Price Variant Club 31 31

[underthebigw]

It is 100% a test market price Variant and states "Printed in the USA" and "single copies 12c" on the indicia. These are not Canadian in any way.

 

I'm in Bills camp. The timing of these issues being right around the change from 12 to 15 cents is simply too convenient. While somewhat related, I do remember that Dell had a few years around 1960 where they had 15 cent comics for all years. I think this was before they reduced the size of the comics they were producing.

 

I don't get this. This title didn't change to 15 cents until July 1969 and issue #75 is Mar 1962 so it took over 7 years before the price actually changed.

 

It's pretty easy--the test failed. Dell tried it, and failed, only to revert to 12 cents, and Archie tried to test the waters, as well.

 

There's no way they are Canadian editions. Think about this--with almost the same currency valuations, Canadians would have been paying almost 50% more for a comic. No way would that fly.

 

Also, we're talking a very discreet period of publication. It's not like some of these books are from 1967.

 

It would be nice to find documentation that spelled out what these were, but the chances of finding a letter like the Brodsky one are next to nil.

Edited August 10, 2010 by silverandbronze

[underthebigw]

I just remembered something, and had to double-check it to make sure.

 

Fawcett tried the same thing with Dennis the Menace. There was a three month period at the start of 1962 where they increased the priced to 15 cents. Then they rolled back to 12 cents.

 

Clearly the industry knew an increase was necessary around this time. If two of the biggest publishers (yes, Dennis probably outsold almost every Marvel title combined at the time) couldn't make the leap, Archie was right to test market the 50% jump.

 

So, what we have going on at this time is

 

 

• Dell tries to increase to 15 cents, and falls back to 12.
  
• Fawcett tries to jump to 15, meets resistance, falls back to 12
  
• The Canadian dollar is virtually on par with the U.S. dollar
  
• There are Archies from this period dated both 12 and 15 cents, but none later in the decade
  

 

 

I've got to go with price variant.

 

Now, just imagine if DC tested out the price increase!. That would be something to find. I'm guessing that Marvel and DC avoided this trap, though, especially if Dell and Dennis (remember, Dennis probably sold in excess of a million copies a month, maybe close to 2 million) met resistance at 15 cents.

Edited August 10, 2010 by silverandbronze

[Metarog]

It is 100% a test market price Variant and states "Printed in the USA" and "single copies 12c" on the indicia. These are not Canadian in any way.

 

I'm in Bills camp. The timing of these issues being right around the change from 12 to 15 cents is simply too convenient. While somewhat related, I do remember that Dell had a few years around 1960 where they had 15 cent comics for all years. I think this was before they reduced the size of the comics they were producing.

 

I don't get this. This title didn't change to 15 cents until July 1969 and issue #75 is Mar 1962 so it took over 7 years before the price actually changed.

 

It's pretty easy--the test failed. Dell tried it, and failed, only to revert to 12 cents, and Archie tried to test the waters, as well.

 

There's no way they are Canadian editions. Think about this--with almost the same currency valuations, Canadians would have been paying almost 50% more for a comic. No way would that fly.

 

Also, we're talking a very discreet period of publication. It's not like some of these books are from 1967.

 

It would be nice to find documentation that spelled out what these were, but the chances of finding a letter like the Brodsky one are next to nil.

 

I agree that your facts on the currency exchange are compelling. However, if these were test variants much doesn't make sense to me. For one Archie had just raised the price of their comics to 12 cents from 10 cents just 2 months prior to the B&V 75. Why test the market so soon as I doubt they had even compiled the sales data from the 12 cent increase. I also think that a 50% increase is just to much at that time so if it wouldn't work for the Canadian market-it wouldn't work for the US market either IMHO so why even bother testing it unless you increase the page count or have some other substantive change to the comic itself?

 

Note that I don't care per se if these are test variants or not but I would like to know the reasons behind them. Good discussion here BTW... keep it going.

[ShieldAgent]

excellent points from both Paul and Roger

 

this is why I like these boards.

[bill999]

Sabrina the Teen-age Witch 1st appr. is Archies Mad House #22 and is known to exist as a 15c Test market price Variant which is beyond cool. Sabrina is HUGE in the Archie comic world and to the collecting world in general. Sabrina even has a TV show. That book in any grade should be worth a lot of $$$ in the near future I predict.

Try and find one.

