How does Beckett determine prices?

[Simi Card]

Recently there was a thread on how much a Jordan insert sold for ($3900) and how that compared to the low price the Beckett magazine gave it ($800). Then I posted how online the Beckett price was much higher then the magazine ($2000).

I wonder if the $3900 sale itself caused the online Beckett value to go up. What factors does Beckett use to determine the pricing? Do they scan the internet for recent sales?

[Simi Card]

anyone?

[brandonbarnett]

I haven't picked up a beckett in years, but it used to be down my dealers they networked with, reported online sells,

[CavFanatic31]

ya it is how much they sell for. so if they start selling for more the BV goes up. the website will be quicker most likely because there's only a beckett magazine once a month for each sport.

[Simi Card]

hmm, so dealers tell Beckett what they sell cards for, and the prices go up or down based on this? I wonder what sort of verification process Beckett requires to verify the sale at a particular price? A simple bill of sale? Seems easy enough for a dealer to post some phoney higher sale prices of hard to find cards to get the price up, then sell their inventory at the higher price. Could even sell through their own website to a friend and never run the card, to create a paper trail. Maybe even on ebay with a couple fake accounts, and all they have to pay is the fees. That might explain some random, unexplained bubbles of high quality cards in a down economy...yes? Do you think something like this could happen?

Not trying to say dealers are bad guys, I am sure 99.9% are good honest business owners. But LCS's are struggling these days and being able to make $3000 on an $800 card sure would help keep the doors open a bit longer.

[Danols1]

whatever they want to price a card so they can buy them then put the price up sell them then put price down to buy them that is waht i think of becketT ... WHEN ARE PEOPLE GONNA LEARN SOMETHING IS ONLY WORTH WHAT U ARE WILLING TO PAY OR TRADE FOR IT .... LOL I HATE BECKETT ANYONE CAN MAKE UP PRICES IN A MAG AN SAY THAT IS WHAT IT IS WORTH ... THEY DONT ADJUST IT CORRECT EBAY IS THE ONNLY CURRENT PRICE GUY ON AVERAGE

[Simi Card]

But don't Beckett prices effect what people list items for and what people are willing to pay on eBay?

[XxViSiOnxX]

Not necessarily, Becket is what it says "Guide" its really only a reference to what card values are on the secondary market and really has no impact on sale values which is why most people rather trade by Sale Value than book value.

[mrveggieman]

I read beckett from time to time. If I have access to a beckett I use it for what it is as a guide not as fixed absolute prices. I will not pay over beckett value for anything unless I think the player is headed for a breakout year and I plan on flipping the card. Other than that I will use beckett as a guide for how much not to pay for a particular card.

[coolz]

i think it's vice versa, Beckett value can affect SV, SV can affect Beckett value
although it's more like SV affecting Beckett value