GarBear

Well, McFarlane's court battle is over and Al Simmon's book is still out there. For all the up-to-date happenings about Al Simmon's signature out there, go to: https://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2012/10/todd-mcfarlane-vs-spawn-lawyers-dream.html . You'll find the background of McFarlane's and Simmon's early friendship in baseball of all things! The actual court documents are in the blogspot and, at the bottom you'll find Comic Con ads for McFarlane along with Al Simmon dressed as Spawn, walking around keeping busy by signing books for people. So the question is, "Is it an actual signature of someone associated with the comic book, Spawn?" Kind of sorta in a very round about way that is disputed by McFarlane. Is it a real signature of a person? Yes, more of an actor in costume with the same name and color as the Spawn character. This all stinks for everyone that thought that signature might be of some value though. I'm sure CBCS wouldn't verify the signature, since it has nothing to do with the book. Oh, wait, didn't an actor lately come up with a comic and his signature has been validated. Let me see, who was that BRZRKR in the comic anyway? Oh well, just a thought...

Just so it shows a real case: Issue #238A Amazing Spider-Man (1963 1st Series) #238A for sale at $995 on MCS. I sold my CGC 9.0 October 2018 for $220. At that time I really didn't know about the Newsstand, fool that I was! Let's see, that would be roughly 3 years ago. So, now the Newsstand is supposedly 448% more valuable 3 years later? Often wondered why that comic went up so high so fast, meaning it was really less than 3 years when it jumped in price. Oh, what a 'fool' I was....

Hey Valiantman, I,m really sorry, it was actually Lazyboy that was cranking against 'rare' editions being newsstands. He basically said anyone that believes that is a fool. Hope he read your analysis on the subject here! It seems to be pretty clear, at least by the numbers, that Direct Edition copies far out weigh the Newsstand copies within those time frames and proves pretty clearly Newsstands during that time are much rarer. Thanks for your clarity in this discussion!

It looks to me like you've done a 180 on newsstands being more rare somewhere around 1983, at least for Spider-Man stuff. The over riding complaint was the J-Monty knows nothing, lies through his teeth but in the end, you agree with his points even to the degree that you'll support it in 1983. My thought was from 1988 to somewhere around 1998 or a bit later. Have I not been listening?

Well, thanks for all the input. Too bad the discussion had to go sideways. That newsstand 101 was great and seemed very solid and easy to understand. I agree that it's a personal preference for newsstand vs direct. The problem is that once I know what the difference is, I tend to gravitate toward newsstand, leaning more to the 1988 through 1998 comics. These do seem to be the dates that Marvel really cut distribution down and currently there are fewer in recent sales which shows good proof that "rare" is truly showing up within that era and a little later. I only am dealing with Marvel and DC mostly. We all know the market will change many times in the next 10 years and, speculation has always been a collector's way of life. I was able to glean much from some of every-ones thoughts on the issue. As to those who think its all fake, well, it's a free United States for now and we all can think what we want. I just wanted some honest input on the subject. I believe for the most part I got that. There will always be opinions, good and bad but I like to look over the information and make my own conclusion rather than go with the herd. Thanks to all that participated! GarBear

Well, gee, could you take the time to share those "very, very incorrect and potentially very harmful" parts of the article so I am no longer a fool about that specific topic? I'm being serious, no bashing or crazy stuff, just would like to know 'the truth' from someone that knows this stuff better than others. Of course, if you don't have the time, I'll understand too. Good Day To You

I have newsstand edition of Punisher #1 (second series) and direct edition. Have you seen what they're going for on eBay? Easy to say everyone but you is a fool. I quit being the smartest guy in the room years ago!

