Beckett: Still Relevant?

[asdt]

If this has been covered, you'll have to forgive me. I did a search, but unsurprisingly 'Beckett' gets a fair few results.

I'm wondering how relevant Beckett really is today, in 2007. The prices given often seem to exist solely to perpetuate theoretical value in cards that don't have commensurate real world value.

Pre-internet - or, more accurately, pre-eBay - Beckett had a definite, obvious, vital role in establishing and tracking the market price of cards. Back then, card shows happened regularly, card shops were far more common, and internet buying, trading, and selling was pretty much unheard of. So it made sense to have a centralised bunch of guys roaming the States reporting back on the going rates for particular cards.

Now the most accurate judge of a card's real value - that is, how much someone will actually pay for it - seems to be a 'Completed Items' search on eBay. Look at some of the jersey cards out there; Beckett consistently lists game-worn items as having a minimum of six or eight dollars, or three at the very least. But the truth is you can pick up a lot of decent game-worns for less than a dollar if the bidding goes your way. And such a low price is rarely an aberration, more an accurate reflection of the huge supplies of basketball cards that exist.

Plus, now that so many cards have low-numbering, how can Beckett accurately gauge the demand for many of the higher-end cards out there? (Well, the answer is they can't, so they don't try. Hence the 'N/A' which'll come up when you search for many cards numbered to less than 100).

What do people think? Is Beckett still relevant? Do you base your trading and buying and selling decisions on the bible of the hobby?

 

[Dr. Curlytek]

Great analysis of the situation there, new market methods rule pricing, simple as that. Agreed, it isn't relevant, but it is still useful as a quick reference.

 

[the_pie]

i think in a way it still has some relevance for example when trading for a card, I would look at the BV for the card I'm trading for and compare it to the BV of my card. However, if you are talking from a buying perspective then no, I dont think BV is a true indication of a cards worth to a particular person

 

[33WING]

Back in the 90's it was relevant but now with so many low numbered rare cards it's virtually impossible for Beckett to track them.

I'm a player collector and I use it as a guide for the older cards but when it comes to higher end cards, i don't even put a value on them because they're worth more. Is it too much to say that they hold some sort of sentimental value to some people?

 

[asdt]

Yeah, that's kind of what I mean. A static, monthly magazine seems wildly irrelevant compared to the live, trackable sales on trading sites and eBay. It comes down to what people will pay for something, and Beckett seems to consistently get that very wrong.

Beckett could be relevant again, if they opened up their site to free membership so every collector had a subscription there (they could make their cash from advertising and their card-selling business). People could submit actual transaction details, and list the cards they want badly (hence getting an idea of demand, which'll influence price obviously), and which players are hot and which aren't (check the Tony Parker sales on eBay -- the prices are much higher than they were last week, and Beckett isn't reflecting that at all).

 

[adhunt99]

I think it's a good guide to show how particular cards from each set are valued against one another, ie is the jordan worth twice the lebron, 50% more etc... Also ebay has so many variables such as whether the lister knows what they're doing ie spgu sp gu or sp game used - all acceptable but the latter will get 10x the results, i think it's still relevant but usually overprices low end cards.

 

[whereiswally78]

BV's are irrelevant for sales IMO. But as trades are a relevant thing, I believe it certainly has a strong role in ensuring a balanced trade.

 

[asdt]

Yeah, I've been doing stacks of trading today, and a part of me thinks 'yeah, I should probably check the Beckett before I do this.' But the other part - the part that wins, it seems - thinks, hey, if I can bear to part with the cards I'm giving, and I'm excited about the cards I'm getting, should it matter what they're worth?

I'm conflicted about this.

 

[nandalinnaung]

well, tuff stuff used to be more realistic, but i dunno why beckett is very famous regarding card price guide...

until today, tuff stuff reflects better than beckett....

just my 2c... not really worth much at all..

 

[gemz23]

beckett value for low end is still practical but mid to high end beckett value is useless. SV is more used now for mid to high end becoz they get an actual price range for the actual card. BV for low ends is more better as they get a proper pricing that they can based on trading with someone else.

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

It does still have relevance. But not as a bible as such.

I use it with past sales items, and what I know is happening in the cimmunity. Eg: A card may be listed as say $50.00. But someone out there has 50% of the print run, so, the card will be marked accordingly etc etc.

