General Forum

Hi TCDB,

I'm looking for a good Price Guide. For my personal collection to upgrade prices on cards in my collection. I would need sources for BB and FB and Non-Sports. Possibly BBask and Hockey, but selling that part of my collection.

I also get trade offers that use TCDB prices to legitimize a trade...they are way off most of the time. Matter-of-fact, it is want or need that drives a trade on TCDB not a $ for $ card comparison especially using our pricing.

Any help will be helpful. ~BOB~

Call me a chameleon, Bob, because I'll use whatever standard me and my trade partner mutually agree on. I've added the source you sell on (Sportlots) as a guide as well as the Beckett Marketplace for non-members. I do agree wholeheartedly that our TCDB prices can be skewed sometimes, there is one particular member that I can almost guess 100% of the time owns a card I'm trying to acquire because it has been priced off the charts by his entry. I'd say most prices I've checked out are legitimate on our database, but you do have to be careful. I won't call out the member here, but when the issue comes up in a trade I'm involved in I will point out what I perceive to be the anomaly. 

Bob,

Ever since Card guides went electronic, I have been in the same dilemma. Not that I sell cards but I like to know the "market value" before I make an offer to buy.  Fortunately, the older cards (1980 and before) don't fluctuate much so my last printed Guide is still worth consulting.

I have been fortunate in the proposed trades on this site that it has been mostly needs-driven trade proposals offered to me.  The only thing I do balk at is when someone asks for 50s, 60s and 70s cards for 80s or newer cards.  I do like to stay in the same era when trading.

The prices on this site are absolutely not worth considering as they are too easily influenced with one exagerated entry.

I've been depending a lot on Beckett marketplace lately, I like it since it has sports and non sports. 

For Hockey I buy a Beckett Monthly every four months. I use that in comparing prices on eBay, COMC, etc.

'Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards & Collectibles' for baseball. 

I also bought a beckett vintage annual last year.  I really like having 4 sports vintage all in one book

mark z

I did notice that Beckett changed their format for almanacs and was looking into that vintage guide--of course, waiting a couple of years for the price to go down.  Does the guide go back to 19th-Century?  Does it include all of the obscure sets releases like the almanacs prior to Beckett splitting it between vintage and modern?

I use the Beckett Almanac for Baseball Cards for trades (although my most current one is 2014, so it doesn't help with new stuff).  I will add price info to TCDB from some EBay auctions that I am watching or bidding on, especially if I don't win the auction.  Gives me an idea of what to bid next time I go after the same card.

I've always preferred the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards over the Beckett. In my opinion it is easier to use and I find the content is better also