Hi:

We are seeking your thoughts on the new "Take Along Price Guide" in the current Feb/Mar '09 issue. I realize some of you may not have your new issue yet but when you do get it, please either post your thoughts here or send us an e-mail.

As you may be aware, this is the issue where we have brought back an "A to Z" listing rather then splitting the alphabet in half and have removed some of the less popular series. And we're printing the guide in its own separate section. Would appreciate it if only those that actually have the issue comment on this rather then commenting "in theory".

We may use some of your comments in an upcoming magazine so bear in mind that if you post here, you are giving us permission to print your name (or Card Talk ID) along with part or all of your comments.

Thanks.

I like the Dexter cover, that's a nice touch and it will be cool to have a series of guides with a different theme cover. I don't use the guide for pricing, but much more for set information purposes. I think it will be easier to have a price guide I can just keep in my desk drawer for reference that basically includes most sets. I always keep the current issue in my desk, and when the new issue arrived I would put the old issue in the basement with the rest of my back issues. Of course, with the guide being split, I would go to look up info only to find it was in the issue I just put in the basement! So that problem will now be eliminated. I think the guide being separate will work out better for everyone, especially if you are taking it out to shows, as it's easier to use rather than having the entire magazine. Harris, possibly we could have Alan ask unsuspecting people at a future show if they think the price guide is any good!

I got my issue today and I really like the separate guide. Some readers may not be aware that the Price Guide was a separate part from the magazine for several years.
The real benefit is that collectors can take it to shows as a quick reference.

The previous system requiring the most recent last two issues was awkward and complicated. Good work!

I like the new format. I just received my copy this morning. It makes the magazine simplier to use. I was not a fan of the a-l M-z format over 2 issues but was willing to accept it. Now it feels like I have 2 magazines for the price of one! Also, there are plenty of times where I just needed the price guide to help me out a little when I was either at a show or trying to figure out if a card was a good deal on ebay. So, I can keep the seperate price guide by my computer.
Good work.

I like the new format. While it was nice to have the guide within the magazine (one package as opposed to two), having it separate does not bother me. Plus, it is nice going back to the A-Z format with each issue, that way I don't have to keep two issues handy for reference.


I did notice my name was missing from the Indiana Jones Masterpieces artist list. Jess Hickman's in there twice.

Aside from the guide... One of the Three Stooges trivia questions is wrong, it should be "Three Little Pigskins." Great article though, love those Stooges!!

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

I did notice my name was missing from the Indiana Jones Masterpieces artist list. Jess Hickman's in there twice.

They obviously think twice as much of Jess than they do of you Ted. I'd take offence if i was you.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:

quote:

Originally posted by Ted Dastick Jr.:

I did notice my name was missing from the Indiana Jones Masterpieces artist list. Jess Hickman's in there twice.

They obviously think twice as much of Jess than they do of you Ted. I'd take offence if i was you.

Pff, HAHA!! That's cool, Jess is an AWESOME artist!

I really like having the price guide as a separate "magazine". I had wished that this was how it was all along. Much easier to take along with you to shows, etc.

I did a quick scan of the guide to see what content was removed, and at least from what I can see, between this portable guide and the Promo Card Encyclopedia, and the Card Encyclopedia, I still should be able to get the information that I need.

Great job NSU...

Mike.

I like it all around, it looks like you guys did some serious thinking and did not jump in willy-nilly. As NSU is the only one in the industry we pretty much just have to take what you hand us, and it is nice to see that you put some serious time/resources into giving us what you feel is a good product.

My only complaint is that now I have two magazines to misplace instead of one! LOL

Got my new issue.

The separate price guide looks great, although I didn't really mind the split one either. Since my focus is mainly on recent releases I don't miss what may have been dropped. Just two comments/questions . . .

It would be nice if the guide were on perforated pages so that it could be removed by people who wanted to travel with it, or be kept intact with the magazine for people who just have it at home like me. I realize this may have been considered and disgarded for cost or production reasons. I do wonder if the guide will get lost in retail stores?

Secondly card prices in certain sets, most noticably Americana but others as well, have a lot of spec. and n/a values. I don't know if this has been discussed before, but since pricing is not available is it necessary to list these? Other than acknowledging the card name in the set there is no data to report until enough sales are tracked, so why not just use the space for other things that can be priced?

Now I have to go read the issue, especially that Dexter preview.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,

Great to have the separate price guide again. A real improvement over the divided guide.

Could do without the guide front and back cover to allow more space for listings. There were some interesting omissions.

I got my issue of NSU today.

I really like the separate price guide! I never cared about it being in the center of the magazine. I always wondered why you didn't put it in the back. When I was reading the articles, I had to jump past the guide and sometimes I was distracted from what I was reading because something in the guide caught my eye.

Now I can read both from cover to cover without something in the middle.

Plus, when I get the next magazine, I can put one price guide by my computer and one in the glove box of my van.

How do you make the best better?

Get a 2 year subscription to NSU!

Love it!
Now I just wish I had a place to take it.....

quote:

Originally posted by Silverback:

I really like the separate price guide! I never cared about it being in the center of the magazine. I always wondered why you didn't put it in the back. When I was reading the articles, I had to jump past the guide and sometimes I was distracted from what I was reading because something in the guide caught my eye.

Now I can read both from cover to cover without something in the middle.

Me, too. I like the separate price guide, as it makes looking up prices easier. Although, as was pointed out earlier, now I have doubled my chances of misplacing the magazine!

The new format is a definite improvement! Having the entire guide in one piece makes it easier to find listings for sets.

Another thing about the Take Along (and earlier Pop-Out) Price Guide is that it reduces the wear and tear on my copies of the main magazine. Most of my copies from the last few years can't be called near-mint any more. In the Pop-Out days I would store the precious magazines and carry along the latest guide without worrying about creases or marks or spills.

But with the removals, I expect that my Encyclopedia and PCE are going to start falling apart sooner. I support the idea of influencing people to purchase the books, but you might also consider an annual supplement with the removed sets. Or it could be a section in the updates to the Encyclopedia, or a web page accessible to subscribers only.

I just like the idea of a completist's Take Along supplement that I can actually take along, folded in half and stashed in my hip pocket. The books don't fit and I don't want to fold them.

Great idea - and long overdue - LOVE IT

Also posting my appreciation of the new price guide. Leaving out older sets that appear in recent guides and have no price fluctuation makes a lot of sense.

Excellent to take to shows too (though A5 size would be better - but I imagine more restrictive on space and/or print size).

Still none of the more recent Strictly Ink sets though. Why is this?

I like it i just wish there was a way for you to list more prices same the common autos pieceworks or sketch even inbulk form such as

autos

A23 A24 A25
ALL $10-$25

I love the guide all in one, and as a pull out.

I would however like to ask questions on sketch cards. When I checked the prices of the following sketch cards here's what the price guide says. Please note I could be a first time buyer looking for some solid advice.

Star Wars 30th Anniversary Joe Corroney sketch of Ponda Babba - no advice is given price "spec"

indiana Jones Heritage - Russell Walks sketch of Indy. - no advice specifically on Walks, so I would classify as others $10 to $75.

I do believe we need more info on sketch cards. The price guide is inadequate at present, whilst I realise that the pricing of sketch cards is very subjective, and difficult to price, I believe we could go a step further than what's been achieved at present.

Please note I am not critising the magazine as a whole as I realise that sketch pricing is whole different ball game (can I say that in a non-sports mag) to say the pricing of promos.