UK X-Men 1

[DDPGambit]

There is a UK edition of X-Men #1 (1963) on ebay. It's in fairly decent shape. My question for anyone who knows....is the value comparable to the american edition? I know the UK one is probably worth less, but how much less?

 

[goldust40]

In high grade it's worth a fraction of the cents version. In mid grade (VG - FN-), I'd say that 50 - 60% of the cents version's value would be about right.

 

In low grade, the values would be quite similar.

[comicmankev]

Don't get me started on this again, Goldies figures are completely out of whack. According to my previous sales, they generally aquire the same or 10-20% less MAX!

 

But that is my history, Goldie deals a few more than me

[aardvark88]

1/2 price if the collector is in USA or Canada.

[comicmankev]

WTF, now you people are trying to make me mad seriously, did you sa HALF PRICE?

[murph0]

If you're willing to pay the same or 10 percent less.. I'm guessing there's a lot of dealers who'd love to unload pence copies off on you.

 

Brian

[comicmankev]

Just wondering if you actually read my post Murph, let me bold the lines that may make your response a bit quick:

 

According to my previous sales , they generally aquire the same or 10-20% less MAX!

[blowout]

On high grade books, I would say that 20% sounds about right.

[comicmankev]

A supporter

[blowout]

I am in the camp that considers the two versions of the books to be almost as desirable.

They came off the presses at the same time with only minor changes, so to me UK editions are not 'second prints' (printed at the same time) or 'foreign editions' (were printed in the US). Unfortunately it is mis-information and stigma that means these books are often treated unfairly in the marketplace.

 

After all there are a certain sub-set of books (Bronze Age) with a 'price variant' that actually get a premium over more commonly labeled ones.

[Galactus]

Here, Here i could not agree more!

[goldust40]

Don't get me started on this again, Goldies figures are completely out of whack. According to my previous sales, they generally aquire the same or 10-20% less MAX!

 

But that is my history, Goldie deals a few more than me

 

I just checked GPA Analysis on this book, but there was no mention of a slabbed pence copy in any grade.

 

I wouldn't denigrate this book in its' U.K. version as it's virtually the same (but I wouldn't call it a variant, either, as it wasn't specifically for the U.S. market). I think that the only way to get proof would be if a CGC 8.0 or 8.5 pence copy of this book was put on ebay at no reserve.

 

In my experience, my attempts at trading pence copies of key books (even in decent shape) with U.S. dealers have met with moderate to low interest.

 

So, Kev, we'll have to agree to disagree, for the moment!

[Galactus]

Andy, i am on quite a few American dealers catalogue lists, and have seen an ever increasing amount of them now listing the odd pence copy in amongst their stock. Do you agree that the pence stigma is slowly being removed and that the difference in prices that dealers sell pence copies for is not as large as it used to be?

[goldust40]

That's a good question, although it'd be difficult to come up with a definite answer. Some U.S. dealers don't seem too bothered by pence copies, whereas others don't want to know.

 

I'd say that U.S. dealers are not devaluing books with the small Thorpe and Porter stamps (from the late 60s until 1979) that much as they are unobtrusive and at times hardly noticeable. Silver Age Marvels and DCs with the larger "blob" T&P stamp are a problem, however.

 

It does boil down to marketplace acceptance - U.S. dealers can change perception of pence copies somewhat if they wanted, but it's the U.S. collectors who dictate in the end. At the moment there's not been much evidence that pence copies are catching up with cents ones, despite their comparative rarity. I'd say that there's less stigmatization than people might think, as some see pence copies as a novelty.

 

I think I'll slab a few VF early Silver Marvel pence copies, put 'em on ebay (U.S.) at no reserve, and see what happens.

[Galactus]

I am sure that only the Marvels had shilling/pence prices on the covers and that all DC comics had the T&P stamp. Given that i have only seen slabbed DC comics come back without the "UK Edition" notation by CGC, surely that is CGC's acceptance that there is absolutely no differnce on these particular issues bar a stamp on the cover.

 

That would in essence mean that the only pence issue problem arrising from DC comics is peoples preference to stamps on the cover.

[goldust40]

I agree. If anything, I'd say U.K. collectors have a bigger problem with pence stamps than CGC and U.S. ones.

 

And you're right re DC only having pence stamps. Except for a handful of late '70s Detectives which for some reason had "15p" printed on them. But we are talking a handful.

[JohnBull]

I've never seen the 15p 'Tecs. Are we talking a handful of issues or a handful of copies of each issue ?

[goldust40]

I'm not sure about a percentage, but there are a number of distributed 'Tecs (newstand copies) that are pence priced. Mainly around 470 - 485 (the Englehart / Rogers period). I'm pretty sure I could dig one out from my own collection given time.

[FFB]

As a collector, I won't touch a pence copy unless it is severely discounted, and I wouldn't use a pence copy as a permanent book to fill a hole in a run. Nothing against our dear British friends, but there's just not enough of a consensus in the marketplace about their liquidity for me to pay full cents value for a pence copy, and the pence price looks strange to me.

 

That's a good question, although it'd be difficult to come up with a definite answer. Some U.S. dealers don't seem too bothered by pence copies, whereas others don't want to know.

 

I'd say that U.S. dealers are not devaluing books with the small Thorpe and Porter stamps (from the late 60s until 1979) that much as they are unobtrusive and at times hardly noticeable. Silver Age Marvels and DCs with the larger "blob" T&P stamp are a problem, however.

 

It does boil down to marketplace acceptance - U.S. dealers can change perception of pence copies somewhat if they wanted, but it's the U.S. collectors who dictate in the end. At the moment there's not been much evidence that pence copies are catching up with cents ones, despite their comparative rarity. I'd say that there's less stigmatization than people might think, as some see pence copies as a novelty.

 

I think I'll slab a few VF early Silver Marvel pence copies, put 'em on ebay (U.S.) at no reserve, and see what happens.

[JohnBull]

My knowledge of DC post-75 is pretty abysmal. I assume all their books were distributed over here and nothing was ND ? Did their material make W H Smith's the same way Marvel's did ? Seems intriguing that these exists, although now I think of it, some of my Superboy/Legion might have a UK price on prior to the unification that took place in the 80's. I'll have to dig some out tomorrow and look.