When is the last time you used a price guide?

[dadaluholla]

The discussion about comic book "value" in the March general comic book thread made me think about this. When is the last time you actually looked up a book's value in a price guide?

I'll occasionally flip through an old one to find out a first appearance or something but, for the most part I find them to be obsolete. Aside from a few key issues I have stored away, I just don't care what the book value is, because I know I'm most likely never going to get that price anywhere.

[fujishig]

I have a confession... I used to keep an up to date spreadsheet with all my comics and their price trends. Yes, sad, I know. Every week I would buy comics, and before I even finished reading them I'd dutifully input them in the spreadsheet (to my credit, I did read all of my comics, they didn't just get put into mylar and stored away). Nowadays, I'm not even sure the magazines still have full price guides... do they? I know that there's always some grumbling about how Wizard publishes a guide, but then also owns a store.

[boredsilly]

Maybe in the mid-90's in the Wizard price guide, but just for fun. I didn't think I had any jewels or anything. That's the only price guide I ever looked at. Never bought overstreet or any of the others.

[Chew]

When I needed a good laugh.

[bishop2knight]

I sometimes use the annual Overstreet guide. I like to dabble in older comics, and it's good to do research on value prior to make a purchase.

And Fujishig, no need to apologize. You've found another way to enjoy your collection. In a way, by updating a spreadsheet, you're interacting with your collection on a more regular basis, thus getting a little more enjoyment out of your comics.

[Trevor]

I use one regularly, but not as a price guide.

Every four years or so I buy the CBG Price Guide and Checklist. The book is amazing, making it so easy to track my collection. Sure an online database may be more efficient in some ways, but I find it easier to take this book w/ me in the rare times I go to conventions or comic shops to search back issues.

It was actually not a chore, but fun to enter my collection into it the first time. It took quite a few days, and it was neat going thru the listings to see which runs I had completed, what I was missing, the details on various first appearances or whatever, seeing titles that I had never heard of, etc.

I feel like I should detail or explain the book a little better, let me search a bit here.....

Edit to add: I did a quick search and couldn't find any pics of the inside checklist pages of the books. But basically, they listed every issue of a title's run with a checkbox next to it, so you just check the boxes as you add to your collection. I'll try to remember to bring it with me to work next week and scan a page or two.

I really believe that it is one of those tools that many comic collectors see for the first time and say, "Wow! This is exactly what I want!"

[Bronkster]

I sometimes use the annual Overstreet guide. I like to dabble in older comics, and it's good to do research on value prior to make a purchase.
Same here. Sadly, I can't afford to make many purchases.

[reverie]

Years! I think for fun, but beyond that... I figure if I ever want to get rid of stuff, I'll have a dollar bin at a yard sale. ;)

[devilshalo]

It's kind of depressing looking at a price guide.

[madcougar]

I honestly can't remember. I usually do a search on eBay to see what a book is selling for these days to ascertain it's value.

[burnside986]

I honestly can't remember. I usually do a search on eBay to see what a book is selling for these days to ascertain it's value.

Thats probably the best way to do things. I mean, a book is only worth what someone will pay for it. Not what some arbitrary guide places it at.

[The Bus]

Mid-90s, probably.