I looked for any topic related to Newsstand vs Direct Edition without any success. I use MyComicShop to sell my comics. I was a collector for about five years starting in 1988 with my 14 year old son. Stuck them away and close to retirement I was nudged by my son to start selling them, I start that in 2016 the year I retired. Soon after I got setup selling them I noticed some comics would sell immediately and others at the same price wouldn't. This puzzled me so I went back to see what I could see. The only difference I could see was each comic that I sold right away had a UPC code and was dated after 1979 and prior to 2013. After some fumbling around I found a few discussions on general internet sites about newsstand edition comics. Walaa! Some comics got rare for a reason! Smart collectors were taking advantage of my ignorance and snapping up those more rare comics because they knew more than me. That's the name of the game I suppose. Well, since then I've been pretty careful about not just sending my comics in for grading, noting the difference of the newsstand vs direct edition but also how CGC noted if a comic was a Newsstand Edition or not. Well, this week, I find CGC has a "policy" about this. It's at the discretion of the grader whether a comic is "different enough" being a newsstand vs direct. This doesn't mean the UPC vs Spider-Man's face (UPC missing) but rather "the grader" at CGC must decide if the whole cover is different enough to get the prize of being noted as a "NEWSSTAND EDITION"! After reading a very good article by J-Monty Comics: What's the Difference Between Newsstand and Direct Editions in Comics? - J-MONTY COMICS There is a lot of confusion in the market about the difference between newsstand and direct editions. Knowing which newsstands are rare and which ones are common will keep you from getting taken advantage of and also help you find deals - and there are a lot of deals to be had if you know what to look for. jmontycomics.com I found someone was pretty succinct on the matter! This made me even "more well versed" in the overall issue! So, when I noted a couple of my issues on MyComicShop were placed without noting its being a newsstand edition I contacted them and, as a customer, requested they add this notation to the description of my two comics. Not-so-easy-I-found! Their statement was if CGC, those "discetioned graders" don't put that in the label, MyComicShop "generally" doesn't either. When I called CGC, noted above, their policy was very strict, thanks for calling, bye! So, back to MyComicShop. Did you know they've changed their pricing for consignment comics? Coming by the end of the year is a monthly charge for comics that have not sold. So, not only the 10% but now a monthly "storage fee" as well. Oh, and CGC upped their prices as too! Now to get the "professional grader" to do the "research" the cost went up another 10%, pressing went up 87.5% (no more quick press at $8 each, 15 comic minimum). So a comic used to cost $28 (non-member) now costs $37. My math tells me I just got dinged an additional 24.3% off the top. So, after the initial charges for pressing/grading (not to mention handling fee and shipping back fee) I make that much less per comic. For me those costs, which typically run around $550 for 15 comics when all is said and done CGC has jumped my fee to roughly $683.65. I'm a small guy competing in a corporate world of comic sales. To stay even isn't an issue, I have no overhead but with taxes on my additional income, with the additional costs now by both CGC and MyComicShop, it's just getting a bit much! My hobby just got a little less fun.... And now back to my original thought. Newsstand Edition vs Direct Edition. No help from either company in that arena! Although I know they need to make money to stay alive, I'm not asking for something that costs a lot. Simply, I'm asking for CGC to do the work I pay them for and note my Newsstand Editions. It really doesn't take any extra time. Gee, between 1979 and 2013, has a UPC code with only 2 numbers! Goodness, that took me about one-second. OK, now everyone can sound off on this when there's time. Good Sales To You All!! GarBear

Get Marwood & I Thanks for the straight up answer. That one on Ebay, although not CGC is much cheaper than MCS. I missed it, since it was only offered yesterday, thanks! It says NM but... I guess that's the risk one takes. They did a good job showing all the corners. Looks very good. Now just have to decide if I buy an ungraded or graded book. I tend to go for the graded but...

Yeah, I asked for a straight forward answer to a straight forward question and get back a bunch of "Mr. Cools" with cute sayings and 'Self Important Grandiose Remarks'. Oh, how impressive you bunch of two year olds think you are. I've been a collector for over 35 years and have never run up against the likes of you guys. Hey, please don't answer back, I just don't need any more "comic geeky cool " from people that believe they're better than the rest of us collectors. Too bad this type of is allowed. And note, my tag, which, I sold, Hero for Hire three years ago for $910 at a CGC 9.0. I don't need to push new comics, I have enough old stuff to keep me busy for many years. Yeah, I've been around the block a few times myself, funny guys!

Don't know what to make of your response? I gather it's a put down of some sort? Very not helpful.

Great.....now did I just infect my computer???? It started scrubbing everything out below...is this the effect or did I just do a no, no? Not computer savvy but at least my paid protection did end up flagging me. In this age one can never be too careful. Scared the out me!!

