• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

superman 1 print run

Started by Superman1981,

34 posts in this topic

Theagenes

Theagenes

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nearmint

nearmint

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Theagenes

Theagenes

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

Thanks for the correction. I wish CGC would at least denote early vs. later printings. If we had some idea of how many of each ad version existed we might be able to speculate a little further. For example if the early version outnumbers the later version by 4 or 5 to 1 then it suggests that only the 3rd printing had the later ad. If there is about the same number of of the two versions then it suggest that both the 2nd and 3rd printing have the later ad.

 

Is there any anecdotal evidence that the later ad is considerably scarcer than the earlier ad?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bluechip

bluechip

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

Thanks for the correction. I wish CGC would at least denote early vs. later printings. If we had some idea of how many of each ad version existed we might be able to speculate a little further. For example if the early version outnumbers the later version by 4 or 5 to 1 then it suggests that only the 3rd printing had the later ad. If there is about the same number of of the two versions then it suggest that both the 2nd and 3rd printing have the later ad.

 

Is there any anecdotal evidence that the later ad is considerably scarcer than the earlier ad?

 

Did anyone check the ads in Siegel's copy?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nearmint

nearmint

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

Thanks for the correction. I wish CGC would at least denote early vs. later printings. If we had some idea of how many of each ad version existed we might be able to speculate a little further. For example if the early version outnumbers the later version by 4 or 5 to 1 then it suggests that only the 3rd printing had the later ad. If there is about the same number of of the two versions then it suggest that both the 2nd and 3rd printing have the later ad.

 

Is there any anecdotal evidence that the later ad is considerably scarcer than the earlier ad?

 

Not that I'm aware of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hepcat

Hepcat

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

So the third printing should now be scarcer than the first printing. Have there been observed differences in the current price between the two printings?

 

???

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nearmint

nearmint

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

So the third printing should now be scarcer than the first printing. Have there been observed differences in the current price between the two printings?

 

???

 

No observed differences that I'm aware of. Usually, the book is slabbed at the time of sale, so it's unknown whether it's the earlier printing or the later. I have no idea which one I have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bluechip

bluechip

Posted
Posted
1st printing 500,000

2nd printing 250,000

3rd printing 150,000

 

There is a way to recognize the different printings?

 

Sort of. Some have a house ad for Action 13 that says "On Sale XXX" and others say "Now on Sale" so you can make a distinction between an early printing and a later printing. All the 1st printings would be the "On Sale XXX" version and all 3rd printings would be the "Now on Sale" version, but it isn't know, afaik, which ad the 2nd printing would have.

 

:gossip: Action #14.

 

And you're correct. There's no way to pin down exactly what printing any particular copy is, as it's not known if the change in the Action #14 ad occurred in the 2nd or 3rd printing. The closest we could come is to say "this is a 1st or a 2nd printing" and "this is a 2nd or 3rd printing."

 

So the third printing should now be scarcer than the first printing. Have there been observed differences in the current price between the two printings?

 

???

 

If a third printing became more valuable than a first printing, it would not make sense to most people and wouldn't be consistent with the way thigns occur in most collecting fields.

 

Strange things do happen in the comics world that don't easily make sense to people outside the hobby, sometimes turning the usual norms on their head. But, generaly, when those norms are turned on their head it's in favor of the more numerous items (because there are more people who stand to gain by pushing it) and/or the items held by the most determined people. So the fact that the third printing is both 1) not the the first print but is also 2) not as numerous, would act against it achieving a higher value. If we reach a point where subsequent printings of modern books are hyped because of their individual scarcity (but still numerous because of how many moderns are published), we could actually see people ardently pushing the value of all third printings, and thus, working hard to hype the value of a supe 1 third printing as well, because of the trickle down effect to modern third printings.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RedFury

RedFury

Posted
Posted

It seems to me that if I were to crack out my Superman #1 and post the results, the responses I would get would be either "Wow, it might be a 1st printing, good for you!" or "Aw, that's a shame, looks like it's a 2nd or 3rd print." But neither one of those statements changes the fact that it's a Superman #1 from the summer of 1939.

 

We're already seeing people differentiating between Oct and Nov Marvel Comics #1s, and Batman #1s with or without the period. It seems pretty silly to me to disparage one version and adulate another on that basis. I know it's probably inevitable. It's human nature to do that, and collectors seem especially prone to that type of behavior.

 

So I'm going to do my best not to care too much about these things, leave my Superman 1 resting peacefully in its slab, and if I ever go after a Marvel 1 or Batman 1 try not to let those tiny differences influence my opinion of the book.

 

But I know this is probably a losing battle. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sfcityduck

sfcityduck

Posted
Posted

Seems inevitable that earlier printings will be worth more than later printings. And all it's going to take for that to occur is for dealers and auctioneers to start hyping books because they are a "Oct." issue (as already happens) or a "On Sale ...." issue (as inevitably will happen more and more). Then CGC will (as it should) start noting that information.

 

Aside from MC 1, Batman 1, and Superman 1, what other keys have been identified as having different printings. I have a vague recollection of their being a Capt. Marvel key that fell into that category (either CM 1, SE 1 or Whiz 2). Anyone know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sfcityduck

sfcityduck

Posted
Posted
All Star 3, Batman 2, More Fun 73, and New Book of Comics 1are the significant ones.

There are also others on Overstreet's "100 most expensive list." Variant collecting is not

cheap.

 

What are the distinctions and are any noticeable on the cover?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RedFury

RedFury

Posted
Posted
All Star 3, Batman 2, More Fun 73, and New Book of Comics 1are the significant ones.

There are also others on Overstreet's "100 most expensive list." Variant collecting is not

cheap.

 

What are the distinctions and are any noticeable on the cover?

 

More Fun 73 - the banner on the top of the cover that says "3 Smashing New Features!" appears in two different locations. One is nicely centered, and one is shifted to the left and overlaps the "73". This is probably an error that was detected midway through the print-run and corrected. So it's still one printing, but with two variations.

 

The others I don't know about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing