Variants, directors editions, etc...

[Kermit the frog]

apart the Turner's ridiculous high number of variant covers, DC and Marvel seem to present a relatively well paced/rythmed production of covers that started reaching on high prices...

 

the variants RPR and the likes such as Astonishing x-men n°1 (and maybe n°4, ) seem to present a more steady market for these puppys.

 

have they learned something from the 90s (for not floding on much higher gimmicks)?! will these comics sutain the mid therm/long therm road?!

 

more, they seem to "play" well the hide and seek game of putting out the new covers (no image of astonishing 4 and even the n°1 no one seemed to know which one was the variant one).

 

regards

[deathlok]

$$$$$$$$$$$

[valiantman]

Variants of all shapes and sizes are always tied to the "regular version" in terms of value.

 

What I mean is... a valuable regular issue will have a more valuable variant

than a common regular issue's variant cover.

 

If the comic itself isn't prized, if that regular cover issue isn't important on its own...

then the variant doesn't have much of a chance of sustaining long-term value.

 

Even legitimate "non-manufactured variants" like 35cent price variants

aren't worth much when the 30cent version of the comic itself isn't important.

 

The question is... will the regular Astonishing X-Men #4 issue be important on its own?

(For the record, there are very few "#4s" that matter, throughout comic history.)

Having a "limited edition" version of something unimportant doesn't make it important.

 

All I'm really saying is... buyer beware.

[rob_react]

 

Even legitimate "non-manufactured variants" like 35cent price variants

aren't worth much when the 30cent version of the comic itself isn't important.

 

Except for all the really rare ones- the westerns and reprint titles.

[valiantman]

Except for all the really rare ones- the westerns and reprint titles.

Sure, but "unintentionally rare" is a different animal than "manufactured rare".

[mrwoogieman]

I hate to look to Chuck R. for my information since his perspective seems so dealer-centric, but he was right on the money talking about how these retailer incentives (the RRP program) were started as a way for the comic book publishers to give some money to the retailers without actually having to give them currency.

 

The idea is the publishers are saying, 'thanks retailers, and rather than an additional discount or something, here's a limited run variant issue of a hot book that you can mark up and sell like the dickens (or do whatever you want with it)'. The Astonishing and other planned variants from Marvel work much the same way, I believe.

[Kermit the frog]

The idea is the publishers are saying, 'thanks retailers, and rather than an additional discount or something, here's a limited run variant issue of a hot book that you can mark up and sell like the dickens (or do whatever you want with it)'. The Astonishing and other planned variants from Marvel work much the same way, I believe.

 

interesting comments...

 

so what we are seeing is a rather different approach from the 90s crazy speculation boom, it seems they are straining a little from these gimmicks, not only presenting great art, but the books seem to have a chance to hold up in value for the foreseable future...i hope it keeps up like this (avoiding the Turners wanabee, where every collector must spent several $$$ to obtain the variant coll./fever, ).