Is Identity Crisis #1 Sold out?

[WiseGuyX]

I've saw that DC has issued a Second and Third printing of IC # 1. Is this really needed or is this some kind of scam to get us to buy some variant covers? I see people selling this in lots of 50 (first printing) on Ebay all the time. I think Wizard still sales the first printing also. Heck my LCD had IC #1 first printings on his shelf up until issue # 3 came out I maybe blowing this up but it just seems to easy to get a First printing IC # 1. Does anyone got a print number on IC #1 first printing? It's not in the 3rd standard catalog of comic books. Well not that I can see

[Kevin Boyd]

Initial orders in June for IC #1 thru Diamond were around 175,000 and was consistantly reordered by retailers over the course of the summer. DC probably printed around 200,000 copies of IC #1, maybe more.

 

The initial print run had sold out by September, when DC announced the rush-released the 2nd print "Negative" cover for an October release.

 

The 2nd print sold out within weeks (not sure of the print run), so DC decided that it needed a third printing (this time with a new cover). If that sells out just as fast we may see an unprecedented fourth printing.

 

Unlike Marvel Comics, if DC sells out of their initial print run thru Diamond and they believe that there is sufficient interest they will go back to print to ensure that there are reading copies available. They definitely believe that there is sufficient interest in Identity Crisis - they want this book out there and available.

 

They do not go out and poll shops to see if they would be interested in a 2nd printing, or if speculators are sitting on 50 copies or unopened cases. And as long as retailers and their customers keep ordering these reprintings they will keep on releasing them. It's not a "scam" to get people to buy books - they are just meeting what they feel is demand for their product.

 

On the flip side, I've heard retailers say to me that they missed the boat on the Michael Turner Superman variants from earlier in the year and they will not be left out so they order these later printings even if the first print is still available at their stores.

 

I'm sure DC has some idea that these 2nd and 3rd prints are being sold to the same speculators that bought the first print, but Diamond (and DC) don't distinguish between "real" sales of 1 person = 1 comic and speculator sales of 1 person = multiple copies.

 

----

 

We also discussed the announcements and need for multiple printings when the announcement came in last week about GL: Rebirth #1 selling out the day before it hit the shops and the rushed 2nd print they plan to do of that in the thread about Green Lantern: Rebirth #1.

[WiseGuyX]

OIC

 

Sorry about responding so late, just got back from The Wizard convention

[Stromm]

Thought Kevin and others might like to see this,

I will be receiving these next week, maybe........

10 07588020 7 APR040316D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7) 3.95 55.0 1.7775 17.78 DC

30 07590161 3 APR045290D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 3RD PRINTING 3.95 55.0 1.7775 53.33 DC

 

And for those who don't know, those are first print #1's I reorded on 10/16/04

[awe4one]

Thought Kevin and others might like to see this,

I will be receiving these next week, maybe........

10 07588020 7 APR040316D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7) 3.95 55.0 1.7775 17.78 DC

30 07590161 3 APR045290D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 3RD PRINTING 3.95 55.0 1.7775 53.33 DC

 

And for those who don't know, those are first print #1's I reorded on 10/16/04

 

So you're saying you ordered 1st prints of #1 from Diamond on 10/16? One of these entries says 3rd print?

 

Jim

[Kevin Boyd]

And for those who don't know, those are first print #1's I reorded on 10/16/04

 

Either DC's press release on September 8 announcing that IC 1 was sold out at the distributor level was a fabrication, or you ordered them before 10/16.

 

I have no reason to doubt you, so if you did order them on 10/16 then Identity Crisis #1 was not sold out.

 

Methinks there may be some gun jumping involved.

[Kevin Boyd]

So you're saying you ordered 1st prints of #1 from Diamond on 10/16? One of these entries says 3rd print?

 

He's getting 10 1st prints and 30 3rd prints.

[awe4one]

Methinks there may be some gun jumping involved.

 

If true, methinks there is some creative number crunching going on. And not just on IC #1...

 

Jim

[Kevin Boyd]

If true, methinks there is some creative number crunching going on. And not just on IC #1...

 

It could be a "the printer paper was running low" scenario.

 

If I'm at work and I notice we are down to our last package of printer paper, I notify the person that does the ordering for our floor and they place an order for another box.

 

Diamond may notify DC that they are down to their last X number of copies and expect to be sold out within a few weeks. DC then decides whether or not they want to do another printing based on reorder activity, then they issue a press release announcing that it is sold out at the distributor and that they will do another printing (like IC 1 & 2, GL Rebirth 1 & 2) or that they will not (Green Arrow 43).

 

10/16 was five weeks after the press release, so I guess they hadn't cleared out the remaining X copies at that time.

