Newstand or Direct? What's your flavor?

[toyman-migration]

Love newstand, much harder to get 9.8's

[justin]

If I had to, I would spend just a little bit more to get a Direct one vs a UPC one. That's how much I don't like the UPC.

[B-Smooth]

I like the newsstand because they remind me of a time when comics roamed free in the wild before they were all captured and confined to comic book stores.

And those evil metal racks! Good times. I purposely look for newsstand copies.

[marino1]

i love the newstand because when i get a high grade direct edition i always think it was overstock from a shop. i used to buy my copies at a newstand and they are tougher to find in high grade.

[Cimm]

If I had to, I would spend just a little bit more to get a Direct one vs a UPC one. That's how much I don't like the UPC.

+1

[gradejunky]

When I was a kid I preferred the direct editions, but bought many books from book stores/grocery stores etc. Now I do seek out some books that are newsstand versions just because of scarcity in HG. My biggest blunder as a kid was passing up on the Spider-Man #1 gold UPC editions because they weren't "cool" like the silver poly-bagged edition. I could have owned several of those.

[awakeintheashes]

When I was a kid I preferred the direct editions, but bought many books from book stores/grocery stores etc. Now I do seek out some books that are newsstand versions just because of scarcity in HG. My biggest blunder as a kid was passing up on the Spider-Man #1 gold UPC editions because they weren't "cool" like the silver poly-bagged edition. I could have owned several of those.

 

I did this stuff all the time. LCS were few and far between, so eventually I settled for newsstands. Didn't realize it would serve me well 15-20 years later.

[AGGIEZ]

I chose the "I don't care" option. However, one thing I can't stand is having a run with mixed versions. If I have one with the newstand box, I need them all to have that box.

 

 

[B-Smooth]

[Garlanda]

Funny that this thread's been resurrected after nearly 8 months, but...

 

I prefer the direct for Copper Age, especially if it has something special about it, such as the McFarlane/Larsen Amazing Spider-man run from 303-350. Almost every one of these has unique art in the direct UPC box. Likewise, several Eternity comics just left the box off of their direct covers, so the art is unbroken.

 

For Moderns, with the whole DIRECT EDITION barcode, obviously it's no big deal either way, except for the continued shrinking of the newstand market.

 

I'm surprised no one mentioned the early Marvel Bronze Age direct books, which were the worst of both worlds: a bar code with a slash through it. Ugly.

[AGGIEZ]

I bought a bunch of books on Christmas Eve and noticed that most of them were newsstand...then I thought of this thread and wanted to read what everyone had to say...apologies for raising the dead... ;^)

 

 

and I love the term 'thread necro"...

 

 

[Garlanda]

Thread Black Lantern?

 

 

I think only Mile High makes a big deal about newsstand prices (except for obvious standouts like the Spidey Gold), but try to get 'em to buy 'em at that rate.

 

One other thing... newsstand copies also have a chance to have Mark Jewelers inserts, depending on where they're from. I'm not aware of any MJs in direct editions.

[B-Smooth]

I bought a bunch of books on Christmas Eve and noticed that most of them were newsstand...then I thought of this thread and wanted to read what everyone had to say...apologies for raising the dead... ;^)

 

 

and I love the term 'thread necro"...

 

 

I like bringing them back from the dead, too. The good ones. Some people just bring back krap, for bringing back krap's sake. I prefer newsstand copies. Always have. I like the look, and it brings back memories of thumbing through all of the spinner racks, looking for a particular book I had waited a month for. Good times.

[fastballspecial]

In say the last 8 years or so Newstands are getting pretty difficult to find unless you live next to a Barnes and Nobles. Even then only certain books are offered many just plain aren't available. Independents except Archies, Sonic and Dark Horse are either not available or very scarce.

 

High grade is a nightmare to find in those books and feel for buyers looking for those.

 

[Ebel 1911]

Funny that this thread's been resurrected after nearly 8 months, but...

 

I prefer the direct for Copper Age, especially if it has something special about it, such as the McFarlane/Larsen Amazing Spider-man run from 303-350. Almost every one of these has unique art in the direct UPC box. Likewise, several Eternity comics just left the box off of their direct covers, so the art is unbroken.

 

For Moderns, with the whole DIRECT EDITION barcode, obviously it's no big deal either way, except for the continued shrinking of the newstand market.

 

I'm surprised no one mentioned the early Marvel Bronze Age direct books, which were the worst of both worlds: a bar code with a slash through it. Ugly.

 

Yeah, the art always looked better to me than the UPC.

[mr_highgrade]

I like the newsstand because they remind me of a time when comics roamed free in the wild before they were all captured and confined to comic book stores.

 

+1

 

+2