How much of a premium are we talking for newsstand issues v/s direct editions? 10 10

[valiantman]

I'm not telling you not to do it. I'm saying that enough don't do it so as to render any real long term price difference negligible to non-existent. I apologize if my differing opinion offends you. But sometimes a little perspective from the other side of the coin can be a good thing. Notice how I am not poo-pooing yours, or trying to get personal about things.

 

When things are common statements, they aren't the "other side of the coin". They're the "old way of thinking".

 

No one needs to be reminded that some people are stuck with a view they've had for decades.

 

This discussion is about something that is actually happening in the market.

It's not about what has happened in the past.

It's not about what most people understand but refuse to accept.

 

It's an emerging market.

It's about a growing difference due to an increase in knowledge.

It's a relative few, but a non-zero factor.

It's about what is actually happening.

 

You don't have a "differing opinion".

You have an "outdated opinion".

 

Opinions based on outdated information aren't differing and helpful... they're stale and redundant.

 

You might as well post that comics should be read and that no one should be encasing them in plastic.

That's another stale and redundant opinion. Not helpful. Not based on new information.

 

What keeps the hobby moving forward is that SOMETIMES things change.

[Broke as a Joke]

I have seen many raw newsstand books come out of closed boxes that never saw the light of day, so the nostalgic idea that every newsstand comic you see in NM was hanging out on the spinner rack is obviously not always true.

[Jaydogrules]

I'm not telling you not to do it. I'm saying that enough don't do it so as to render any real long term price difference negligible to non-existent. I apologize if my differing opinion offends you. But sometimes a little perspective from the other side of the coin can be a good thing. Notice how I am not poo-pooing yours, or trying to get personal about things.

 

When things are common statements, they aren't the "other side of the coin". They're the "old way of thinking".

 

No one needs to be reminded that some people are stuck with a view they've had for decades.

 

This discussion is about something that is actually happening in the market.

It's not about what has happened in the past.

It's not about what most people understand but refuse to accept.

 

It's an emerging market.

It's about a growing difference due to an increase in knowledge.

It's a relative few, but a non-zero factor.

It's about what is actually happening.

 

You don't have a "differing opinion".

You have an "outdated opinion".

 

Opinions based on outdated information aren't differing and helpful... they're stale and redundant.

 

You might as well post that comics should be read and that no one should be encasing them in plastic.

That's another stale and redundant opinion. Not helpful. Not based on new information.

 

What keeps the hobby moving forward is that SOMETIMES things change.

 

Folks trying to make something more of new stand versus direct editions is nothing new Valiant. It always comes down to personal preference. That's why no discernible consistent price bumps are there. If u go on ebay right now and look up asm 300 you'll see TONS of listing for each, all selling for about the same. Just as an example. But again, if new stand copies are your thing, that's great. Always collect what you like. (thumbs u

 

-J.

[valiantman]

I have seen many raw newsstand books come out of closed boxes that never saw the light of day, so the nostalgic idea that every newsstand comic you see in NM was hanging out on the spinner rack is obviously not always true.

Newsstands, in general, had a tougher life... and may have had a violent, shredding death.

 

Direct editions, in general, had a charmed life... got a protective bag and board almost immediately, and a happy roof over their head in a box.

 

Some direct editions were eaten by the family dog and some newsstand books are in unopened cases.

 

Those exceptions don't change the prevailing differences due to the methods of distribution.

[valiantman]

If u go on ebay right now and look up asm 300 you'll see TONS of listing for each

Challenge accepted...

I just scrolled through 21 listings for CGC ASM 300 before I saw 1 copy with a UPC.

After 60 slabs, I had seen 5 with a UPC.

 

But please don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

[slym2none]

 

 

 

-slym

[wormboy]

I try to collect both newsstand and direct copies of every Miller DD book (CGC).

Direct vs. newsstand availability is 20/1 (guess based on daily searching).

