2010 Standard Catalog...1st Impression

[ullmandds]

Today I went to my neighborhood Barnes and Noble and checked out the new 2010 Standard Catalog. The newer...slimmer book is much improved over previous iterations...but...I don't understand where the valuations are coming from. I realize this is just a "guide"...and prices may have been over-exhuberant in the not so distant past...but so many of the prices seem so far out of line? The e107's struck me as being way overvalued especially commons in vg condition...and most others seemed way undervalued...especially t213-1's...and most all caramel cards seemed pretty low as well. I'm in no way knocking this guide...as in general it is a wonderful resource...but to people "finding" cards...who have no idea as to current values...a lot of the valuations don't seem that relevant. Any other opinions would be appreciated.

[barrysloate]

After years of rapid price increases, guides often find themselves priced way over market. I haven't seen the 2010 edition yet, but assuming prices are say double what they should be, the publishers have a difficult task. If they cut them 50% from the last years' book, they will create the impression that the market collapsed. And dealers would be livid with them. Dealers love to see high prices in guides, and they are the ones who pay for the advertising each year. So at this point the guide's main purpose is to provide checklists, and to just give a vague sense of which cards are more valuable than others. As far as accurate pricing, you need to know the market.

Okay, you also mentioned some prices seem low. Harder to explain those other than to say caramel cards are pretty soft right now.

[John V]

The 2009 guide was about 2 1/2 inches thick. I have not seen the 2010. What does it measure?

[ullmandds]

I'd estimate it's 60-70% its former girth.

Barry...I see what you're saying...the checklists are certainly invaluable...I didn't really compare the prices from year to year to see if many went down...just an example that I remember because it is one of my favorite cards is the e90-1 keeler throwing card...listed at $400 in vg...down from $475 from the 2009 catalog...I still think that is much lower than you can buy the card for...but the decrease is an accurate indication that the value has come down comparatively to other cards in the set. E107 commons in vg listed at $2k...down from $2040 in 09'...seems overpriced to me...but down comparatively.

OK...never mind...pls delete this thread!!!!

[JLange]

I am a big follower of the standard catalog, and have owned many issues over the years, most recently the 2009 edition. I agree with Barry in that I have always only used the pricing as a guide, and looked to the market for current pricing. My real issue is the editorial decisions to remove sets previosly catalogued from The Big Book. I cite the 1975 jb robinson Cleveland Indians set, the 1963-69 Indians postcards, and the 1970s-80s Cleveland Indians photocards as examples, all of which were catalogued in previous editions but then removed. There has been reference made to possibly removing team picture packs in future editions. I understand that there are editorial pressures to balance size, scope, and salability, but I think of The Big Book as the collective wisdom of the hobby, and my first reference to turn to for any new pursuit. I expect it to catalog everything. Think of the Scotts Stamp catalogs (volumes of big books). How often is a stamp entry removed from those books? I understand the fringe sets don't appeal to everone, but that is my expectation and deciding factor for buying any future editions for my hobby reference library.

I apolgize to moving off topic. I can start a new thread as appropriate

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by JLange

I am a big follower of the standard catalog, and have owned many issues over the years, most recently the 2009 edition. I agree with Barry in that I have always only used the pricing as a guide, and looked to the market for current pricing. My real issue is the editorial decisions to remove sets previosly catalogued from The Big Book. I cite the 1975 jb robinson Cleveland Indians set, the 1963-69 Indians postcards, and the 1970s-80s Cleveland Indians photocards as examples, all of which were catalogued in previous editions but then removed. There has been reference made to possibly removing team picture packs in future editions. I understand that there are editorial pressures to balance size, scope, and salability, but I think of The Big Book as the collective wisdom of the hobby, and my first reference to turn to for any new pursuit. I expect it to catalog everything. Think of the Scotts Stamp catalogs (volumes of big books). How often is a stamp entry removed from those books? I understand the fringe sets don't appeal to everone, but that is my expectation and deciding factor for buying any future editions for my hobby reference library.

I totally agree. Are some sets on the CD that are not in the book though?

[barrysloate]

Jason- it's not off topic, but as you mentioned there are other considerations in the decision. Sometimes a book gets so large, with all the annual additions of card sets, that it becomes too big to bind. That happened with Leonard Maltin's movie guide. Every year he had to add another 30 pages or so to the book (which lists nearly every movie ever made). It reached the point where the book was too big to bind, so it was divided into classic movies and more current ones. Perhaps the Standard catalog has to deal with similar issues, as that book was starting to get really large.