Moon Knight Rules!!!! 1 1

[Loki]

Well good luck with your collections of Moon Knight guys.

 

I will probably never be able to get that book so my goal of every book is now unlikely so I am going to go collect something else that is not Marvel related.

 

This was my last straw with Marvel and they have made the hobby not fun with all their stupidity. They have a mindset that we are all millionaires or something and can afford to be wasting 100's a month on manufactured rares.

 

 

 

Have fun!

 

I hope you'll reconsider, Whisp. Your devotion to MK has been admirable and I always follow your thread.

 

If you don't mind me making a suggestion, why not adjust your goal to drop the "every book" requirement? Just say "no" to all the variants.

 

Alternately, you could just draw a line in the sand of time and collect only those books that came before it. I'm a huge Spider-Man fan, but I've purchased and read a grand total of 5 issues published after I first stopped collecting in 1991.

[whisp]

If I limited it down to as you suggest this would be what I would need.

 

------------------

 

Blockbusters of the Marvel Universe

1

 

Bruce Wayne, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (amalgam comics moonwing)

1 apr '96

 

Captain America

245 ?

29 (v.4) Sep '04

 

 

Code of Honor

3 apr '97

 

 

 

Deadpool

34 nov '99

 

defenders, the -

48, 49, 50, 51 - 35cent variants

 

Exiles

20 and up need to be checked Vi-lock moon knight

 

Great Lakes Avengers (GLA)

2 July '05 Funny One Page App

 

 

House of M: Avengers

4

5

 

I am an Avenger

3

 

Incredible hulk

614 variant

 

Loners, The: The Secret Lives of Super Heroes # 1 - The Secret Lives of Super Heroes

1 feb '08

 

Loner, The

2 july '07

 

Marvel Age

A:2 '86

A:1

 

Marvel Comics Presents

152 apr '94 HAVE BUT NEED REPLACEMENT

153 may '94

154 may '94

 

Marvel Masterpieces

1 Jan '93

 

Marvel Treasury Edition

16 jan '77

 

marvel zombies

1 feb '06 want 1st, 2nd, 4th printing

3 apr '06 want 1st printing

 

Marvel Zombies: Dead Days

1 july '07

 

Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness -

1 jan '08 1st and 2nd printing

5 Aug '07 1st printing

 

Mutant X Annual - The Key

3 may '01

 

Onslaught Unleashed

1

2

 

Paradise X Special:

A1 - Issue A oct '03

 

 

 

 

Starblast

1 Jan '94

 

 

 

The End

1

 

Ultimate Spider man (Ultimate Spider-man # 100 MINT Clone Saga Part4 VARIANT)

100 variant cover - moonknight on cover

79 wizard world chicago sketch variant

 

Ultraforce / Avengers

1 sept '95

 

Universe X

7 apr '01

 

Universe X Omnibus

1 june '01 - need replacement

 

What If? Featuring Avengers Disassembled

1 jan '06

 

What if? Wolverine: Enemy of the State

1 nov '06

 

 

 

Wolverine (Vol.2)

134 ?? HAVE BUT NEED REPLACEMENT

 

wolverine -spiderman mtu(marvel team up)#? 1?

 

 

 

Venom/Deadpool: What If?

1

 

2099: Manifest Destiny

(female moon knight)

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misc ( alphabetical )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Avengers 2004

3 july '04

 

Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe A-Z Premiere Hardcover

1 oct '08

5 feb '08

 

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Master Edition

9 aug '91

 

Official Handbook of the Marvel Knights

10 feb '05

 

Marvel Legacy: - The 1970s Handbook

2 jan '07

 

Amazing Heroes

6

 

--------------

 

Total of around 55 books (plus a few magazines) and only those 35 cent variants being of any great cost most likely which wasn't to bad of a goal to obtain and probably fairly easy to obtain and reasonable.

 

But the last couple years has made it unrealistic and costly.

 

I will probably actively search out anything prior to 2005. Anything after 2005 I will give 10 years till I go after them. They should be in the $1 bins by then .

 

But new product and getting it now I will no longer support.

