of people. I flipped through a binder and saw a 1934 Goudey Hank Greenberg.

I asked the seller how much. He grabbed the "Beckett" (Number #9) and saw that it booked at $80 in "MINT" (amusing concept) and he looked the card over and then slid down to the VG-EX column which had it at $32. He said "How about $45" (because it was fairly graded at EX with corner wear and an ever so small stain on the back). I countered. "$40". We agreed at $42.

With the way things are (inconsistent pricing and the value of our cards increasing as we sleep), will the future be that dealers go directly to the "Registry" to get what they perceive is a fair price and is the entire concept and idea of the Price Guide dead now?

Just curious on your takes.

DJ

edit: grammar

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Posted By: Anson

Price guides just don't have a good read on the hobby as is. Even though the Standard Catalog is getting closer.....not close..to getting a feel for how the market is. The problem is, most collectors (non-vintage) are dabbling enough to realize what we figured out a long time ago.

Mr. Shiny Stuff with the xrefractometer wometer cards at table 108 even realizes that those Goudey cards or skinny tobackie cards are really hard to find.

The price guides only seem to have relevance with post WWII cards and almost EVERYONE knows it.

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Posted By: PaulPaulPaul

For 34 Goudey Greenbergs in Ex condition, I think price guides will remain valid. These change hands often enough that a market price can be estimated. But for cards that rarely change hands in public, price guides have become useless. A new market price is set each time the card changes hands. And I'm not talking just about Four Base Hits Kellys. This now seems to be true for E98 Macks.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Which card, and have you an image?