And the whole 03-04 Extra Exquisite Kobe thing.
Man, if you didn't know about that situation in the hobby, you would have lost out on heaps of $$$$.

Also, I don't like just taking the past sales on e-bay. People just see "ooohh, the card sold for $0.99", but they don't see that they only ship international for $25.00 or something like that. And having no international sales on an item, really brings down the price.

So in the end, I say use a variety of reasoning to get a price.

 

[chadjaja]

Buy the mag, pull out the middle bit, throw it out and give it a good read. From someone that has helped with the mag over the last few years the pricing department is known as a joke and is in bed with the major card stores and show dealers. Beckett has been compromised by its business ethics the last decade since the net popped up to what it thinks is propping up the hobby and card industry both online and in storefront. From one point it makes collectors look at BV and think stores are justified with a price and then online sellers with their 'bargains' compared to BV.

Cards have only had $ value in a very short time period of that in which they have existed. Collectors should put the value on the card themselves when dealing them by combining their importance and then market value if they need to look it up. Its not hard at all and the collectors set the price.

BTW the card/writing department has little to do with the pricing. Beckett is divided into many areas and most are worked independently. Don't get me even started on their corruption and miss use of its name with grading and conflict of interest in advertising and grading pricing.

Thats a NO guys.

If you use eBay Mike you need to take that stuff in I agree. No paypal auctions finish for less etc as well. Anyone arguing for a cheaper price and using the cheap justification with auctions like that is simply clutching at straws.

 

[Richo]

i think in a way it still has some relevance for example when trading for a card, I would look at the BV for the card I'm trading for and compare it to the BV of my card. However, if you are talking from a buying perspective then no, I dont think BV is a true indication of a cards worth to a particular person

I agree with you Pie I use it as a reference when trading but not when buying

 

[nandalinnaung]

Also, I don't like just taking the past sales on e-bay. People just see "ooohh, the card sold for $0.99", but they don't see that they only ship international for $25.00 or something like that. And having no international sales on an item, really brings down the price.

So in the end, I say use a variety of reasoning to get a price.

Absolutely..

Some US sellers made price go down like hell.. that's why i hardly buy any US sellers shipping more than $4.... unless the card needs to be sent on global priority..

But I still don't think beckett tracks all the cards sale much... but smart sellers will ship at reasonably amount and usually they sold at higher price too...

And people still have difference on price vs patch vs auto thing..

If beckett can affiliate with ebay on sports cards sales and vice versa share the database, we will definiltey have most consistent price guide, i don't think it's that hard.. ebay just has to export their sales list into beckett price guide which will be elastic calculated..and periodically updated both database, I am sure it can be done for top four-sports at least..

like if someone lists MJ auto on ebay, ebay will remotely retrieve current value from beckett DB.. and let people bid on that, if selling same.. once the item is sold, ebay sent the final price + % of the shipping(which counts significantly sometimes coz in US u may probably go to nearest card shop that costs less than $1 gas) to beckett DB and update it the previous price + recent sold price and average it and they can use Hi-Low on the frequency of the cards sold and % of the rise-fall amount...

This can be actually done by writing about 20 lines of java, access, get, post and login pass for remote DB..

just my opinion..

 

[gemz23]

I agree with you Pie I use it as a reference when trading but not when buying

richo i agree a little bit but we do have alot of old sets that are value too high. imagine trading auto from 99-00 for dwight or paul rc auto. bv wise their the same but sv would be completely different. personally when i do trade i still used sv as a guide, but i also used bv in the equation as well. low end bv i usually just used the bv value as sv is irrelevant(sp)

 

[hobbibox]

I dont even buy beckett anymore....ebay has become the price guide wether people like it or not...........

 

[gemz23]

I dont even buy beckett anymore....ebay has become the price guide wether people like it or not...........

same here as well, heck the latest beckett issue that i have is from december 2005. anyone have any 04 exquisite rc auto will only trade if using my beckett issue lol.

 

[buyingstuffformikelee]

If you use eBay Mike you need to take that stuff in I agree. No paypal auctions finish for less etc as well. Anyone arguing for a cheaper price and using the cheap justification with auctions like that is simply clutching at straws.

Completely forgot about that aspect too.

Agree there

 

[Billyhoyle]

just revisiting this topic - does anyone use beckett/BV anymore?

 

[A_Iverson_I]

Usually only use it when I do trades....