[Stromm]

Thought Kevin and others might like to see this,

I will be receiving these next week, maybe........

10 07588020 7 APR040316D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7) 3.95 55.0 1.7775 17.78 DC

30 07590161 3 APR045290D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 3RD PRINTING 3.95 55.0 1.7775 53.33 DC

 

And for those who don't know, those are first print #1's I reorded on 10/16/04

 

So you're saying you ordered 1st prints of #1 from Diamond on 10/16? One of these entries says 3rd print?

 

Jim

RUN DATE: 10/16/2004 13:38:24:00 Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. Page 1

W E B O R D E R P O S T E D R E P O R T

GATEWAY (THE) Cust PO# : none

Entered by

Order Number 07588020

 

Action Qty Ord Item # Description Price

posted 10 APR040316 D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7) 3.9500

10 Local Center Backorder

posted 1 JAN040317 Z DARK KNIGHT RETURNS SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE 10.0000

1 Memphis Tennessee thru Local Center

 

 

i will most likley get a white or yellow slip stating they don't have them, "were sorry"

[WiseGuyX]

Maybe I was right

[lou_fine]

Methinks there may be some gun jumping involved.

 

If true, methinks there is some creative number crunching going on. And not just on IC #1...

 

Jim

 

I don't think there is any creative number crunching going on here. What's really happening here is nothing more than marketing hype in order to sell more books.

 

Waiting for a book to sell out before going to print again, assumes that the publisher is targeting buyers who were unable to buy the original in the first place. The real targets here, however, are the fanboys and speculators who already have the original prints, but won't be able to resist picking up the additional printings.

 

This is really nothing more than DC's marketing strategy to whip them into a speculative buying frenzy before the book hits the newsstands.

[WiseGuyX]

Methinks there may be some gun jumping involved.

 

If true, methinks there is some creative number crunching going on. And not just on IC #1...

 

Jim

 

I don't think there is any creative number crunching going on here. What's really happening here is nothing more than marketing hype in order to sell more books.

 

Waiting for a book to sell out before going to print again, assumes that the publisher is targeting buyers who were unable to buy the original in the first place. The real targets here, however, are the fanboys and speculators who already have the original prints, but won't be able to resist picking up the additional printings.

 

This is really nothing more than DC's marketing strategy to whip them into a speculative buying frenzy before the book hits the newsstands.

 

This is basicaly what I was wondering about it beinga scam or not.

 

I really can't sit back and side in against DC for doing something like this. In my opinion they both are working hard to figure out ways to get more of our money. Granted that is the nature of business but if they're not careful we will see a repeat of the 90's. In fact it's probly to late and the wheels are already set in motion for something serious to happen to the hobby.

[WiseGuyX]

Now I just read they was sending IC #2 back to the press for a second print. I think I can come more believeing in the IC2 than the 2nd and 3rd printing of IC1.

[lou_fine]

Now I just read they was sending IC #2 back to the press for a second print. I think I can come more believeing in the IC2 than the 2nd and 3rd printing of IC1.

 

Actually, as I stated in another similar thread with respect to IC #2: It makes absolutely no sense from a buyer's point of view to reprint a book that took 4 or 5 months to sell out at the distributor's level.

 

You may as well go all the way back and reprint Action Comics from issue #1 onwards since they are also no longer available in the stores. Lots of buyers here trying to complete their Superman runs, especially if they are exact reprints and totally indistingushable from the originals. No need for sketch or variant covers here.

 

Just waiting to see which one of these variant covers will be the Deathmate equivalent for 2004 - 2005.

[WiseGuyX]

Now I just read they was sending IC #2 back to the press for a second print. I think I can come more believeing in the IC2 than the 2nd and 3rd printing of IC1.

 

Actually, as I stated in another similar thread with respect to IC #2: It makes absolutely no sense from a buyer's point of view to reprint a book that took 4 or 5 months to sell out at the distributor's level.

 

 

I had no idea IC#2 took that long to sell out How do you find this information out without having a dealer account?

[Stromm]

Thought Kevin and others might like to see this,

I will be receiving these next week, maybe........

10 07588020 7 APR040316D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7) 3.95 55.0 1.7775 17.78 DC

30 07590161 3 APR045290D IDENTITY CRISIS #1 3RD PRINTING 3.95 55.0 1.7775 53.33 DC

 

And for those who don't know, those are first print #1's I reorded on 10/16/04

I actually got the #1's today!

[MutantKeys]

Its funny because look how teen titans had four printings and you still cant find that book in a comicbook store..now that book sold out but not IC my comicbook shop has about 100 left..still!!!!!