Effect That Variant Covers Have On OA Prices

[OAFan-migration]

Hey All--

 

Loved Nelson's thread on momentous events (i.e. deaths) and thought I'd follow it up with one of my own questions.

 

Variant covers seem to be enjoying a renaissance these days for certain titles, and I was wondering what effect that might have on the market. We all know that a variant cover fetches more when buying a regular book (i.e. a 1:25, or even a 1:300 variant sells for much more), but does the same hold true for the original art?

 

My initial instinct is that the more widely known piece is more valuable, if you set aside the artistic merit of the piece. So much of what we do is dependent on nostalgia, that I believe that the piece that most identify with a particular issue is the one that will accrue the most value. Then again, some variants are so much "cooler" than the originals that I wonder if they end up being more valuable from the market's perspecive.

 

I know that variant covers can be controversial. Some feel that it robs an original cover of its uniqueness and devalues it. Others feels that if you have an important enough book, different artists should interpret the theme and put it out there. Me? I'm just curious as to what you guys think.

 

Thoughts?

[Nexus]

I used to own the art to a variant cover that was more valuable than the regular version. It was the JUSTICE LEAGUE #3 cover by Kevin Maguire from 1987. I believe it may have been the first variant cover. The term wasn't used back then; it was called a "test" cover, mostly due to a new "Superman Comics" logo that took the place of the regular "DC" logo.

 

It was a novelty and a big deal back then. Now, variant covers are an overused sales gimmick. I don't buy them in comics form...heck, I don't think I read any comics that use them! However, if I had to choose between a regular cover and a variant cover, I'd go for the one had better art (or that I simply liked better). I wouldn't worry about nostalgia...frankly, I don't think that will be much of a factor going forward anyway. I mean, will anyone really remember 20 years from now which cover of a Dynamite book was the regular version?

 

 

[Child,pleeze-migration]

Variant covers just add more cover art to the market, nothing more. I see artists price their covers according to the level of effort put in and their attachment to the piece. The existence of another cover to the same issue has no effect. Variant covers may affect the mindset of completist collectors who want all variant covers to a book.

[AKA Rick]

Unless the variant cover is remarkable as a stand alone piece by an artist who is highly collected, or features more popular characters than the regular relese version, I don't really see any reason why a variant cover in todays oversaturated marketplace that a variant cover which is a one of a kind item would sell for more than a regular cover that's a one of a kind item, both having the same print run... ONE... and both being equally as scarce. Sometimes, in fact, the regular cover is the one that's most recognizable and sometimes even more aesthetic so, where the comic book becomes a common, the artwork does not.

 

Variants used to be released to celebrate an event, but now with so many out for everything, and multiple variants for the same issue, coupled with 2nd printing variants... it's getting a bit less "Special" - - and now with variation covers, instead of new art, Marvel's been turning some of the interrior splash pages into 2nd printing covers... so, to that degree, I'll say that anyone who is fortunate enough to buy an interrior page which ends up becoming a cover is more likely to garner higher interest and reap financial rewards from their original purchase.

 

A couple of the splash pages or even panel scenes from issues like Greg Land UNCANNY X-MEN, Clay Mann DAREDEVIL, and Bryan Hitch FANTASTIC FOUR ended up turning into variant covers... and I'm sure there's more I've not seen and more to come.

 

[OAFan-migration]

Thanks for your responses, all.

 

One of the reasons why I asked the question is because my understanding is that covers have traditionally fetched a higher price than, say, splash pages, for a few reasons. First is the recognizability. Second is the relative scarcity--while one issue may have a few splash pages, usually there's just one cover. Since both of these factors are affected by multiple covers to the same issue, I thought it might have an effect on the prices.

 

And Rick, your point on splashes that later become variant covers on a second printing is particularly well-taken. That actually happened with a splash that I purchased for a recent issue of GREEN LANTERN, and I was quite please to see that happen

 

 

[Claudio]

green lantern is a book that had some variants by EVS and i am sure those would be worth more than the regular cover. i think it wouldn't hurt the value if there were a couple covers available but i don.t think that 2nd printing covers would hold up as well. i think, in the end, the value depends on the artist and appeal of the work. it doesn't matter if there is another available.

[Dumur]

I'm sorry, I just recovered from hearing that Felix had that Maguire cover...

[Nexus]

I'm sorry, I just recovered from hearing that Felix had that Maguire cover...

 

A long story behind that one. It was actually on Ebay for about 5 minutes back in 2006, before the seller got suspended (for some random, silly technicality). I had known about it prior to that, but the seller and I couldn't agree on price. When the auction got taken down, he was more motivated to compromise with me. Still, it was the most paid for a Maguire JL cover (that I know about) for what is probably the second most valuable cover after #1.

 

It was on my CAF for about a year when I got contacted by a prominent collector/dealer to see if he could pry it out of me. I wasn't interested in selling it, but he had/has such great material, that it wasn't hard to find a fit in trade. There were some other parts, but it really came down to the Maguire cover for the Mazz DD page I currently have. I'm sure many will think I'm nuts for trading a cover for a panel page, but as much as I enjoyed Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire JL, Miller/Mazzucchelli's BORN AGAIN is in a whole 'nother category for me. I'd do it again!

[kimik]

green lantern is a book that had some variants by EVS and i am sure those would be worth more than the regular cover. i think it wouldn't hurt the value if there were a couple covers available but i don.t think that 2nd printing covers would hold up as well. i think, in the end, the value depends on the artist and appeal of the work. it doesn't matter if there is another available.

 

I agree that the appeal of the work is the key. I have the OA to the GL #43 variant cover, which looks much better than the regular edition. While I get all of the comics and the lowest ratio variants from my LCS, this is the only variant I have seen for a while that I liked better than the regular cover. Otherwise, I find that a lot of the variants do not look as nice as the regular covers with the books I have in my file.

[NelsonAI]

Since the storyline is the same, I'll go with the cover that appeals to me more artistically. Sometimes the variant OA is better than the normal cover but it's all subjective.

 

Cheers!

N.

[Drakeprimeone]

Been kinda dipping into the OA threads for the first time and wanted to chime in. Variant

Covers in comic books depend on their scarcity for value. I'd think when it comes to OA that factor doesn't come into play. OA is well.... the only one. So a variant OA wouldn't be more rare than its regular cover counterpart. OA (a) vs OA (b) so value will just come down to which has better artistic appeal.

[Mighty Hal]

But how many of us buy our OA because THAT was the cover that grabbed us, however long ago?

 

On that basis, I'd think that the more widely-distributed cover would have the potential to be worth more money at the end of the day.