FF 199..error, reprint, variant, Marvel pack, what IS it?

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Hey all,

 

While combing through a bunch of orignal owner FFs I just picked up, I found an interesting FF 199 that caught my eye. It has a non-standard $.35 price stamp, and lacks a bar code on the lower left side.

 

Now, 199 is not listed as a price variant in the Guide, and in fact the $.35 price is indeed what it should be, but it's the only 199 I've ever seen with this particular stamp. All other 199s (three in my personal collection, over a dozen I scoped in eBay stores, and every other one according to memory) has the "Still Only $.35" stamp and the bar code.

 

So, what is this? The lack of a bar code indicates that maybe it's a reprint, perhaps one of those Marvel Multi-Mag Pack books, but the indicia is consistent with the cover date: Oct '78 (which is what it should be) with nothing to indicate it was a reprint.

 

Does anyone else have or has seen a copy like this? Anyone want to venture a guess?

[Metarog]

That's a direct sale variant usually known as a Marvel Whitman. Here is a site which explains about them.

 

http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/Direct/

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Sweet..Thanks! That's a very informative site!