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Gilda · 07-23-2005, 06:57 AM

Suave: Good point. Speculation does drive up supply, with the long term effect of making important issues oversold.

The big speculators market right now is in variant and incentive covers. Normal variant covers sometimes are released, with two or more different normally priced covers on the same book released at the same time. There are people who get those, and a lot of internet speculators who buy in bulk to jack up prices. However, for big issues, they will often offer a second printing.

This second printing used to be just a new run of the same book with a new print run number. Hard core collectors always wanted the first edition, driving up competition for that one.

Nowadays, the big companies have hit on a new variation. The second printing with a variant cover. Those who didn't get in on, say, Green Lantern: Rebirth right away can still get the individual issues. But instead of reprinting the same cover, the second printing, becomes a slight variation, often without the coloring, which is called a sketch variant. Some completists want to have all basic variants, and so will buy the second cover, or the second printing sketch cover. Much of the market for second and third printings is the same guys who bought the first print.

Then there is the deluxe version. Street Fighter is released with two regular variations and a "power foil" cover. Same book inside, but a little nice cover that has some foil on it. For about $20. There are others who do this, usually on the top books to capitalize on popularity.

There are other more mercenary ways of doing it. Dealers are offered dealer incentives, where they get a free variant cover--one with a different picture on the cover, but otherwise the same--for every 20 or 30 or 50 copies of the regular cover they buy. These can go for $100 on eBay brand new, with regular copies available for, oh, say $3. This also artificially drives up orders.

By the way, know what the best selling comic book of all time was?

X-Men #1 (1991), released with 5 different covers to promote sales. It worked. Everyone and his brother bought all five covers, sometimes two sets, thinking it would be worth a small fortune in ten years. It sold some 8 million copies chiefly due to collectors buying the variants. Those can be found in quarter bins today. Today, a comic that sell 1/100 of that is a success.

The second biggest selling comic of all time? Spider-Man #1 (1990), by Todd McFarlane. Also with variant covers, but these all had the same picture with slightly variant coloring, gold or silver or green webs. It sold 2.5 million copies, primarily due to variant cover collecting.

Oh, and those Death of Superman issues that everyone bought ten of thinking they'd make a fortune in 10 years? Dollar bins. Even unopened black bagged editions aren't worth more than cover. The time to sell those was the week after it hit the stands, for some $20 or $30. I wasn't immune. I got my two copies, one to read and one so that I could store it in its bag, and I still have that and it's essentially worthless for anything other than the story.

Comics is a wonderful hobby, because you get to enjoy what you're collecting as art and as literature, but it's not much for investing, unless you go very big, or get lucky a lot.

07-23-2005, 06:57 AM	#12 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	Suave: Good point. Speculation does drive up supply, with the long term effect of making important issues oversold. The big speculators market right now is in variant and incentive covers. Normal variant covers sometimes are released, with two or more different normally priced covers on the same book released at the same time. There are people who get those, and a lot of internet speculators who buy in bulk to jack up prices. However, for big issues, they will often offer a second printing. This second printing used to be just a new run of the same book with a new print run number. Hard core collectors always wanted the first edition, driving up competition for that one. Nowadays, the big companies have hit on a new variation. The second printing with a variant cover. Those who didn't get in on, say, Green Lantern: Rebirth right away can still get the individual issues. But instead of reprinting the same cover, the second printing, becomes a slight variation, often without the coloring, which is called a sketch variant. Some completists want to have all basic variants, and so will buy the second cover, or the second printing sketch cover. Much of the market for second and third printings is the same guys who bought the first print. Then there is the deluxe version. Street Fighter is released with two regular variations and a "power foil" cover. Same book inside, but a little nice cover that has some foil on it. For about $20. There are others who do this, usually on the top books to capitalize on popularity. There are other more mercenary ways of doing it. Dealers are offered dealer incentives, where they get a free variant cover--one with a different picture on the cover, but otherwise the same--for every 20 or 30 or 50 copies of the regular cover they buy. These can go for $100 on eBay brand new, with regular copies available for, oh, say $3. This also artificially drives up orders. By the way, know what the best selling comic book of all time was? X-Men #1 (1991), released with 5 different covers to promote sales. It worked. Everyone and his brother bought all five covers, sometimes two sets, thinking it would be worth a small fortune in ten years. It sold some 8 million copies chiefly due to collectors buying the variants. Those can be found in quarter bins today. Today, a comic that sell 1/100 of that is a success. The second biggest selling comic of all time? Spider-Man #1 (1990), by Todd McFarlane. Also with variant covers, but these all had the same picture with slightly variant coloring, gold or silver or green webs. It sold 2.5 million copies, primarily due to variant cover collecting. Oh, and those Death of Superman issues that everyone bought ten of thinking they'd make a fortune in 10 years? Dollar bins. Even unopened black bagged editions aren't worth more than cover. The time to sell those was the week after it hit the stands, for some $20 or $30. I wasn't immune. I got my two copies, one to read and one so that I could store it in its bag, and I still have that and it's essentially worthless for anything other than the story. Comics is a wonderful hobby, because you get to enjoy what you're collecting as art and as literature, but it's not much for investing, unless you go very big, or get lucky a lot. __________________ I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that. ~Steven Colbert