Where am I going with this?
I thought I was the only person in the blogging community who believed that Beckett is still relevant in the modern Hobby. In many cases, they still are. But today I find out that the gentleman at Cardboard Icons actually thinks the same way about Beckett the way I do. Now he's not giving them a free pass on all the bad things they have been reported to have done either. But he has kept enough of a distance that he still sees some good in them. Especially about that all important thing...what was it...oh yeah...the price guide.
His final words in the post:
"...I still find Beckett as a whole necessary for the hobby. I may be in the minority, but I can’t be the only on who feels that way. Am I?"
I was compelled to respond:
"You are definitely not in the minority. I look at Beckett magazines exactly the same way you do.
"It is a guide. They even specify that it’s a guide. The section before the guides, whether it’s in the magazine or the big books says explicitly:
“They (prices) do not reflect the FOR SALE prices of the author, the publisher, the distributors, the advertisers, or any card dealers associated with this guide. No one is obligated in any way to buy, sell, or trade his or her cards based on these prices.”
"Beckett also has one of the most accurate checklist collections in the world, and that’s why I use them.
"I am not going to argue the negatives, because I do see them and can understand why the aggravation. But they really don’t affect me. One bit. If they get that hit on Donruss EEE or Topps Triple Threads, or UD whatever, so be it. I don’t really care.
"Maybe the people who gripe the most are the ones who spend the most on those special cards. I am not one of them, and will still continue to buy Beckett for the articles and the guides.
"I’ve already posted about this once before on my humble little blog…it may be time to bring it back up again for kicks!!!"
And for those who missed it the first time, here is the link to my first post about this issue:
Beckett and It's Relevancy to the Hobby...In My World!!!
I ask that if you plan on leaving a comment (positive or otherwise) about this topic that you read the above post first. Then you can tell me whether I'm nuts or that I might be on to something.
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
6 comments:
You make some good points. I haven't bought a Beckett magazine in at least five years, but I do consider their online card database to be very valuable.
I'm not so sure about the price guide, but it's true that there are plenty of things that are too obscure to sell on eBay, so there may be some value to Beckett's price guide after all.
I'm not really sure what the fuss is about with video box breaks in the first place. I can't think of too many hobby-related things I'd like to do less than watch people open boxes of cards.
Cardboard Icons does have a point with saying that the Beckett Price guide is of use when looking for a point of reference on stuff that you'll never see on eBay.
My concern with the box breaks is the pattern that I see and others see. The Joe Jackson isn't an isolated case. Their success rate with pulling stuff like this is vastly different than others'
I don't really have a problem with Beckett, but that doesn't mean that they aren't innocent. I have a problem with the card companies sending out seeded product to a company that doesn't always give away the product they receive.
I find Beckett a very useful tool in keeping track of my collection. They used to be a lot better at doing that before the website changed.
I'm just tired of seeing the average Joe getting screwed out of equal chances to get their hands on the product that falls into Beckett's lap. The companies that send out the boxes to Beckett are to blame for that.
I respect your opinion, JayBee, but I'll respond to you in the same way that I just responded on Cardboard Icons:
Here’s what I don’t get - if it’s just a “guide”, how is it any better of a guide than what you can dream up on your own? Their prices aren’t even close to the true market value of most cards. So if we’re talking about a particular card, what difference does it make if somebody who works for Beckett randomly decided that a card is worth $10 and recorded that in their “guide” or if I randomly decided that a card is worth $5. There is no difference, in my opinion. The only way to really know what a card is worth is to see how much money people are actually paying for the card. I’d like to see a company start a real guide that does base its prices on actual market values. That would be a great business opportunity for someone.
Hey Jaybee,
Good post (but what else would I say, right?). :)
I noticed that in your first sentence you linked to a blog that misquoted me.
I know it had to be a mistake, nobody would do that on purpose ... but I wanted to set the record straight to anyone who happened to see that.
This person, unintentionally I am sure, wrote: “Beckett Media’s Eric Janhke wants you to believe the reason their price guides don’t use eBay’s recent sale prices is because there are just so many collectors who do not use the Internet.”
Then there is a link to another web page that has part of what I said. I think it's only fair to point out the truth ... this part was completely left out:
“As far as ebay prices, we do gather sales data from ebay, but that is not the only source we collect data from. Ebay may very well be the cheapest place to buy cards sometimes, every week there are literally thousands (if not more) of examples of cards being bought below “book value.”
Having said that, I must repeat that ebay is not the only place to buy cards.”
———–
The link to my entire comment is at the bottom — I want to remind people to double-check and verify what others say, especially when they are quoting someone. False rumors get started when people don't quote others correctly.
Hopefully in the future this person will take the steps needed to be completely accurate, a simple link like the one below would have solved his problem.
Thanks,
Eric Jahnke
http://blogbeckett.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/2008-playoff-prime-cuts/#comments
Ah -- one more thing I noticed, another false rumor that someone started, by accident I am sure, is what White Sox Cards obviously heard someone else say.
"I have a problem with the card companies sending out seeded product to a company that doesn't always give away the product they receive."
I am not knocking White Sox Cards at all, he didn't make that up, I have seen a bunch of folks out there repeat that same thing.
The facts are, we give our stuff away all of the time -- I encourage you check up on that before you buy into a false rumor. We give away things constantly, and not just commons ... :)
(Very soon I am giving away a LeBron auto I pulled a couple months ago. (/23) I wish I could keep it.)
Anyway, just verify everything you hear before you believe it, and especially before you repeat it.
Thanks again,
Eric
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