Gotta love this one! Marvel Comic Presents #87 - Sam Keith cover

Are there any sales of this variant? No one seems to be offering this anywhere, except one that's "a tad bit out there". What is everyone waiting for? What is this, a, no you go first, no you, no you?? Just curious?

Underrated? Well..., I sold an Albedo #3 CGC 9.8 recently for $475, second appearance of Yusagi Yojimbo. No other recent sales that I could find but since there's recent verified discussions of a deal with Sakai about a Saturday morning anime thought it might be better than what it sold for in 2012 (last noted sale). Yes, there are sleepers out there if you do the research.

Hey man, I was a geek like the others here back in the 80's, buy 'em and bag 'em, put 'em away and look at 'em every so often and just lay back and enjoy what I was gazing at. I asked a dealer back then that I sort of trusted on what should I buy and he and his wife told me basically to purchase what I like, so I did. I've kept them around for the last 30 years (time does really fly) and am now just starting to sell them off slowly. My collection goes somewhere around 1250 comics of all sorts, the things I liked, story, character, cover, etc. And, I bought trade copies for the future. If I like the cover I'd buy 4 or more. Well, 4 fairly decent copies of Marvel Spotlight #5 was a winner (CGC 5.0 to 7.0, 2 restored, all 4 brought $1,110) but I also have some losers, such as Ploop #1 & 2 so so condition. I recently sold Marvel Premiere #47 for $130 in CGC 9.0 condition. Not bad for a comic I bought for $4 back then. As you can see, I'm not a quick study, must be "dumb" as you, buying what I really liked! I wasn't looking for a quick buck, just the enjoyment of owning certain copies, like Kamandi #1 - 15 in a 50 cent box. Sure, basically only #1 is worth anything now but hey, I still like the fact that I can eventually sell it and more than pay for my investment and then some. This craze about 1st app. is just like rookie cards back then. Sure it's fun to have a 1st app. but at what price and who's really making the money? This wasn't a 'real' question by the way. I went mostly for the story line more than all the other junk, story like Vendetta, Venom Lethal Protector, SSM, Marvel Presents (Gotta Love Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Weapon X) and what about that 'GREAT COVER' - Marvel Presents #87 (bought 8 of those!!). I guess what I am saying and agreeing with in a few of these responses is, yep, there's a comic collector for high hopes in speculation and a quick buck and then there are comic collectors that collect. I've always thought of myself as the latter until I recently started selling off my collection. I'm going back to those times that I just plain loved what I was buying, at cost or below. But believe me, those memories of how I came across each title will never be lost! Marvel Premiere #47 at a 9.8 was a good purchase in two ways, first you love the character and second, imagine what that will be worth in 20 years unless of course you're just a collector. Enjoy the hobby, it has been a great ride for me!!

Yeppers by golly, George Reeves, faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and is able to leap tall buildings and Clayton Moore as 'The Lone Ranger', yes, I agree, Reeves is still the only Superman that holds that special place in my heart!

I've been investigating the Albedo comics for a while and find, although they're not rare by comic standards as one would know on this site even though they're 30 years old, they appear to be a potentially up and coming collectible since the news of a TV series coming soon. (See ( http://www.mymbuzz.com/2018/02/08/usagi-yojimbo-optioned-by-gaumont-for-animated-tv-series/ ) Everyone knows the Albedo #2 is Yusagi Yojimbo's first appearance and one shows up on Ebay at $10,800??!! A tad bit over the top in my opinion but hey, if there's a buyer at that price, go for it! I have part of the run for Albedo, missing #s 1, 2 and 4 and stops at #13. The #3 is Usagi's 2nd appearance. I believe it won't be long before this comic becomes a 'must have' for speculators in the game because of the new series and the limited runs, Albedo NR 1 (5-color cover) June 1984 - 500 Copies Albedo NR 1 (4-color cover) September 1984 - 1500 copies Albedo NR 2 November 1984 - 2000 copies Albedo NR 3 May 1985 - 10,000 copies Albedo NR 4 August 1985 - 6000 copies although, again, not a rare book on Ebay sales and offers except in a CGC grade above 8.5. My investigation is self serving of course since I have a CGC 9.8. Others have provided great input on my queries and basically think I should put it on auction or sale at around $300 to $350 and see. Of course this was prior to my recent finding about the TV series, a little known fact I am sure, unless, like me, you're specifically looking around researching. This post is mostly informational for those that own the 1984-87 Albedos but if you have any comments on the subject I'd like to hear from you.