[whisp]

And here is the rest of that list just to show comparison in the last couple years. If you look at those 35 cent variants you are looking at a better book in my opinion and those books have done nothing but go up in value but regardless if you take that list cost and compare it to what the cost of this list you can see my reasoning behind why so much hate from me on these moderns. Secret avengers was way out of control along with shadowland which are some of the latest series and shows how out of control marvel is getting since 2005 when it all started up again.

 

------

 

Daredevil

511 variant

 

 

 

 

Hero for Hires

1 Harvey Tolibao variant

3

5

 

 

 

 

Incredible hulk

614 variant

 

 

marvel zombies

1 feb '06 want 1st, 2nd, 4th printing

3 apr '06 want 1st printing

 

Marvel Zombies vs Army of Darkness -

1 jan '08 1st and 2nd printing

5 Aug '07 1st printing

 

Onslaught Unleashed

1

2

 

SECRET AVENGERS:

1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT

1 Deodato VARIANT

2 2ND PRINTING VARIANT

2 Deodato variant (Moon Knight cover)

3 Deodato VARIANT

4 2ND PRINTING VARIANT

4 WOMEN OF MARVEL VARIANT 1 in 15

4 unknown valkyrie cover variant that is not women of marvel variant and possible not released ( Arthur Adams Variant )

4 Deodato variant 1 in 75

5 Super Hero Squad Variant

5 Deodato Variant

6 Deodato variant

6 women of marvel variant

6 vampire variant

7 tron variant

9

10

 

SHADOWLAND

1 2nd printing (one with ninjas on it)

1 3rd printing

1 4th printing

2 John Cassaday variant

2 3rd printing sketch cover

3 variant cover (tan)

4 variant cover (tan)

5 tan variant

5 christopher variant

 

 

Ultimate Spider man (Ultimate Spider-man # 100 MINT Clone Saga Part4 VARIANT)

100 variant cover - moonknight on cover

79 wizard world chicago sketch variant

 

Vengeance of the Moon Knight

1 - Virgin variant

7 - iron man variant

 

------

 

Thats alist of just the last couple years that I am missing and majority of it is variants and it is a costly list.

[whisp]

Look at more marvel stupidity. The next Moon Knight series in May with #1 has 3 variants. But look how it will be distrubuted in which from my understanding to get all 3 - 1 in 25's a lcs will have to buy 75 copies. I wonder if diamond just send out random ones which could mean even if a store buys 75 copies they may not even get all 3 different ones.

 

1

1 variant cover by brian hytch 1/25

1 variant cover by humberto Ramos 1/25

1 variant cover by mark texeria 1/25

 

These variants by Marvel are out of hand. So glad I decided to not support them this time around as they keep slapping the collector in the face. Marvel just doesn't care and is a greedy company. Also notice that on ebay variants are actually starting to really reduce in price for the latest ones. Really wish the lcs's would stop supporting this by not over ordering.

 

GO GO $1 bin

[sl4ppy]

You can get around the 1/25 stuff by using a service to get them for you... That's what I did.

 

I hate to say it, but I hate buying books from my LCS. They markup the limited variants to about $15 and all the books are manhandled.

Edited May 1, 2011 by sl4ppy

[whisp]

You can get around the 1/25 stuff by using a service to get them for you... That's what I did.

 

I hate to say it, but I hate buying books from my LCS. They markup the limited variants to about $15 and all the books are manhandled.

 

My store knows better then to man handled books I possibly want . We where just joking about it at the free comic book day meeting today and how I am on how minty fresh I want my books. I know though about other stores. I went into an other lcs and the guy dropped the 1 in 20/25 Moon knight #20 which was a sketch cover right on the ground and it got dirt and blunted corner right in front of me and then still proceeded to ask me for $25.

 

 

I no longer deal with that store and tell everyone to stay away.

[jonjesper]

What I would do if I were a die hard MK fan...

Disappear for awhile, return, then disappear, return again, start over, disappear, then start up again. Continue the cycle like the MK series!

Just an idea...

