Mr. Spider-Woman

What's the crime committed here the part of the seller? Some kind of fraud, probably? It's clear something shady is going on but I'm curious what laws the seller has broken.

Best wishes, here's to a remarkable recovery.

Beautiful Fantastic Four #5!

Fantastic Four #541 (November 2006) and Fantastic Four Volume 4 #13 (December 2013). #13 was the last Fantastic Four comic distributed via newsstand. The only later issue was spinoff FF Volume 2 #13 which came out a week later.

I found the Kiehl's Captain America #2 custom edition in a 50-cent bin at one store. The Welcome Back, Kotter was in a dollar bin at a different store.

I had no idea Marvel has (or had) a custom edition department. The Kiehl's Captain America #2 came out in 2014. Issue #1 came out in 2013 and seems to be much easier to find. Comic Vine has a list of 50 different custom edition comics from Marvel Custom Solutions:

https://comicvine.gamespot.com/marvel-custom-solutions-comic/4015-57063/issues-cover/

On 10/25/2023 at 7:35 PM, paqart said:

These samples are of single graded comics, but that doesn't mean these aren't being tracked. I am tracking them, though not assiduously, and can say there have been multiple sales like this, with the trend showing steadily increasing prices for newsstands that exceeds the price increase for their direct counterparts.

As for whether people "notice," I've noticed, as have others in this forum. At present, low prices for uninteresting newsstands tend to be around $10, where the direct is $1.00 or so. The range for most post 2000 newsstands is around $10-$30, but reach very high values for special interest issues. There are still bargains to be found, but it takes longer to find them than it did a couple years ago, and the prices are usually higher.

As for non-bargains, the highest premium I've paid is about 1000% for a CGC 9.6 ASM price variant from 2000.

Is it newsstand issues overall or just certain newsstand comics that are increasing in price? I think that's what I'm most curious about. Is the market for newsstand issues expanding as more people start collecting them? Or is it a few select issues graded 9.8 that are seeing price increases?

On 10/26/2023 at 12:51 AM, Lazyboy said:

But you only acquire an issue or two per year because they're so impossible to find that they practically don't exist, right?

I honestly don't look very hard. If I'm in a comic shop, I browse the Fantastic Four box(es) and look for newsstand issues I need.

My local Walmart has removed the cardboard displays for both the Marvel and DC comics. I did find a stack of Marvel 3-packs and 7-packs on a random shelf with a few DC packs as well. There was also one open Marvel 3-pack. I'm pretty sure there were three Planet of the Apes 3-packs, three Black Panther 3-packs (can't remember the issue), and several different Moon Knight 3-packs. 

I still wonder who came up with these 3-packs and the Walmart variant covers. It seems like such a random thing for Walmart to want to do. There's no promotion anywhere, no way of knowing when new packs will drop or what comics will be in them.

Sales of a single graded 9.8 comic doesn't tell us much. It could be as simple as a collector wanted a copy and that was the only one for sale and they didn't care how much it cost. 

It would take a huge amount of time and energy for someone to chart sales of newsstand and direct editions over multiple years to determine whether newsstand copies (graded or raw) are commanding a premium. I think if there was a significant increase in prices for newsstand copies in the market, someone would notice. I'm sure there are people tracking sales of certain titles or characters. 

I know I haven't paid much more than cover price for any newsstand issues of various Fantastic Four titles for my collection. Maybe if I get down to only needing a handful I'll consider paying a premium to finish off a specific run or title.

I picked up one of the 7 comic packs a week ago. Darkhold: Black Bolt #1 Connecting Variant is on the top. It was one of three identical 7 packs. I've never come across them before locally. I check every now and then in case there's a new Fantastic Four Walmart variant available.

There were also a bunch of the regular 3 packs which I think were all from Gen 14 posted by dzbad back in February. Don't know if that means this Walmart never got the latest packs or if those sold out and the unwanted packs from months ago are left.

VHS and Betamax only? No Cartrivision?

On 5/22/2023 at 11:00 PM, Lightning55 said:

You could order 3000, pick out the top 400, send to CGC and screen for 9.8.  Get them to only slab 200, charge $10 reject fee for the other 200. When they all come back, destroy any not slabbed (2800). Now you have a 200 at 9.8, super exclusive, only 200 exist. Charge crazy money to make up for the 2800 lost and related costs. You lose a few thousand $$$, but make tens of thousands. 

On 5/22/2023 at 11:39 PM, smarkjobber said:

Yeah, they sold out at $200 a pop -- so $40k gross. Let's say Marvel charges $3-6k (?) for 3,000 trade dress. Artist gets a $3-5k for the cover. CGC slabs 200 moderns for around $5k plus whatever surcharge for the numbered label and disposal. Net 20+ grand?

