The G.I. Joe #1 Large Staple Variant Mystery

[RockMyAmadeus]

Back cover of the first has Empire Strikes Back game ad, second has Jedi ad.

 

Inside front cover of 2nd has Cracker Jack ad.

[Silent Master]

Thanks RMA!!

[comiconxion]

Yes, good eye... I had forgotten there was a minor difference even within the "M" box on the different printings - hopefully that will help people who only look at front cover scans. I assume the #5 has similar differences? The #3 is a lot more obvious.

[blzbub666-migration]

I think I may know where those large staple copies came from and why American comics had so many. A discount retailer called "The Fair" had individually poly bagged copies of #1 in their closeout section for 69 cents each. I was able to get over 100 of them myself by driving to four different Fair stores and buying all of their copies. This was right as GI Joe was at the peak of its popularity, so I was able to unload a lot of the #1s pretty quickly. I'm sure I helped keep the local price down at the time, since I was selling them pretty cheaply.

[bellrules]

Here are scans of the Joe 5 with 75 cent and Spidey head. Far from 9.8 but a neat find if we can get to the bottom of the mystery.

[wolverine94]

65 cent cover newsstands last issue was January 1986. So was the 75 cent variant. In Feb 1986 the prices went from 65 cent covers to 75 cent covers,...and the 75 cent newsstand went to 95 cent variants....it all ended in august 1986. I collected at that time and living 3 miles from the border, I did alot of business across the border. They sold Canadian intended comics in the US and they sold American intended comics in Canada all the time.....I witnessed it i watched it...you probably be able to see American store stickers on the 95 cent, and 75 cent variants that were sold in the US..... They are much rarer than the regular versions... People are hoarding these....don't take too much time

[ComicConnoisseur]

I will look at the copies I have. I have never heard of this. I love this forum!

This.

I always find out something new here.

(thumbs u