Price Variant Club 31 31

[Darthdiesel]

 

So, are there really only 6 complete sets that we know of? I figured a couple of others would have finished by now.

 

Yep, as far as I know here are the only six (I think this is the order) and like Harry said two more still in progress...

 

FD

S&B

4Gemworks

DD

Shieldagent

Metarog

 

I'd be interested to know how long it took each of you from the first variant to the last. It took me exactly 2 years and 4 months from when I got my MTU #45 to th KC #208. Of course I had many advantages in that I had access to a whole bunch of people that had dupes. I am curious though.

 

I bought my first variant off ebay from Glenn Malloy - 4gemworks - DEFENDERS 37 CGC 9.0 30 Cent Variant-WOW for $150 on 11/4/2002

 

My quest ended when I picked up a lot of books from Don of Gateway Comics in WV in the summer of 2004 - I believe the sale was finalized in August. he posted his find on these boards and he helped out several of the forumite collectors with their collections in a simultaneous complicated deal.

 

Around 18 months, start to finish (sort of...I'm still chasing the high grade copies that are out there)

[joe_collector]

Wow, look who's back from the dead.

[Metarog]

Hey, I am now a Gold club member of the 30 cent variant club! I recieved my last two westerns this week after more than a year of needing them. Here they are-

 

Congrats Roger! Glad you're quest has ended.

 

Thanks Carl, you were a big part of my being able to complete it and upgrade many issues as well. Good to hear from you too. I didn't know you compiled the set so quickly! 18 months is definitely the quickest and you have the highest quality set as well. I still need some upgrades so when the Christmas bills are paid I will send you an e-mail.

[ft88]

Has there been any evidence of a starburst pence (or other countries) where there are two different prices. Ie, one reads 10p and a same exact issue reads 11p.

 

Seems it would have been more trouble than its worth for Marvel to test that overseas, but you never know.

 

I suppose if foreign countries had rapid currency problems there could be multiple price versions of the same book, not necessarily during 75-76.

 

Ed

[cosmic-spider-man]

Has there been any evidence of a starburst pence (or other countries) where there are two different prices. Ie, one reads 10p and a same exact issue reads 11p.

 

I have never seen or even heard of one but I can't say for sure guess it is possible. I think they went from 9p to 10p in the UK during Marvel's 30 cent variant test in the U.S. .

[joe_collector]

Nah, there would be no reason to test market prices in the UK, as the time delay would absolutely kill any meaningful data.

 

It would be far more logical to extend it to Canada first, and we never got any.

[ft88]

Do you think the same is true for currency fluctuations? Just not worth the trouble or simple enough to add a sticker, like some stores did to hike the price in the states?

 

I'll post a run of Astonishing Tales from the UK that I have. The price goes from 8p to 10p and then back down to 9p. So there was actually a price drop from one month to the next not the most common thing in the world especially in the 70's.

 

Thats what made me wonder. Since you could have a price drop with the US 30 cent variants compared to a 25 cent issue the next month.

 

Still, I think you're right, it wouldn't be worth the effort in the end to vary the printing for such a small market.

 

Ed

[Sal]

Nah, there would be no reason to test market prices in the UK, as the time delay would absolutely kill any meaningful data.

 

It would be far more logical to extend it to Canada first, and we never got any.

 

while i agree it would have made more sense to extend it to Canada, i don't know how the delay in the UK would be a primary issue. if we assume they were tracking UK sales before the variants were issued in the US, then why wouldn't they get variant issue sales reporting in the same time frame they would have normally gotten for their regular priced issues?

 

i'm sure it didn't take six months for them to figure out they were going to go to an increase in November 1977 for books sold in the U.S. they probably had all the data they needed by the time the September issues hit the stands...

 

i must be missing something.

 

i think a more likely reason is something like the UK not providing a wide enough geographic distribution to hide the two prices, combined with Marvel perhaps not sending enough books over to the UK to run both prices at the same time

[joe_collector]

If I'm a US company, with the majority of sales in the US, then it makes the most sense to keep the test marketing geographically close - both to keep the data timely and to hit your core customer base.

