Historical Data Help

[cwelsh]

For whatever reason, I can no longer access historic option pricing data through the ThinkBack feature of ThinkorSwim past mid-2008.  I really need as far back as January 2007 -- does anyone have that information, or know where I can get it?  (Without paying over $500/yr for it).

[RobertB]

Chris,

 

I just tried to go back to 2007, and I cannot either.   In fact, it returns a Java programming exception having to do with a null pointer.  This probably means that  the Java programming code expects to see the older data there, but cannot find it.  So either TOS has removed the old data without updating its Java programming code, or the data is there but the Java code cannot find it.  For the latter case, this could happen, for example, if the older data has been recently archived with the intention of its still being available, but the programming code isn't accessing it properly.

 

These, of course, are just guesses by me (someone who has seen just about everything when it comes to software and data issues).  You'll probably have to find out officially from TOS itself.

[cwelsh]

I'm inclined to believe one of the updates (such as the one that was applied over the weekend), may have things pointing to the wrong areas.  (I got the same java update). 

 

I just got an initial response back that says TOS should be able to go back as long as options were offered -- and that it had been "thoroughly tested" through the early 90s.  They are "looking into it."

[RobertB]

Yes, a software update could very well be the cause.

 

That's great that TOS says that ThinkBack should still go back beyond '08.  Hopefully, they'll fix it for you soon.  However, I have had mixed results with TOS's promises about data fixes.