That makes sense. I guess I didn't realize how "cheap" it is to have your own variant printed by Marvel. Obviously the economics work out for the stores involved or else they wouldn't be doing it.

However, how did these stores know this particular issue was going to be a big one and have the foresight to order the variant and set up the CGC slabbing?

Where is this variant coming from? Don't store variants require a minimum of 3000 copies for Marvel to fire up the presses?

EDIT: A quick Google search shows the variant was sold online by a few comic shops for $199.

That's crazy money.

If I wanted a poster to hang on the wall, I'd go with the virgin cover. If I want a comic book for my collection, I want the trade dress.

Awesome find. It would be nice to learn the story behind this and any other copies that may be floating around out in the wild.

Artgerm had an awesome Dazzler variant for A.X.E. Judgement Day #6 back in October.

Marvel released a 24" x 36" poster with very similiar art.

Has anyone ever figured out who is paying to put these 3-packs together? At my Walmart, comic books are shelved with trading cards and other collectibles which are stocked by a third party (MJ Holding) and not Walmart.

I picked up the New Fantastic Four #1 pack. It's almost identical to the 2nd printing cover. The other comics in the pack were X-Men #8 and Avengers #54 30 Years of Deadpool variant. Nothing special.

I've added Strange Tales (Volume 1) #101-122 and Strange Tales Annual (Volume 1) #2 to Solo Titles under The Human Torch. I'm not sure where to put Strange Tales (Volume 1) #124-134 that featured both The Human Torch and The Thing. Or the 1994 Marvel Select one-shot Strange Tales Featuring Thing, Dr. Strange, Human Torch.

Maybe I need to add a new category for Team-Ups. The Strange Tales issues featuring The Human Torch and The Thing can be listed there plus the various issues of Marvel Team-Up (Volume 1) featuring members of the Fantastic Four. I can also move the 2018-2019 Marvel 2-In-One series. Or maybe change Solo Titles to Solo Titles & Team-Ups.

On 10/11/2021 at 1:37 AM, Mecha_Fantastic said:

I probably missed these, but did you include both The End miniseries? I can't recall seeing both? One is by Alan Davis, and IMO a pretty good read (and of course, gorgeous to look at). It's a 6 issue miniseries, later published in hardcover and I would assume softcover too (I only bought it in singles and hardcover), and the other one that came out after that also titled The End, which was an oversized oneshot by Stan Lee and John Romita Jr. I didn't like this one. 

Their actions didn't ring true to me, iirc, and I can't stand JRJR's art, which obviously didn't help. 

The End miniseries is listed under Miniseries & Limited Series. The one-shot you mention is titled The Last Fantastic Four Story and is listed under One-Shots.

On 10/11/2021 at 9:49 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

And I thought that it couldn't get any worse than DC going from Action/'Tec Vol. 2 back to Vol. 1.

The weirdest part of Marvel renumbering Fantastic Four Volume 1 is counting the 11 issues of FF Volume 1 published between issue 588 (cover date April 2011) and issue 600 (cover date January 2012).

Nice haul(s). I wish I had the time and money and energy to take a long weekend and travel around searching for auctions and comic shows and the like.

On 10/10/2021 at 5:31 PM, cosmic-spider-man said:

cool list,  I would include Strange Tales #101 up with the Human Torch stories some had the THING guest starring and I think one had the whole Fantastic four, also some early Marvel Team-Ups featured the Human Torch team-up with other Marvel Heroes.  

Thanks, I forgot about Strange Tales. I'll look into it and Marvel Team-Up.

On 10/10/2021 at 6:32 PM, Amazeron said:

Have you read them all?

If my count is accurate, I own roughly 75% of the issues on the list. I have probably read less than 25%. I own 100% of the Fantastic Four issues in the Ultimate Marvel category but haven't read a single one yet.

On 10/10/2021 at 7:58 PM, universal soldier said:

What about Marvel's Greatest Comics? I undertook a similar mission with Spider-man but kept it to the main titles (Amazing, web of, sensational etc...). Drew the line with Marvel tales and settled on 1- 125 for that series. It's still a work in progress but I'm 95% there.

 Massive undertaking for sure, good luck on your quest!

Marvel's Greatest Comics was a reprint, right? For now I'm not including reprints on the list. Other reprints include Marvel Collectors' Item Classics, The Complete Fantastic Four (UK), Marvel Selects: Fantastic Four, and True Believers: Fantastic Four.

My local store had a full box of these. I flipped through looking for any Fantastic Four comics but didn't see any so I left them all.

On 9/5/2021 at 5:55 PM, BrooksR said:

You likely wouldn’t have found any, once word of them broke out weeks ago they all sold out quickly 😕

Probably. But with my luck I would find some, buy them, and end up with nothing to show for it.