RockMyAmadeus

Did you know U.S. Marvel comics are also distributed to more than the UK overseas. I traveled Europe last year and just about every shop I visited had new Marvel comics. The exact same ones we have in the U.S. In English. I saw this in France, Belgium, Germany, etc. It would be interesting to know how much those sales account for. I can see another 15% or more easily just from the other countries. Aside from a few other European countries like Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, etc there's also... Australia, new Zealand, INDIA, Philippines, Singapore, and probably some others. Do these constitute HUGE #'s? Maybe, maybe not, but in aggregate it MIGHT in some cases represent another bump in variant print run, which may not insignificant, and may or may not be consistent (some variants might not even be offered internationally for whatever reason, or at different incentive levels). The point is not that any single factor causes sooooo much uncertainty, although in some cases it might, but the point is that there's sooooo MANY factors that going into deciding print run (of any comic, including variants), with 99% of them being unknown to the public for any given issue, that essentially you're just closing your eyes and throwing darts at a moving board and then making a guess at what you hit.

Then why are their so many extras? I don't think the theories are mutually exclusive. There are most likely minimum print runs for various thresholds that need to be met. For example, if you were printing, if the pre-order (4000) + reserves (400) was 4,400 it might cost the same to print 5,000, and the printer might even print an extra 200-300 just in case. Then if everything went smoothly, the 4,000 pre-orders turned into 5,300 actual comics, which is not insignificant at all in terms of the difference, but also quite a reasonable possibility. But what if it was a terrible print run and you only had 4,200 printed copies you could actually release? Or what if everything else was the same but you added 500 extra copies for promos and copies given to creators and staff?, how big would the swing be then? What if that extra 500 put you into the next threshold for printing? Need to print 5,125? Costs the same as 5,500. Plus more reserves. Suddenly there's only 4,000 sold through diamond but you might get 5,700 total printed copies. Nobody is saying it happens EVERY time. But we simply don't have enough info. Telling someone the print run is probably between 3,500 and 7,000 really doesn't have too much value to me, and probably is better left unsaid. Like saying Russ Westbrook scored between 5 and 50 points last night. Why even say it?

What you're saying makes perfect sense to anyone who's reading and doesn't have an axe to grind. Even boardies with independent backgrounds in publishing have come on and validated on more than one occasion exactly what you and Larry are saying. But it will never stop until you either stop responding or agree with the preposterous conceit that no one has any business even estimating the print run of a ratio variant, ever. There's no changing his (and a couple others') opinion on the matter so there's no point in allowing yourself to come to aggravation over it. -J. PS: I owe you an edible arrangement for that deal you gave me on that 9.8 Nyx 3 a couple months back.

I dont think your stupid and i am not trying to dismiss you ! Because by ordering the nearest case pack over the needed amount there probably is always a surplus on the variants... We have seen the sales and the store surplus deals. if marvel needed 400 copies for the diamond final order cutoff they would most likely order 3 cases.. 675 copies.. I have definitely been told things like this. This would leave a surplus of 275 copies if no other copies where needed for damage or whatever. all the Wizard incentives were printed by Wizard... The sold off more than hundreds.... They had obnoxious qty's... Cases and cases. Factoid. Jacktoid.

I dont think your stupid and i am not trying to dismiss you ! Because by ordering the nearest case pack over the needed amount there probably is always a surplus on the variants... We have seen the sales and the store surplus deals. if marvel needed 400 copies for the diamond final order cutoff they would most likely order 3 cases.. 675 copies.. I have definitely been told things like this. This would leave a surplus of 275 copies if no other copies where needed for damage or whatever. read above where i stated convention or special order ! wizard had a deal/ promotion. This is not the case on the JIM. man you really cant see what i am saying? and the 400 hundred was assuming it was a 200 case pack, i have since done the research to make an educated guess with what i know about how the system works.

I dont think your stupid and i am not trying to dismiss you ! Because by ordering the nearest case pack over the needed amount there probably is always a surplus on the variants... We have seen the sales and the store surplus deals. if marvel needed 400 copies for the diamond final order cutoff they would most likely order 3 cases.. 675 copies.. I have definitely been told things like this. This would leave a surplus of 275 copies if no other copies where needed for damage or whatever. I've been told similar. By sources at the publishing level & distribution level. But it falls under the CGC board logic category: Generic "I know things about stuff" boast. I've made obnoxious purchases on rare variants. As have many retailers here. +10000000 thanks LARRY ! you do know !

I dont think your stupid and i am not trying to dismiss you ! Because by ordering the nearest case pack over the needed amount there probably is always a surplus on the variants... We have seen the sales and the store surplus deals. if marvel needed 400 copies for the diamond final order cutoff they would most likely order 3 cases.. 675 copies.. I have definitely been told things like this. This would leave a surplus of 275 copies if no other copies where needed for damage or whatever.

