Value of VIC/Anybody a member of that board?

[DTEJD1997]

Hey all:

 

I very strongly suspect that some members here are also members of the "Value Investors Club".  Can anybody confirm this?

 

I've often thought that if one was a member of VIC, you would be very employable as an analyst, as you would get access to the ideas as they are posted.

 

Additionally, through the years, some of my investments have been the winners of the contest.  Not very often, but probably six times in the last ten years maybe.

 

So for anybody who is a member, is it worth the time/effort?

[rb]

I'm not, but I personally know members of this board who are. I don't want to publish names as I'm not really clear on the etiquette of discussing other boards on this one.

[DTEJD1997]

I'm not, but I personally know members of this board who are. I don't want to publish names as I'm not really clear on the etiquette of discussing other boards on this one.

RB:

 

I don't need to know who is and who isn't specifically.  I am just wondering in general if it is worth it.  Don't want/need any specifics, just looking for the view from 30k feet up.

 

[racemize]

I wrote up AIG to get in, but then someone else happened to post on it at the same time, so it didn't count for my idea.  I never posted another one after that, but I still look at write-ups from time to time with the delay they have.  So I think it's not too bad on that front, but I haven't spent the time to stay current. 

[onyx1]

I've been a member since 2009.  The biggest drawback is the requirement for two ideas every twelve months, or go in "inactive" status.  This often forces those who want to remain active to post mediocre quality ideas. That's why I'm currently inactive, and can only see new ideas with a 45-day delay like non-members.

 

There are some good write ups & discussions though, and even with a delay I find it a useful resource.

[odin]

I am a member and do believe it is worth the effort to become one.

[merkhet]

I've been a member since 2009.  The biggest drawback is the requirement for two ideas every twelve months, or go in "inactive" status.  This often forces those who want to remain active to post mediocre quality ideas. That's why I'm currently inactive, and can only see new ideas with a 45-day delay like non-members.

 

There are some good write ups & discussions though, and even with a delay I find it a useful resource.

 

+1

[Travis Wiedower]

I joined SumZero late last year and can echo some of onyx's thoughts. I understand requiring users to remain engaged, but it does seem like renewal write-ups are of lower quality than initial write-ups. I've noticed the same with VIC even though I'm not a member (been denied once  :(). With that being said, both SumZero and VIC have higher quality write-ups than other public (or semi-public) sources on the web so I'm not complaining (Seeking Alpha, even Pro, is mostly a joke). I feel like there's not much incentive to join VIC when ideas can be viewed on a 45-day delay. I'm not going to act on the vast majority of ideas very quickly anyway.

[GregS]

I've noticed the quality of VIC write ups declining, and perhaps that's a function of a rising market, but I do think some people phone it in to maintain membership.  On one occasion, I noticed an author submitted two write ups very close together just under a year after the last one...

 

I have heard some say the discussions/comments are worthwhile.  Any members care to comment?  Do you still get full access to the comments if your membership goes inactive?

[misterkrusty]

the VIC is definitely worth it.  If at first you don't get in, try, try again.  many ideas (probably most) are still actionable by the time the 45 day delay is up, and I would argue that immediate access to new ideas is not the main benefit of being a member.  rather, I'd say the most valuable benefit is the ability to post questions and comments, because the collective knowledge of the club is really deep and people are usually happy to share their insights.  second biggest benefit is being able to read messages that only members can view

 

(you can choose to make any message you post visible only to members ... for example, if you want to say something less than flattering about a CEO but don't want the CEO to see it ... perhaps something you say would allow the company to figure out who you are and try to sue you, or more likely, cut you off from information.)

 

[Guest notorious546]

i think it would be valuable. I have tried a few times keep getting rejected.

[Travis Wiedower]

second biggest benefit is being able to read messages that only members can view

 

For several years there was a way to view all messages as a non-member. They fixed it last year though  :'(

[Oreo]

I used to take VIC a lot more seriously initially, but over the years my view became more nuanced. One, it seems a fair proportion of VIC members take what they read on VIC and reproduce it on SeekingAlpha, COBF / etc, sometimes packaging and selling that as 'premium' / subscription products and earning $$$ from it. Kinda devalues the value of the effort that you have to put in to get in and then post 2 ideas a year so that you don't lose access. The air of exclusivity is gradually deflating. The board is also not immune to the occasional hard pump (& dump).

 

Also, I get the sense that legit HFs / LOs do not really use VIC, COBF or any of these message boards and consider them low signal-to-noise. Real life interactions with other investors, calls to sell-side and attending conferences is where it's (ostensibly) at.

 

Having said that, if you are stuck in a geographical/industry location where you cannot get access to other people who do stocks for a living or are interested in stocks, VIC is great. Otherwise, real life interactions/gossiping about stocks is kinda better. It's all about the opportunity cost of time and what else you could be doing with your time other than hanging out on message boards. For instance, I find that Twitter is a good place to be to keep a finger on the mood of the analyst / PM community.