[Grimace-migration]

heres an uncommon one and kinda relates to the current topic

 

i was going to put this in my get rid of pile but at the last second i notice something was off with this ugly excuse for a comic book. if its not near mint then it couldnt be part my collection, could it??? ah the life a variant collector, much like that of a guy on his 3rd divorce at last call in the bar that is spotlighted regularly on the locals news trying to pick up the lady 'talks' with a vibrator to her throat and keeps her 'good' eye in a shot glass on the bar. what i'm sayin is we take what we can get when we can get it. but fear not fellow travelers, i have grown to love his regular guy no fashion sense look. if comics could wear sweatpants i have a feeling it would look like this.

 

[underthebigw]

heres an uncommon one and kinda relates to the current topic

 

i was going to put this in my get rid of pile but at the last second i notice something was off with this ugly excuse for a comic book. if its not near mint then it couldnt be part my collection, could it??? ah the life a variant collector, much like that of a guy on his 3rd divorce at last call in the bar that is spotlighted regularly on the locals news trying to pick up the lady 'talks' with a vibrator to her throat and keeps her 'good' eye in a shot glass on the bar. what i'm sayin is we take what we can get when we can get it. but fear not fellow travelers, i have grown to love his regular guy no fashion sense look. if comics could wear sweatpants i have a feeling it would look like this.

 

 

Yep, another price variant. Definitely not Canadian--the Canadian dollar was stronger at the time.

[ShieldAgent]

Definitely not Canadian

 

I am still not convinced

[Grimace-migration]

this book was right at the price change from ¢.15 to ¢.20. it's not a canadian variant. the canadian dollar didnt really suck will the late 70s. i'm always looking for them but they are very tough to find. most people dont know they exist, me included till a few years ago.

 

doug from comic world talks about it in the 36th edition of the overstreet annual on page 113, i think. when it comes to variants and anything comics from the last 40+ years he's they guy who knows. its too bad he doesnt get the credit he deserves. he almost single handedly created the canadian comic market.

 

 

 

 

[Metarog]

This could be various things because it was right before the price went to 20 cents in the U.S. However, I have seen several around this time frame before and always thought they were Canadian. What I did is look at issues on E-Bay that were sold in Canada and looked for the different cover price. I just looked through for a few minutes and found several.

 

Dagar-look at the first 3 issues http://cgi.ebay.com/DAGAR-INVINCIBLE-1-17-Gold-Key-Run-1972-VFN-UNREAD-/390221573656?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

 

Star Trek http://cgi.ebay.com/STAR-TREK-18-Gold-Key-1973-FN-/230508970895?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

 

Boris Karloff http://cgi.ebay.com/1972-Boris-Karloff-Tales-Mystery-Comic-42-Gold-Key-/120606693740?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

 

Little Stooges http://cgi.ebay.com/GOLD-KEY-LITTLE-STOOGES-2-1972-CURLY-APES-/360288563994?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2

 

I could go on as there are dozens of them if you search in Canada for Gold Key but I think you can see why I always thought these were Canadian editions,

 

 

[Grimace-migration]

thanks for the post. i'll have to start buying some more of these.

 

most people assume when they see a price variant that its for the canadian market. but i'm convinced these are just price increase issues and not test variants or canadian price variants. i could be totally wrong. but its still a variant and i have to have it

[Metarog]

thanks for the post. i'll have to start buying some more of these.

 

most people assume when they see a price variant that its for the canadian market. but i'm convinced these are just price increase issues and not test variants or canadian price variants. i could be totally wrong. but its still a variant and i have to have it

 

Oh Oh, looks like variant fever to me. I got it almost ten years ago and it still flares up from time to time. Regardless as to the origins of "price variants" they are different, rarer and just fun to collect. I know that my complete 30 cent variant set is the centerpiece of my collection and although I have over a dozen other "variant" sets it is the one that I continue to marvel and gawk at!!! Good to have a new variant poster to spice things up around here to. (thumbs u

[Grimace-migration]

variants, double covers, errors issues love/need them all.

 

it would be amazing to have a complete set of the marvel ¢.30 variants or ¢.35. i know i could never do it cause i'm also a grade freak and those variants are so tough to find and not just in high grade. i'm amazed at how low there listed in the guide. i know its a good thing for collectors but its always nice to get some respect from the guide. it seems more and more the guides really becoming irrelevant.

[Metarog]

variants, double covers, errors issues love/need them all.

 

it would be amazing to have a complete set of the marvel ¢.30 variants or ¢.35. i know i could never do it cause i'm also a grade freak and those variants are so tough to find and not just in high grade. i'm amazed at how low there listed in the guide. i know its a good thing for collectors but its always nice to get some respect from the guide. it seems more and more the guides really becoming irrelevant.