[whisp]

What I would do if I were a die hard MK fan...

Disappear for awhile, return, then disappear, return again, start over, disappear, then start up again. Continue the cycle like the MK series!

Just an idea...

 

 

Yeah I am thinking along those lines. Going to work on GI Joe marvel series and finish it since I am pretty close to a complete run on that. I remember when I went to start getting them all it was fun to be getting ahandful at a time. Why I have been saying go go $1 bin since I am just going to let these all build up to one big list again. If I come across a dollar book I will grab it or maybe go after some of the price variants i still need. But screw moderns for now. Moderns have burned me out and my wallet.

 

Reason though I menttion it is because Marvel is out of control right now and think people need to start really voicing their opinion about variants. If we tell LCs's we are tired of them and stop buying them, they will stop orderin them and then maybe Marvel will get the hint.

 

Oh sheesh I am starting to sound like JC and hate moderns

[sl4ppy]

I understand your frustration with variants..

 

That said, I don't think most collectors are the "completists" you and I are. I suspect most only buy the cover they like the most or the one they think will be worth the most.

 

So while it may be annoying for that small set of 'completists', for the average consumer, its a huge bonus in that they can pick their favorite one...

 

They are also a necessity in this market for LCS'. Without those 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 books to augment their margins, they would have an even tougher time competing with all the other options available to consumers.

 

Knowing that, I suspect variants really lie at the feet of the distributors and LCS' who not only relish in those variants, but in all liklihood, request them specifically; blame does not lie with Marvel, et al., themselves.

 

That $1.25 an LCS pays Diamond for the 1/25 variant regularly sells for $15-$20; $13+ more than a cover-price book. That's a hell of a margin that shop owners just aren't going to get anywhere else. It's actually genius marketing and salesmanship, imho. You could argue that those variants are actually keeping a good number of LCS doors open that would have been shuttered without them.

 

 

just my $.02.

Edited May 2, 2011 by sl4ppy

[whisp]

I don't know about that. It forces the lcs to buy more copies of a book just to sometimes get a variant for a customer. This in turn makes stockpiles of unwanted back issues. My lcs won't even do it unless their subscription list comes close to the order number needed in which in most cases now doesn't especially for the ones I am looking for. Back in 2005/06 variants where pretty hot and the price structure and the fact the variants where selling off the self showed that. Now though variants are not selling as much and majority of people I know are tired of them let alone less people are asking for them. Last year alone I sold a shortbox (when I worked free comic book day) of variants out of 4 shortboxes of them that included 1 in 10/15/20/25 from 2005 and up in which they where $5 each or 3 for $10. Not only that, but there was a time when 1 in 10's where like $10, 1 in 15 where $15 and so on and so on. Now we are looking at like 1 in 10, 15 around the $5 mark and a decline in the other ones as well right off the start because demand for them is down.

 

Also the trend is showing a quicker drop in prices for them on eBay. It use to be at least a 3 or 4 months till a variant started dropping in price. Now it seems they are dropping alot quicker along the timeline of a month.

 

What I find odd is it also seems that Marvel especially is bringing more and more variants out as the time has been going on. In my personal opinion I don't think these variants will hold any value at all in the end I will wait it out a few years most likely. But they will still be a bit more then a $1 bin book so I have to balance my budget so by waiting it out I pay $1 (reason I am positive I can get for a $1 is because of over ordering to get these varaints and a bulk of back issues being stored up) for 3.99 books and this helps me adjust to later paying a bit of a premium for the variants and not be raped by over priced books now.

 

If anything It has helped me when it comes to collectibles of being patient and stoppping to have the have it now attitude that these companies prey on.

 

This is just my opinion though on what is going on from what I see/hear.

[sl4ppy]

Don't forget LCS' can return unsold books. So over-ordering to get the high-margin books are less of an issue.

 

 

Also remember that Marvel, etc., have no interest in the value/price of books after they are sold to the LCS since they never see a dime of that. Ebay prices, collectibility, etc., are all not ever (and should never be imho as a stock holder) on their radar. Their only concern is maximizing earnings on that initial sale through the distributor and minimizing returns. Supplying high-margin books only increase the purchase orders....