 

Just common sense.

[Sal]

If I'm a US company, with the majority of sales in the US, then it makes the most sense to keep the test marketing geographically close - both to keep the data timely and to hit your core customer base.

 

Just common sense.

 

well, sure. i would expect both Canada and the UK to be considered secondary markets to the US for Marvel, and pricing in each would rise to match increases in the US.

 

i think we agree that the likelihood of there being pence price variants is virtually nil

[fastballspecial]

I think the 6P copys are the neat ones out there anyhow. I think I have seen a total of like 5 different books with a 6P. 8 to 10 I see alot I dont see 6 much. At least I think its 6. maybe its 7 unsure.

[MCMiles]

Anyone know about these?

Looks like the price in the starburst is stamped in. Looking at the back cover it was obviously reprinted in the Phillippines by National Book Store, Inc. The inside covers are similar to the bc with list of books to mail order. None of which are comic books

 

I wonder how soon after US publication it was reprinted? What other issues may have been reprinted. Considering it looks like they were printed for distribution in the Phillippines, and out of only six store locations, there must not be very many.

How does this compare to other foriegn variants?

[Metarog]

Hey that is the first Marvel I have seen of these. I know of a JLA, Batman and now look at this thread for a Phantom Stranger- http://boards.collectors-society.com/sho...e=0#Post1557177

 

Nice find BTW.

[Stronguy]

Now that I read the other thread I remember having one. In a lot of books I bought (in a brown paper bag) there was a weird looking Avengers 98. It said something like "Printed In The Philipines" and the colors were extremely rich. The book was beyond poor -- it ever had a bloody band aid on it -- so I tossed it.

[FlyingDonut]

I have an Avengers 148 like that. No price in the box, REALLY *spoon* paper.

[FlyingDonut]

 

 

[Metarog]

Thanks for posting this up FD. I don't know what universe they get these prices from but it certainly isn't this one. Except for the X-Men variants and maybe a few others they are totally out of whack. What was the last time you saw a VG Marvel Tales for under $10 much less a 9.2? Probably never unless it was a hidden. I could go on and on but I am sure this has been discussed to death already. I'd gladly pay double guide for a 9.2 WWT #15 or TGK #131.. . oh and the same for a MMW #45. Any takers?

[underthebigw]

I've been a bit out touch, but those are ridiculously clueless prices.

[Metarog]

I've been a bit out touch, but those are ridiculously clueless prices.

 

Definitely and the shame is that there is so much data and expertise to draw on. I don't know if Overstreet gets input from its advisors on these variants or just ignores them but something is amiss. Certainly no one who has tracked 30 variants in the past 4 years was listenend to. Just a casual observation of E-Bay and ComicLink would be enough to debunk most of these prices.

 

There is also a thread on the STLcomics board which tracks prices of almost all 30 variants on E-Bay and there is also GPA for slabbed variants, etc. I understand that this is just a guide and not reflective of every transaction for the past few years but to have so many entries so far off base is really inexcusable. I don't have a recent OPG but it seems that the majority of the changes are just mirroring what the regular edition is doing and adding in a variant increase. If you take a look at Iron Man 89 you will see what I mean. They are all priced the same even though we all know that IM 89 is much tougher to find and goes for more money.

 

Unfortunately, the dynamics fort variants and the regular issues are so different that you get a totally useless tool for 30 cent variants. Unlike the regular editions the reprints are the tougher to find and thus more expensive. Some of the Westers do show an increase over the regular editions but not nearly enough in the higher grades. I'm assuming that the prices for the 35 cent variants are also skewed.

[Earl Davis]

I suspect they just have not had the time to do a really detailed piece of work on these yet.

 

With 200,000 issues listed and lets guess 2,000 man hours a year available to research prices they would have only an hour to research/guesstimate 100 different issues and retype the info.

 

Earl.

Edited April 25, 2007 by Earl