Walking Dead #1 Slight Cover Difference

[jjeanius]

You guys need to learn to read. I said that one sold cheap tonight. I never made any claims as to why it sold cheap. You also said you would buy any black copy. This copy would cost you less. $750 NM on a good buyers night.

 

Sure, it sold cheap if price is your only determining factor. I am saying that I don't think $624 is "cheap" for a self-described VF 8.0.

[Guardian Comics]

No one is saying there are premiums for black labels now, but eventually will separate itself from his White Mature Readers label cousin.

 

As for under grading that book...I don't think so. In the close up pic of the corner, I wouldn't be surprised if it had some water damage.

 

Jim

 

Well now this is starting to sound like a bet. Pick a WD 1 auction and name that grade. How many have you slabbed again?

 

Looking at the corner again, I'd say it is water damaged. That book doesn't lie very flat. Secondly we can not only grade through a bag, we can grade through a bag from a scan? No wonder you are revered here.

 

Jim

[Cyclops]

It was a fair price given the hype-less description and the fact that the seller has a feedback score of '1'.

 

 

[Nico Esq]

I think the fact that the Walking Dead fan club lists the white label as more rare than the black label may be the reason that the black label hasn't taken off. Does anyone know the origin of the story that Kirkman allegedly told someone there are more black label than white labels. I agree that the eBay sales don't support that fact and have done all I can to only buy black labels but I've always been nervous about this issue.

[Cyclops]

Did a search on eBay for "Walking Dead 1" and sorted by Highest Price first.

 

1 out of 9 are black label.

 

[maloney414]

I think the fact that the Walking Dead fan club lists the white label as more rare than the black label may be the reason that the black label hasn't taken off. Does anyone know the origin of the story that Kirkman allegedly told someone there are more black label than white labels. I agree that the eBay sales don't support that fact and have done all I can to only buy black labels but I've always been nervous about this issue.

 

Yes. There are at least 2 of us here who have spoken to Kirkman directly. Myself and Steve (EvilAsh).

 

Steve was the 1st person to talk to him and share that info here on the boards. That was YEARS ago. He's also active on other WD sites and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the source used other places.

 

 

I will say this, when I talked to Kirkman he didn't sound confident in his answer. It was more of a I'm pretty sure there are more of the black. It was clear he was estimating. Which makes sense. Back then, he was just trying to sell a comic. He had no idea it was going to take off like it did, and #1 was going to be a hot collectable. He was just hoping he could last for a while and buy groceries. There was no sane reason to get an exact count.

 

He was very nice when I talked to him, and took the time to talk about it. But the conversation had that vibe of,... oh great someone's asking me about that mistake I made years ago. Yes, I made a mistake, please let it go. So we then talked about something else.

 

 

 

[Nico Esq]

Now it all makes perfect sense. I'm sure glad I kept a 9.8 black label

[N/A]

I asked Kirkman at ImageExpo. He joked about it and said black and then "no,no it's the white".

[pwog]

Anyone have a CGC 9.4 of TWD #1 they wanna sell for $500? Apparently that is the going rate I have been told for mine since there are lots on the census higher than 9.4

 

 

That is pretty low according to GPA:

 

The average for the last four they have listed is $876

[Stumptown]

Slabbed? Do you have GPA?

 

If you have GPA, search for WD, then click on the link to #1. It shows you completed sales by year but above that lists current Ebay auctions for slabbed #1s. Also has a link, I think, to those auctions.

 

Otherwise, do as someone else suggested and sort by highest price throwing in

-weekly, -tpb, -hc, etc. etc.

 

I know i've asked before but is there any good search in ebay that will give me a list of issue #1's that gives me less than 1,000 results? It's rather frustrating to sift through 800 listings.

[Nico Esq]

I agree that is really the best way because you're not going to find a copy that is in NM condition that goes for less than $600 - $800 raw so you really only have to go from the crazies who want $2,500 back to about $550 to get all the auctions that are at risk of ending in the next 6 to 12 hours.

[RogueOneRebels]

The safest and smartest bet might be to own both if you could afford 'em, and let time dictate demand. It seems that The Walking Dead, after 100+ issues is not a flash in the pan series, so seems like worthwhile to hold onto. I remember when the cover price variants of some of the Marvel books were not even on the radar and noted back in the 70's and 80's.

