Price guide

[insidethewrapper]

The Standard Catalog could save a lot of weight if it only listed the cards from 1981 + that are above the common price. For example: don't list any commons, just state the common price. If the card is not listed, it's a common. There could be an abridged and non-abridged version.

[Rich Klein]

One year in the Beckett Almanac we missed about 300 cards of the 1993 Topps set; and we got more complaints about THAT than if some obscure vintage set is missing. If you print a checklist, that checklist needs to be complete (or as complete as you know it to be)

Regards
Rich

[toppcat]

The Standard Catalog would be more useful if it listed all the cards by player for the newer issues. Does anyone really collect sets anymore of the post 1980 stuff?

Standard Catalog staff needs to also make sure things are updated. I know there are personnel and cost issues with the book but some cards and sets have had no change in pricing for half a decade. To keep buying the book for vintage material and then not having it updated is maddening.

[FrankWakefield]

Initially, I agree with that "common price" abridgment. But sometimes it is nice to have that list of all of the cards so the particular number of a card can be ascertained, or whether a card is in the series at all. And the "common price" strategy would work for all years, not just 1981 and up. Realistically, there are guys who collect Topps only, and hate all of the old stuff that's in their way in the front of the book. I think 2 or 3 volumes, shrink wrapped together, might be the best strategy for us. For the publisher, they probably maximize sales doing it the way they are doing it...

[steve B]

Splitting it up could work very well for them. Maybe even changing the price point as well.

The Scott stamp catalog is 6 volumes, I'm pretty sure they're over 1000 pages each. Plus they make a "classic" catalog that's in color and only 1840-1940. Classic is over $100 and each of the 6 volumes are around 75. There's also a US specialized at around 75 as well. They seem to do pretty well for sales despite serving a hobby that everyone claims is dying.

Split it up, list more, include more details, and better pictures. Maybe include a detailed article or two like the US specialized. Make it a truly invaluable reference. Raise the price (I know, heresy ) And I think they'd be surprised at the response.

Steve B

[gabrinus]

I remember the good old days when there were no price guides(except Ron Erbe's book) to look up caramel cards, baking cards, etc. Only the standard tobacco issues excluding T213s, t214s, t216s. I don't mind the 25 lbs a few times a day.

[Bigb13]

Last year they put all cards from 2001 through 2010 on cd why could they not do that again? Rob