help on direct vs. newsstand

[rob_react]

I got this series of questions posed to me and I'm not fit to answer them. I thought I'd see if anyone here could help...

 

... I've become more interested lately in

obtaining both the direct and newsstand versions of

the books I collect. In order to do this I need more

information about what was produced for newsstand

distribution and I also need a reliable source for the

newsstand books. My comic shop holds books for me and

they understand that I want books that are in as near

perfect condition that they can give me. When I do

find a dealer who sells newsstand copies of the books

I want, which is hard to do, it's difficult to find a

copy in decent condition and when I do so it is

usually not in decent condition after the cashier

finishes ringing it up. They have no concept that

someone might want this book for something other than

reading once and throwing away. I asked my comic shop

if they could obtain newsstand copies for me but they

say they can't. Can you tell me what was produced for

newsstand distribution and if you know of a source

where I can buy near mint copies?

I have a pretty good idea about how to distinguish

between direct and newsstand versions over the years

but I don't know if there were newsstand versions of

special issues such as:

2nd printings (example: DD 267 319, ASM 101 265 361

362), foil covers (ASM 388), polybagged (ASM 390 408)

flip-books, annuals, alternate covers (ASM 400 432

434), gold cover (DD 350), glow in the dark cover (DD

321), others? Also I know very little about newsstand

versions of the early runs of Daredevil volume 2,

Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man volume 2,

Peter Parker: Spider-Man volume 2. As you know, these

titles had numerous alternative covers early in their

runs and I don't know what was available as a

newsstand version. If you have any info about this I'd

appreciate it. I have a question about the earliest

direct variants also. I've been told that no direct

variants have been found for these books: (ASM 182 190

191, PPSS 20 28 29, DD 153 157). If true then what was

sent to the direct market in those months? Anything

else that you know about direct variants would help

including info about the different graphics used in

the upc boxes of direct editions in books from 3/1984

to 6/1993.

[Metarog]

Rob, check out this thread over on the e-bay forum. It may answer some of these questions. I do know that some alternate covers and Annuals where available through the newstand. I believe that prior to late 1979 comic shops received the newstand versions of comics and thus there were no gaps in issues received. The Direct Sale versions missing in Jan-Mar and July 1978 were the polygagged versions not the ones sent to comic shops. Hope this helps.

 

web page

 

 

[rob_react]

I'll pass along the link, thanks.