I see what you're saying. At the time it was the world of the buy it and bag it or put it in the dollar bin and forget about it. Makes perfect sense from your additional thoughts. Thanks!

I'm confused. And believe me, no argument from me. I'm just wondering why when print runs of 300,000 was common back in the 80's by Marvel and DC against Image putting out 10,000 of Albedo 3 but this isn't a rare issue. (I understand that the marketing of dealer limited purchases of 1:25; 1:50 etc. comics is an attempt to make a limited rare editions, hence making it a farce like the sports cards in the 80's having a rookie card 5 years after the guys first appearance.) So what I understand you're sharing is that even though a 9.8 may be hard to find, even with a print run of 10,000, it's really not very rare, even stacking the production against each other? I'm stumbling over the massive issues vs the limited issues by Image at the time. Could you explain why selling 15 books (over some period of time) makes the issue pretty plentiful? Although, a 9.8 has it's own merits as you agree. Plus I'm stumbling with the fact the last PGA 9.8 sale listing was in 2012? I've been doing very well selling on MyComicShop and could go either way, meaning auction or a fixed price consignment. Just really trying to get a fix on what I see as a pretty collectible comic that hasn't had an updated price for its condition in at least 6 years. Thanks!

I have an Albedo #3 (Thoughts & Images) CGC 9.8 (4/85 White pages, 2nd App of Usagi Yojimbo) that seems to be pretty rare, at least I found CGC has only graded 4 out of 60 in 9.8 so far, 2 unsigned and 2 signed. I don't see anything out there to compare and with a print run of 10,000 it seems there aren't many compared to others like Marvel or DC. I am going to sell it and want to be fair but not stupid.

Well, you may want to cherry pick your own collection. Start with the movies from Netflix out recently. These instill the characters to the collectors out there. And, typically the first appearances shoot up. So, look for those and think about holding them back for a short while and look them up periodically to see what they're doing. Use someone like My Comic Shop to get a hint of what is going on with the demand, it's a pretty good site to check that out on. Of course you could also hit Ebay and other comic sites too. It take some work on your part to make informed decisions. Next, don't just sell to sell but look around at what is in demand and filter those out for current sell off. If you're like everyone else you probably have many comics that just aren't in demand and will sell better in "lots" for those looking for an inexpensive and fun read. "Lots" seem to sell higher than individual books that aren't in demand. This is the readers vs the cherry pickers for number ones, first appearances and good characters like Spidey, Hulk, Avengers, Batman, Marvel Specials, DC Specials, Variants to name just a few. I agree you've asked a pretty open ended question on the subject so you won't get anything worth while until you ask about a very specific book or run or comic hero(s) or heroine(s). Some female stars are up and coming too. Good luck in your quest!

I use Silver Age storage bags and backers with two card board backers instead of one for those over sized giants. Also, a little trick is to bend the tape over one-third so if you want to open the bag you just pull on the tape where it isn't stuck to the bag (learned that from a YouTube thread). As far as storing separately, I keep a pretty full box so I'm comfortable placing it up within the run. I haven't seen any damage with this type of storage. If it is really a concern I'd store some in a box and some on a shelf and decide after a while but light does damage over time so I'd be careful how you protect them on a shelf. Plus, in a box they won't potentially get knocked around by accident and fall damaging the corners.

Send USPS with some insurance, I do $500 as a standard for comics pre-1988. My comics are from 1960 to 1996 which I paid for back in the early 80's, so not much invested. I put the minimum USPS insurance of $100 on comics from 1988 forward. I do put each comic at the max on the CGC though, which insures the now more valuable graded books are protected with little additional investment. I've never had anything happen through USPS in regard to shipping so the $13 is just for peace of mind in my case. Just a cost of doing business in my mind.

Now you wait. Depending on the type of pressing, meaning if you went with the quick press or regular press, the time varies. The posted estimated time to get the comics over to CGC for grading is pretty darn accurate. Patience is a virtue I've been told. We're not a society that likes much waiting though.