Edited May 2, 2011 by sl4ppy

[whisp]

They still allow lcs's to return books? I think that can be questioned and there must be some sort of stipulations on that.

 

Reason I say that is because it doesn't make sense then because if that was the case my lcs could over order, get the variant for me on the cheap and then send the books back. The variants are suppose to help the lcs recover some of their costs back on the over ordering. I am pretty sure an lcs can't return books on that because of my reasoning stated. I could be wrong though but I know for fact my lcs or any in the city don't return books because of how they purchase them. Might have to do with the cost. There might be two price structures. Maybe one of the comic book operators might want to chime in on this.

 

As you can see this process is smart on marvels end because they will always get their money in the end from the over ordering.

[whisp]

Oh and just an other thought that came to my mind is if a lcs continued to abuse this I would assume Diamond would just cut them off for wasting their time.

[whisp]

And what is with all the wtb threads and such for Platt books?

 

I know where there is a small pile of 55's . Well still think it is there. I would have to double check.

[sl4ppy]

Platt sig op.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4771432#Post4771432

 

And I'll take as many of those 55's as you want to part with that are in high grade.

Edited May 2, 2011 by sl4ppy

[whisp]

I am going to go check tomorrow. If I knew earlier I would have checked when i was at the free comic book day staff meeting. I even sold a couple of the 60's and a couple of the 55's and I remember seeing like 5 or 6 of the 55's the last time I looked. Think there was a couple 56's. All in the 9.2 and up range.

[jonjesper]

In all seriousness Whisp, we have had out moments, but dont give up on your favorite. Just look at all those variants as something to pick up a year down the road for super cheap. Trust me, it will happen.

[sl4ppy]

Im with JJ.

 

The way I see it, I'm thankful my favorite character isn't very popular or all those variants would be prohibitively expensive. As it is, arguably the single most valuable MK variant is the Virgin Edition and I only paid $70 for it and probably way overpaid at that.... Heck, Lady Mechankia variant books are worth more than that!

 

Even with the rat-race for Platt MK's , a 9.8 #55 GPAs for $100 and for $120 you can BIN on Ebay at this very moment. I have seen them regularly graded for well under $100.

Edited May 2, 2011 by sl4ppy

[whisp]

In all seriousness Whisp, we have had out moments, but dont give up on your favorite. Just look at all those variants as something to pick up a year down the road for super cheap. Trust me, it will happen.

 

Yeah I am just overly annoyed right now by marvel

 

I am actually been taking a small break from comics and working on GI Joe toys. May 15th I work a toy show and then after that day depending on how much I make and how much I spend back into joes thinking of getting some of the joe books. Doubt I will spend my $140+ on joe stuff that day unless someone can fulfill my whole want list . Joe books hopefully won't be overly expensive but I need books like 1-20 and 154 and 155 but I want 9.0 and up raw ones so hopefully that wont be too expensive.

[Speedy-D]

LCSes can not return comics. That's the whole thing behind the variants. When an LCS orders a 1/25 variant, they have to order 25 of the regular cover. They are then stuck with those 25 issues if they don't sell. If this were not the case, every LCS would order 100 copies of every 1/100 variant, then return the 10,000 regular covers.

 

This is a big part of how publishers keep their margins up. They sell way more comics to LCSes than actually ever make it to collectors, at least until they wind up in the $1 bin. Let's say there's a store that would normally sell 30 copies of any given MK issue. They would order the 30 copies, and that's how many Marvel would sell. But if Marvel prints up two 1/25 variants, things are much better for them. The LCS will order one or two copies of each variant (let's say one copy of each for the sake of argument), and suddenly Marvel has sold that LCS 52 issues (two variants plus 50 regulars), where otherwise it would have sold only 30. At this point, the LCS has 20 extra copies of the regular cover that they're pretty sure they won't be able to sell very quickly, so they have to jack up the price of the variants to cover the discrepancy.

 

At least, that's my understanding of how it works.