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The Other One (Julie)A common practice in figuring the price of a card (Not precisely what the Standard Catalogue does, by any means), is to keep halving. If the card lists for $300 in near mint, then it would be $150 in ex (it usually lists lower), and $75 in VG--and you can keep right on halving from there! Some cards (especially in the 19th century) cannot be had for list price and others (still in the 19th century) never achieve book price. You get to know which are which. For truly rare cards ( a N167 Ewing changed hands recently), I ask what the near mint list is, and if the card is VG, I guess about half--and I often guess right! Scrapps are not very popular, and seldom achieve book price, and Tobin Lithographs are climbing, but also seldom achieve book price.
You can look at it this way: dealer is trying to cheat you. Or, this way: dealer is trying to give you a frame of reference.
It would be nice, as has been pointed out, if the "frame of reference" were an honest one! Dishonest dealers should not try selling boxing cards to the only person who ever wrote a book on the subject!