 

It is a process when it comes to huge variant sets... at first I just wanted any copy to complete my set but then little by little I have upgraded to the point where the with the exception of a couple issues mine are all fine and above with the majority being in the VF or better range. I still look for upgrades when they are reasonably price (translation-cheap) and for issues that are not missing the points of the starburst due to vertical centering (this is just one of my hangups).

 

Most of my other sets are very high grade except for a good amount of my Modern Comics reprints which had horrible production problems. Most of my mini-comic promo sets are also really nice but not too many people collect those as fervently as regular issue variants so they can be found if you are patient.

 

Totally agree with you on the Guide... it has never reflected real world price variant prices and is very slow to change so for a variant collector it is less than helpful as a price reference.

[Grimace-migration]

variants, double covers, errors issues love/need them all.

 

 

It is a process when it comes to huge variant sets... at first I just wanted any copy to complete my set but then little by little I have upgraded to the point where the with the exception of a couple issues mine are all fine and above with the majority being in the VF or better range. I still look for upgrades when they are reasonably price (translation-cheap) and for issues that are not missing the points of the starburst due to vertical centering (this is just one of my hangups).

 

Most of my other sets are very high grade except for a good amount of my Modern Comics reprints which had horrible production problems. Most of my mini-comic promo sets are also really nice but not too many people collect those as fervently as regular issue variants so they can be found if you are patient.

 

Totally agree with you on the Guide... it has never reflected real world price variant prices and is very slow to change so for a variant collector it is less than helpful as a price reference.

 

vf's not a bad grade for me so it does have potential but i'd rather have the ¢.35 star wars #1 actually all the ¢.35 star wars and maybe the iron fist #14. have you started on the ¢.35 marvels yet?

 

the modern comics reprints i've really grown to like over the years. i'm guessing that charlton also produced them for modern because no other printing company in the world has production values that low. it seems like more people are into these comics as i've seen price increase on them, for high grade atlest. wonder how well they sold? i'm guessing not well since they were dumped at discount outlets unbagged.

 

as for the guide unless it's gold or silver they dont care. the one thing that really bugs me is they post a price list for blb(big little books) books, which i'd say about 95% of collectors dont collect but theres no price for canadian comics or canadian variants of u.s comics. the market for the canadian books are a lot bigger than blb books. they need some new blood running the annual

 

[ft88]

This is more a Silver Age variant question/comment but I figure it'd get more traffic and interest here. I have a Mickey Mouse 84 from 1962 in this ebay auction and I have gotten the similar question about the interior ads from three different folks.

 

Here it is copied.

 

"Q: Please inform me if on inside front cover there is a gag page of "Mickey Mouse (Pluto fans Mickey) or there is all advertisement of "Walt Disney characters by Mother Hubbard dept.N.Y. Grazie Giuseppe"

 

Ebay link

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400143796493

 

So clearly there are two versions and I wondered if anyone was aware of this, had any info, or collected these variants. The version I have appears to be the common version.

 

It's also possible one version is Canadian, which would be an interesting possibility if there was a 12/15 cent Dell that also have different interiors for each pricing. And it could be shown somehow that all versions with different interiors were Canadian. Just speculating as a way to play detective.

 

 

[keldog]

What the heck is going on with the 9.4 Sar Wars #1 35-centers. In May on c-links auction it went for about $4600 and this month it just sold for about $5100at auction on c-link. Does c-link suck that bad with variant auctions because I remember the 9.4 Sar Wars #1 35-centers on EBay went for about $10,000 .So what has happened. Is Star Wars not that cool to be into or is price variants still not that big with other collectors and just a fad because no one whats to take the time to wait years to complete a set. Heck, I had members on here bounce me around on were to find a nice copy of Iron Fist #15 which seems to me harder to find compared to Iron Fist #14 which I know I can buy off of Comicwiz's site.

Well any ways has the Star War #1 become that easy to find for auction from flipping that it has lost it glory and value? I'm hoping not and that it was just bad timing to sell the book.

[Ghostzapper]

I've seen the 9.4's sell for 12K and 10K a couple of times. Recently like you said they've only been getting around 5K at auction. I think it's attributed to the 9.4 is no longer the highest grade due to the recent 9.6 that sold for 25K. Only after the sale of the 9.6 have the 9.4's sales been cut in half.

[keldog]

To me I think that shouldn't have happened since GL 76 9.4 and Hulk 181 9.4 sell pretty good. Heck, Star Wars has way less 9.4's then both of those books, so I just don't get it still.

[bill999]

Wow! a Betty and Veronica #320 75c Price Variant in an apparent VG and a 60c regular version of Jughead #325 in an apparent VG grade just sold as a set on ebay for $250.00!!!. Check under completed sales of B&V #320 to see this sale!.