 

I think the comic book has sustainable legs.

 

Hopefully the franchise is not handcuffed to the TV show, since all series (other than The Simpsons) seems to come to an eventual end, even the best of 'em.

 

I think The Walking Dead is they type of series where characters can come and go and if the writing remains solid, they can create reader loyalty through that development, so maybe Rick and Andrea end up having a baby, and then they get killed off, only to have Carl (and maybe he marries Sophia) become the new main character by Issue #200, so the storyline continues to be refreshed. I think the recent deaths of 2 main characters are proof it's a series that people enjoy reading to "expect the unexpected" which continues to keep them engaged.

 

I think The Walking Dead #1 is by far a better investment based on it being a #1 issue than let's say #19 or any other "1st Appearance" of a character or any manufactured collectible like the variant releases for Issue #100.

 

 

+1

[Iceman399]

Anyone have a CGC 9.4 of TWD #1 they wanna sell for $500? Apparently that is the going rate I have been told for mine since there are lots on the census higher than 9.4

 

 

That is pretty low according to GPA:

 

The average for the last four they have listed is $876

 

I asked them to show me 3 sold results in the last few months anywhere close to that...they stopped responding.

[Guardian Comics]

Anyone have a CGC 9.4 of TWD #1 they wanna sell for $500? Apparently that is the going rate I have been told for mine since there are lots on the census higher than 9.4

 

 

That is pretty low according to GPA:

 

The average for the last four they have listed is $876

 

I asked them to show me 3 sold results in the last few months anywhere close to that...they stopped responding.

 

Last 4 sales (between July 8 and 29th)... $1009, 950, 746 and $800.

 

Jim

 

 

[iggy]

Here is the answer that explains it nicely. I've actually saved this post on my computer, so I can just paste it whenever the question comes up. (thumbs u

 

I spoke to Kirkman directly, so that's my source.

 

It was always suppose to be a white warning with a black outline.

 

When they went to print there was a mistake with the printer and instead of printing the black 1st and then the white overtop the process was backwards. So the white went 1st and then the black completely covered the white lettering.

 

So the black version was printed 1st.

 

During the printing process the mistake was realized and they stopped printing and fixed it. Kirkman wanted the white version because he thinks it's cooler looking.

 

Since it happened this way, the black copies were shipped together to stores and likewise for the whites. So no one knew in the early days there were 2 variants. Since all the books at the LCS would have been the same in your area. With no knowledge there were variants + the indicas inside the books being the same they were graded by CGC without distinction from the start. It doesn't make sense for them to try and change it now.

 

There have been estimates about how many of each there are but the truth is no one knows for sure. Kirkman has said he believes there are less of the white version but eBay listings consistently point the other way.

 

Bottom line. No one knows which is more rare, and therefore neither gets the price bump in demand. Don't pay more for either copy. Just be glad to own a WD #1.

 

People on here joke all the time with each other about it. The Black owners say they have the 1st print and the white is a reprint. While White owners say they have the rare copy cause Kirkman said so.

Total print run was 7,266. Source: http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2003/2003-10.html

 

 

 

I have to throw a red flag on this explanation. White is not a printed ink color. White is the paper showing through. Comics are usually (99.99%) printed four color process- cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks on white paper. The exception being a special printing technique where maybe the color stock is not white to begin with and it was intended to load the press with white ink. The white lettering on WD #1s a black outline with the paper showing through for the white lettering. So they had to have different printing plates to get the 2 versions- it wasn't something that could be achieved just at the press with the same plates.

[Stumptown]

that average is $874.

 

Anyone have a CGC 9.4 of TWD #1 they wanna sell for $500? Apparently that is the going rate I have been told for mine since there are lots on the census higher than 9.4

 

 

That is pretty low according to GPA:

 

The average for the last four they have listed is $876

 

I asked them to show me 3 sold results in the last few months anywhere close to that...they stopped responding.

 

Last 4 sales (between July 8 and 29th)... $1009, 950, 746 and $800.

 

Jim