Does anyone remember this?

[Kahnadah]

Hey all! I'd just like to check my memory on something... In the early to mid 90s, Marvel did an experiment where they had issues come out with coated, thicker paper (Mando? Baxter?), and then 2 weeks or so later the regular newsprint edition came out.

 

Did this happen or am I making it up? If I didn't, is there a price difference for the coated stock issues vs the non-coated? I remember it being a big deal at the time, and that the higher quality paper versions cost more...but I am getting old! I was living in Calgary at the time, so maybe it was a regional thing (tho why they'd test market in southern Alberta I don't know!)?

 

If you know, please let me know so I can stop thinking I'm crazy!

 

Thanks,

James

[songsaboutclouds]

deluxe edition and regular.

Uncanny & X-Factor had them for sure but I cant remember the

issue numbers

[synch]

I do remember comic shop versions having better paper than the newsstand ones... I remember they did this during AOA run because at the time I would buy them where i could find them & I knew I liked the comic shop versions more... Not sure if this is what you are talking about or not though

 

[TSwift25]

There was a reasonably long stretch where the direct edition had substantially nicer paper stock and the newsstand had the rougher feeling paper. I don't know if that's what you're talking about, but if that's the case, it was just about every title from the mid/late 90's published by Marvel.

[AKA Rick]

I think the paper changes were a response to the collecting hobby more so than the economy and was a marketing ploy. The paper was slicker and brigher, so the colors popped out. The paper was also a bit more archival than newsprint, so didn't age as rapidly nor smell.

 

Some of the covers at one point were of more thicker cardstock, which actually backfired since spines cracked and chipped and were not of investment grade.

 

 

[TSwift25]

Also, more to your question, yes I remember it, but I don't believe there was a price difference, just whether or not the book was marked "direct edition."

[Real Elijah Snow]

Yeah it happened. It was mainly x-titles and was not line-wide . (i have non deluxe versions of issues of cable and x-force as well as x-men and uncanny) It was just like you said, the non deluxe versions would come in after a couple weeks or so at a lower cover price. I'm not sure how long it actually went on as hardly any shops that i knew of bothered with the lower cost newsprint versions. It might have gone on as little as 3-4 months due to the shops not ordering the non deluxe issues. (That's just an estimate) It happened soon after the original Age of Apocalypse storyline ended (there's a time frame for ya). Differences include: Cheaper paper stock, cheaper price, and corner box logo's were different colors. These were direct editions and not the same as newstand copies. In any event, you will be hard pressed to find copies of a lot of these non deluxe versions as i imagine the print run was Teeny on most of them.

[gaz973]

If my memory is correct then most of Marvels mainstream titles had the nicer paper stock and I'm pretty sure there was a price difference. I can't remember exactly how long it lasted but I thought that it was at least the biggest part of a year. I'll have to check through my books to find out for sure as I know that all mine that I bought from that period were the higher quality paper.

[ComicConnoisseur]

deluxe edition and regular.

Uncanny & X-Factor had them for sure but I cant remember the

issue numbers

I wonder what the print runs of each were?

Is one version rarer than then the other?

[synch]

I'd assume the newstand versions would be rarer & harder to find in good shape

 

[the blob]

my recollection is that the version came out at the same time. and my recollection is also that i always bought the cheaper version off the rack as I saw no point in spending an extra 50 or whatever cents for better paper. i do not remember this experiment lasting too many months though. i could be wrong and just remember these all being on the rack at once, even if one version was a week earlier. it's not like there was any mad rush to buy new books as even the AOA books (which I liked) were hardly selling out at my lcs.

 

i don't think the cheaper direct market versions are particularly rare.

[Green]

I'd assume the newstand versions would be rarer & harder to find in good shape

Yes they 'rarer' but no where close to what id call rare. Finding them in 9.6/8... is another story.

[Real Elijah Snow]

I'd assume the newstand versions would be rarer & harder to find in good shape

Yes they 'rarer' but no where close to what id call rare. Finding them in 9.6/8... is another story.

There are 3 versions. #1)The Deluxe edition (with glossy paper and higher cover price) #2) the direct edition non deluxe (with the lower cover price and the different corner box logo) and #3) the regular newstand edition with the standard newstand upc (missing the words "direct edition")

The #2 version (the non deluxe) are VERY short printed compared to the other 2 versions.

Check your copies folks. See how many x-titles from this time period you have that are non deluxe where a deluxe version exists. I personally have a Cable #19 and #20. So jan-feb of 1995 had the two versions in what i will assume were all the x-titles.

[Krypto Super Dawg]

I've been collecting all these version for the X-Titles and it has been a challenge to find the non-deluxe versions in high grade. The non-deluxe are harder to find, but I still find them in the dollar boxes on a somewhat regular basis.

[Real Elijah Snow]

how many do you have?

[Waylander]

how many do you have?

 

Wolverine 87 - 90 had both deluxe editions and normal editions - I have both sets - this was Nov 94 to Feb 95.

 

X-Men 38 - 41 as above - same dates

 

Uncanny X-Men 318 - 321 - as above - same date

 

Not sure about the other title - will investigate, but to help for the X-titles, it will be the issues following the Phalanx Covenant storyline.

 

I hope that helps. (thumbs u

[gaz973]

So it was only four months that the deluxe versions were going for then? In my memory, it seemed longer.

[Waylander]

So it was only four months that the deluxe versions were going for then? In my memory, it seemed longer.

 

I think some of the other X-titles - like Cable had 'extended' runs of both types. The run was from around issue 18 to 31 - then it switch from 'Deluxe Edition' vs Newsstand to 'Direct Edition' vs Newsstand.

 

 

[mysterio]

I know that this happened with Hulk too, I have some of the deluxe books. It was around the 430s, I think, but I could check. I don't recall this happening with the Spidey books, but I am positive Hulk had the different editions.