Some of you guys are crazy !! 450/675 is a good guess... key word used above is GUESS ! its not a stretch ! And chuck can I ask what kind of relationship you have with your diamond rep? its a fact they will not give you the exact print run but they will tell you in detail how things work. In my 14 years of dealing with them I have gotten some very valuable information from people that have advanced to higher positions in that company ! I believe it to be reliable... Larry has some communication issues but most of what he says about diamond is spot on. To say that the retail program is a fraud is crazy.... the variants print runs are in case packs and estimated... when the incentive numbers come in lower than estimations there are surplus. The surplus then is usually liquidated in one form or another to at least cover some costs. I bet some of the variant ordering is done with common sense and common sense on the book in question including the London boys would be 450/675 and because of the low print numbers that would explain the surplus. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 VENOM VAR MARVEL COMICS (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Richard Elson (CA) TBD THE SON OF SATAN GUEST-STARS! Case Pack 225 estimated North America run 23,869 lets guess 10,000 everywhere else GUESS... 34,000 printed.. 150-160 cases... including damage or overrun. that would be 680 1:50 books... so to cover that number if every retailer ordered 50 copies they would need 4 cases... that's 1000 books. so depending on rest of the world print numbers and retailers order I dont think its anywhere near 1000... Where is the print run info for overseas? that's a key number that would tighten up this argument... its been said over and over there are no hard numbers but there is common sense and information on how certain company's operate... Hey RMA those numbers are used to create the print runs... then there is a certain damage or overprint percentage... the numbers most certainly are tied together please show me any info that SAYS DIFFERENT??? bleeding cool ! thats your proof I am saying they print more ! I bought variants in tons of these sales ! of course i believe it ! I know incentive variants are always printed in qtys more than they estimate the need at.

Some of you guys are crazy !! 450/675 is a good guess... key word used above is GUESS ! its not a stretch ! And chuck can I ask what kind of relationship you have with your diamond rep? its a fact they will not give you the exact print run but they will tell you in detail how things work. In my 14 years of dealing with them I have gotten some very valuable information from people that have advanced to higher positions in that company ! I believe it to be reliable... Larry has some communication issues but most of what he says about diamond is spot on. To say that the retail program is a fraud is crazy.... the variants print runs are in case packs and estimated... when the incentive numbers come in lower than estimations there are surplus. The surplus then is usually liquidated in one form or another to at least cover some costs. I bet some of the variant ordering is done with common sense and common sense on the book in question including the London boys would be 450/675 and because of the low print numbers that would explain the surplus. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 VENOM VAR MARVEL COMICS (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Richard Elson (CA) TBD THE SON OF SATAN GUEST-STARS! Case Pack 225 estimated North America run 23,869 lets guess 10,000 everywhere else GUESS... 34,000 printed.. 150-160 cases... including damage or overrun. that would be 680 1:50 books... so to cover that number if every retailer ordered 50 copies they would need 4 cases... that's 1000 books. so depending on rest of the world print numbers and retailers order I dont think its anywhere near 1000... Where is the print run info for overseas? that's a key number that would tighten up this argument... its been said over and over there are no hard numbers but there is common sense and information on how certain company's operate... Hey RMA those numbers are used to create the print runs... then there is a certain damage or overprint percentage... the numbers most certainly are tied together please show me any info that SAYS DIFFERENT??? bleeding cool ! thats your proof I am saying they print more !

Some of you guys are crazy !! 450/675 is a good guess... key word used above is GUESS ! its not a stretch ! And chuck can I ask what kind of relationship you have with your diamond rep? its a fact they will not give you the exact print run but they will tell you in detail how things work. In my 14 years of dealing with them I have gotten some very valuable information from people that have advanced to higher positions in that company ! I believe it to be reliable... Larry has some communication issues but most of what he says about diamond is spot on. To say that the retail program is a fraud is crazy.... the variants print runs are in case packs and estimated... when the incentive numbers come in lower than estimations there are surplus. The surplus then is usually liquidated in one form or another to at least cover some costs. I bet some of the variant ordering is done with common sense and common sense on the book in question including the London boys would be 450/675 and because of the low print numbers that would explain the surplus. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 VENOM VAR MARVEL COMICS (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Richard Elson (CA) TBD THE SON OF SATAN GUEST-STARS! Case Pack 225 estimated North America run 23,869 lets guess 10,000 everywhere else GUESS... 34,000 printed.. 150-160 cases... including damage or overrun. that would be 680 1:50 books... so to cover that number if every retailer ordered 50 copies they would need 4 cases... that's 1000 books. so depending on rest of the world print numbers and retailers order I dont think its anywhere near 1000... Where is the print run info for overseas? that's a key number that would tighten up this argument... its been said over and over there are no hard numbers but there is common sense and information on how certain company's operate... The ratios are distribution numbers...that is, how the books are distributed to retailers...not print numbers. As said before, Comichron only records sales to North American shops via Diamond. Therefore, those numbers are not the print run of the books. The distribution ratios are not tied to the print runs of the incentives, and never have been. Therefore, every attempt to tie those numbers together is in error from the start. Indeed, there is common sense....but it's not common sense to make assumptions based on incomplete information, is it? Hey RMA those numbers are used to create the print runs... then there is a certain damage or overprint percentage... the numbers most certainly are tied together please show me any info that SAYS DIFFERENT??? Why should he when it's easier to simply declare someone "wrong" whilst simultaneously mistaking (and representing) his own (uninformed) opinions as "facts"? -J.

