2010 Standard Catalog...1st Impression

[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.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by 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.

Due to costs and profit pressue it might not work but I would still like to see something that is, maybe 1980 and back, and 1981 and forward. That way all of the sets that the pre-war collectors like could be kept in and the newer stuff, which is still being produced (probably beyond demand) can keep being added. Just a wish. I haven't seen a 2010 book yet....guess no Santa for me this year .

[Mark]

They could publish a pre-1980 volume in even years and a 1980-beyond volume in the odd. If the markets are stable, as they seem to be, this wouldn't be a problem for collectors or dealers.

[cozmokramer]

Do they list the 1887 N172 Old Judge's in the book?

[FrankWakefield]

Yes... 6 pages worth. And then 2 more pages for Hall of Famer pose variations. Good coverage of N172. And there's even more for the N173s.

The Standard Catalog is exactly that, the standard by which others are measured. This is the one to get.

[Bob Lemke]

The 2010 edition, at 1,368 pages, is 26% slimmer than the 2009. That's the result of the 2001-date major league cards being moved onto the accompanying CD.

No vintage sets or cards were removed, but none were added, either.

The page count for the book is set by corporate bean-counters with an eye towards print-cost efficiency and a cover price point that will maximize sales.
Once the editors are told what the page count will be, it is up to them to fill it with an eye towards serving the widest possible audience, not just vintage/advanced collectors.

This resulted in recent years in many "non-card" collectibles being removed from the book, so that the latest 20,000 new cards from Topps, UD, etc., could be presented.

Based on what I've seen happen in Krause/F+W's coin catalog division, I would expect that some attention is being given to the notion of putting the entire data base of vintage and modern issues onto a set of CDs, independent of the print edition. In the interim, I'd like to see some of the vintage stuff added to the CD that rides along with the print edition.

In the limited time that I have available by my contract with KP/F+W to maintain/enhance the vintage major and minor league sections, I have been trying to cast a critical eye on pricing that has remained virtually unchanged since the 2007 book. Many of the price revisions you'll see in the 2011 book will be the result of a rather ham-handed process, as opposed to card-by-card analysis of each set. Fine tuning will continue with each subsequent edition to try to bring the book's pricing columns into the real world . . . or as much so as can be done with an annual book that deadlines 6-9 months before it reaches readers' hands.

I am also, mostly on my own time, adding vintage issues to the data base in hopes that some day they will be made available in some fashion.

The reality of hobby reference book publishing is that ink-on-paper is SOOOO 20th century and that new ways have to be found to put this information into the hands of collectors on a basis that makes business sense for the publisher.

The collective expertise on this fourm, and the willingness to share information to benefit the continued future of the hobby is a big facotr in my willingness/ability to try to keep this project alive.