I am willing to pay more and have often paid more for newsstand copies in same grade as direct.

Not dramatic differences in price, but the variance is increasing as more folks realize that newsstand copies are tougher.

It also gives a collector (me) a reason to own two copies of the same book they love.

[Jaydogrules]

If u go on ebay right now and look up asm 300 you'll see TONS of listing for each

Challenge accepted...

I just scrolled through 21 listings for CGC ASM 300 before I saw 1 copy with a UPC.

After 60 slabs, I had seen 5 with a UPC.

 

But please don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

 

fair enough. Though I was counting ALL copies not just slabbed. Didn't see any real or consistent price differences either. (thumbs u

 

-J.

[valiantman]

If u go on ebay right now and look up asm 300 you'll see TONS of listing for each

Challenge accepted...

I just scrolled through 21 listings for CGC ASM 300 before I saw 1 copy with a UPC.

After 60 slabs, I had seen 5 with a UPC.

 

But please don't let the facts get in the way of your opinion.

 

fair enough. Though I was counting ALL copied not just slabbed. Didn't see any real or consistent price differences either. (thumbs u

I'm glad you see my point. When you look at ALL copies of ASM 300... you'll see tons of 7.0-level grades for UPC copies.

They're not worth slabbing, in general, and they don't get slabbed at those grades.

 

The 55 to 5 ratio on the slabs is the general ratio for "worth slabbing" copies of ASM 300.

 

As wormboy says above... it can easily be 20-to-1 for direct vs. newsstand.

 

Things which didn't matter in the past can often become things that matter.

Look at the later printings of Man of Steel #18.

When they were released, they were shunned.

If it wasn't a first print... it was garbage.

Now, it matters.

 

We couldn't have known this information without something like Ebay and CGC to show us these differences consistently and put some numbers behind them.

When the idea was that comics come in newsstand and direct varieties, but no one sees any differences, then there weren't any differences.

 

People are starting to see.

Given 21 choices for the same item, where 20 are identical and 1 is not... some people like the "not".

[Jaydogrules]

Well put valiant. I can certainly see why someone might want to hedge and get a newsstand copy as well. I suppose I will have to watch a few of my favorite books and maybe think about doubling up on my copies if I ever start to see some significant and/or consistent price separation.

 

-J.

[valiantman]

Getting back to the original question and topic of this thread, I don't think there is an established "premium" for newsstand issues, but it's easy to see that when something has a 10-to-1 ratio or a 20-to-1 ratio in the market... a premium is justified.

 

How much of a premium is still the question... if something is 10-to-1... is paying 2 times an OK price?

Probably... if the regular is $2 and the 10-to-1 is $4.

 

But, no one is currently paying double for UPC copies of ASM 300... even though the ratios are consistently about 10-to-1 for high grade.

 

If you can get the "relatively limited" version for the same price as the regular... then it's a no-brainer.

ASM 300 with a UPC is not limited... but it is a "relatively limited" version between the two types.

If you do have to pay extra... it becomes a question of whether it's OK to pay extra or to hold out for a "same price as regular".

 

I recently paid $25 above GPA average for a CGC 9.6 ASM 300 with the UPC.

That's 7% more for a book that's about 10 times less common than the direct edition in the same grade.

 

For me, that's a bargain.

For others, I paid $25 too much.

 

Either way... I like owning the book and I like picturing how many copies with the UPC are trashed... while that one survived.

My own copy with the UPC from "back in the day" is about a 5.0.

[valiantman]

There are later newsstand prints for Superman #75. Here is my 3rd print. If I remember correctly there is also a 4th print newsstand version.

 

 

Yep...

 

 

[MrWeen]

Every time I see the term "drink the Kool-Aid," I ignore whatever that person is saying.

 

 

 

 

-slym

 

I bet Kool-Aid Man newsstands sell for more than direct editions.

[slym2none]

OK

 

 

 

-slym

[THE_BEYONDER]

Generally there is no price difference because not enough people care either way. And it will most likely always be that way.