Some of you guys are crazy !! 450/675 is a good guess... key word used above is GUESS ! its not a stretch ! And chuck can I ask what kind of relationship you have with your diamond rep? its a fact they will not give you the exact print run but they will tell you in detail how things work. In my 14 years of dealing with them I have gotten some very valuable information from people that have advanced to higher positions in that company ! I believe it to be reliable... Larry has some communication issues but most of what he says about diamond is spot on. To say that the retail program is a fraud is crazy.... the variants print runs are in case packs and estimated... when the incentive numbers come in lower than estimations there are surplus. The surplus then is usually liquidated in one form or another to at least cover some costs. I bet some of the variant ordering is done with common sense and common sense on the book in question including the London boys would be 450/675 and because of the low print numbers that would explain the surplus. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 VENOM VAR MARVEL COMICS (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Richard Elson (CA) TBD THE SON OF SATAN GUEST-STARS! Case Pack 225 estimated North America run 23,869 lets guess 10,000 everywhere else GUESS... 34,000 printed.. 150-160 cases... including damage or overrun. that would be 680 1:50 books... so to cover that number if every retailer ordered 50 copies they would need 4 cases... that's 1000 books. so depending on rest of the world print numbers and retailers order I dont think its anywhere near 1000... Where is the print run info for overseas? that's a key number that would tighten up this argument... its been said over and over there are no hard numbers but there is common sense and information on how certain company's operate... Hey RMA those numbers are used to create the print runs... then there is a certain damage or overprint percentage... the numbers most certainly are tied together please show me any info that SAYS DIFFERENT???

I'm with you on that. I bid on an inexpensive book on eBay once that had free shipping. I bid something like 20 bucks, but I was the only bidder, so I won at the starting bid of $5. Book came First Class in an envelope, nothing more. Seller said, "Hey, it was 5 bucks with free shipping, what did you expect?" I expected you to spend the extra 20 cents it would have cost to put a couple pieces of cardboard in. I don't even leave it to chance now. Unless they specifically state how they ship I always ask and then I almost always offer extra money for better packaging. What size and thickness do you use? I buy in bulk and it's under .20 a sheet, but you may use better quality stuff than I do.

Some of you guys are crazy !! 450/675 is a good guess... key word used above is GUESS ! its not a stretch ! And chuck can I ask what kind of relationship you have with your diamond rep? its a fact they will not give you the exact print run but they will tell you in detail how things work. In my 14 years of dealing with them I have gotten some very valuable information from people that have advanced to higher positions in that company ! I believe it to be reliable... Larry has some communication issues but most of what he says about diamond is spot on. To say that the retail program is a fraud is crazy.... the variants print runs are in case packs and estimated... when the incentive numbers come in lower than estimations there are surplus. The surplus then is usually liquidated in one form or another to at least cover some costs. I bet some of the variant ordering is done with common sense and common sense on the book in question including the London boys would be 450/675 and because of the low print numbers that would explain the surplus. JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #633 VENOM VAR MARVEL COMICS (W) Kieron Gillen (A) Richard Elson (CA) TBD THE SON OF SATAN GUEST-STARS! Case Pack 225 estimated North America run 23,869 lets guess 10,000 everywhere else GUESS... 34,000 printed.. 150-160 cases... including damage or overrun. that would be 680 1:50 books... so to cover that number if every retailer ordered 50 copies they would need 4 cases... that's 1000 books. so depending on rest of the world print numbers and retailers order I dont think its anywhere near 1000... Where is the print run info for overseas? that's a key number that would tighten up this argument... its been said over and over there are no hard numbers but there is common sense and information on how certain company's operate...

I'm with you on that. I bid on an inexpensive book on eBay once that had free shipping. I bid something like 20 bucks, but I was the only bidder, so I won at the starting bid of $5. Book came First Class in an envelope, nothing more. Seller said, "Hey, it was 5 bucks with free shipping, what did you expect?" I expected you to spend the extra 20 cents it would have cost to put a couple pieces of cardboard in. I don't even leave it to chance now. Unless they specifically state how they ship I always ask and then I almost always offer extra money for better packaging.

Not this again. Would it be better to just list the book initially for $1,030 and not mention anything about PayPal? Would that make everyone feel better? Or, list the book for $1,030 initially and say "2.9% discount if you pay via check" (again with no mention of PayPal). Would that make everyone feel better?