[djohn]

I have seen this with Beckett for years and it is a very simple explanation. When Beckett updates pricing for a card it doesn't always update the Chrome and paper at the same time. This means if a chrome card drops in value, its paper version may end up higher in book value. Similarly, when a paper card rises in value, its chrome card may end up lower in book value. Sometimes this is corrected a month or so later, but other times it remains that way for years. It really comes down to Beckett not taking the time to update all cards regularly (which I understand would be a massive undertaking), and as such anomalies like this exist. This can be particularly dangerous with parallels since they are usually based as a multiple of the value of the base.

[PhoenixRisen]

I don't think updating pricing is as massive an undertaking as it once was. I think Beckett is just behind the times. They could so easily create software that would scour websites for sales of cards and have that software update their database as trends occur. Other software does that and Beckett needs to get with the times or be forgotten.

[Phillies_Joe]

I don't think updating pricing is as massive an undertaking as it once was. I think Beckett is just behind the times. They could so easily create software that would scour websites for sales of cards and have that software update their database as trends occur. Other software does that and Beckett needs to get with the times or be forgotten.

Updated pricing is not as simple as it appears.  Vetting actual sales would be a massive undertaking with 8m+ cards available in the database.  Beckett tries with ebay sales in the online price guide (a card I am following is updated through 01/22/22 as of this morning) but the one thing everyone needs to remember is that Beckett is based on low and high pricing of a cards condition  - how do you do this with ebay except for a graded card?  Impossible for raw cards.

[PhoenixRisen]

Updated pricing is not as simple as it appears.  Vetting actual sales would be a massive undertaking with 8m+ cards available in the database.  Beckett tries with ebay sales in the online price guide (a card I am following is updated through 01/22/22 as of this morning) but the one thing everyone needs to remember is that Beckett is based on low and high pricing of a cards condition  - how do you do this with ebay except for a graded card?  Impossible for raw cards.

How do they do it with any raw cards, ebay or not? It would be the same way with ebay. In fact, ebay would be easier than other types of sales because at least you get pictures of the cards to assess condition.

My question is, is it better to have terribly inaccurate pricing because you can't get around to updating the data, or have slightly inaccurate pricing, but up to date, because you can't vet every single sale perfectly and a bad sale or two slips in? I wholeheartedly believe the latter is the better route they should go. In fact, ebay's collection beta feature does a much more accurate job than Beckett and I know for a fact their algorithm pulls in bad comps all the time. There is enough data out there to make pricing accurate even when bad sales slip in from time to time. The way Beckett does it results in much worse results, not only outdated, but completely out of tune with the actual market.

[Phillies_Joe]

How do they do it with any raw cards, ebay or not? It would be the same way with ebay. In fact, ebay would be easier than other types of sales because at least you get pictures of the cards to assess condition.

My question is, is it better to have terribly inaccurate pricing because you can't get around to updating the data, or have slightly inaccurate pricing, but up to date, because you can't vet every single sale perfectly and a bad sale or two slips in? I wholeheartedly believe the latter is the better route they should go. In fact, ebay's collection beta feature does a much more accurate job than Beckett and I know for a fact their algorithm pulls in bad comps all the time. There is enough data out there to make pricing accurate even when bad sales slip in from time to time. The way Beckett does it results in much worse results, not only outdated, but completely out of tune with the actual market.

Good point - maybe a site like Hobby.Exchange (dot after Hobby) can/will have actual sales verses just items listed for sale someday?  Until then, Beckett is at least a good starting point for me.

I just think the "hobby"  has too many data points and each site guards their own data it's dam near impossible to not have to jump hoops to "guestimate" when pricing a card.

[mmahoney]

Who knows. 2019 Tatis Jr. is $50 for base and $120 for Chrome. Just one of many pricing questions that exist. No way they can possibly track prices on the millions of cards in the data base.