 

Wrong. It's not even that way now.

 

Try checking the sale prices for ASM 300 with UPC vs. direct edition.

Try checking the sale prices for MOS 18 with UPC vs. direct edition.

Try checking the sale prices for Spawn 1 with UPC vs. direct edition.

 

Generally, copper age comics are worthless, so it doesn't matter... therefore there is no difference when we're talking about $2 or less.

 

When a comic has value, though, there is a difference... not to everyone...

but enough people know that newsstand copies were badly handled

and often returned to know that you can't find them in top shape as often as direct editions.

 

Those people do know the difference... and, yes, some people don't know the difference or don't care.

The market reflects the activities of both the people who know and the people who don't.

When you average "no difference" with "some difference", you still get "some difference".

 

If someone is willing to drink the dealer Kool Aid that there should be a "premium" for newsstand versions, more power to them. But for every person who will pay a premium there are far more who won't, thus no real price differences ever actually develop. It really is just a way for somebody to feel like they have something that is more "rare" or "special" than someone else. If they are willing to pay more to get that feeling, great. But the market doesn't consistently support the alleged price difference in any of the books that you just mentioned.

 

-J.

 

These are the rare gems you are looking for!!!

 

[slym2none]

for every person who will pay a premium there are far more who won't

 

Conjecture.

 

 

 

-slym

[revat]

for every person who will pay a premium there are far more who won't

 

Conjecture.

 

 

 

-slym

 

Even if this is true it doesn't mean there isn't a premium

 

10 people are willing to pay 100$ for comic x, direct edition. Average price people are willing to pay: $100

 

Of those same ten people, 9 people are willing to pay $100 for comic x, newsstand edition. But one person is willing to pay more (for whatever reason) $102. Therefore avg price people are willing to pay for newsstand is $100.20. In this case you have a premium.

Now for vast majority of coppers which are junk, maybe it doesn't matter since nobody wants them either way. But for the keys, I can see how some comic collectors will add some value to something perceived as rarer in high grade.

 

By the way, the vast majority of the world can't understand why anyone would pay more than cover price for a comic. And yet here we are.

[vaillant]

I think there is an additional observation to be made.

 

In the earlier stages, newsstand versions were common, while in the final stages it was the opposite (with newstand versions being less and less copies in terms of print run).

So it may help to keep this into account.

 

Personally, since when I started collecting, I always avoided newsstand versions because I did not like the UPC, and always favored "Whitman" versions (not knowing they were called like that) because I liked the "diamond" shape better.

 

Right now, for example, I like Mark Jewelery books but not because they are "scarcer", rather because the book is less delicate to handle, and they add a fascinating cultural element knowing they were distributed in determinate areas in USA (the military bases, etc.)

 

Ultimately, it’s not mere "scarcity" that makes the book more interesting, at least to me – although I admit I love rarity, but mostly I love it if it’s absolute rarity (i.e. italian books from 1943-44-45, which are very scarce in terms of actual copies in existence).

[vaillant]

By the way, the vast majority of the world can't understand why anyone would pay more than cover price for a comic. And yet here we are.

 

But here there is also the inherent value of the book. As much as it is related to the times, and to each generation’s sensibility and tastes, there is also an objective element.

 

An X-Force #1 will never have the value of a Fantastic Four #1.

[MrWeen]

I think there is an additional observation to be made.

 

In the earlier stages, newsstand versions were common, while in the final stages it was the opposite (with newstand versions being less and less copies in terms of print run).

.

 

The fact is there aren't too many places selling modern newsstand comics at all. In decades to come the modern newsstands selling today should be quite rare based on this and the smaller print runs of many modern comics. Where I live all the Border's and Barnes and Noble stores have closed. Most Super Market's don't carry comics and the drug stores don't sell them at all. Even Toys R us sell a few DC titles and Sonic comics, that's it.