Question about marvel whitman variants

[tay666]

Ok, I have read about the different variations on this page http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/Direct/index.htm

 

One of the questions I still have though, do individual comics have multiple variations? Example. Would Conan 80 have more than one kind of Whitman type?

Or are the changes something that just happened over time?

Which is what it seems like from looking at some of my issues.

 

I'm just starting to get into variants, so I'm trying to learn what all to keep an eye out for.

 

Also do the .30 and .35 variants also have regular and whitman versions?

[Metarog]

This would be a great question for Gifflefunk since that site is his. However, if you want my 2 cents-here it is.

 

As far as I know all Marvel Whitmans have the same type of logo for each individual issue. So all Conan 80 Whitmans have the 35 cent diamond and blank UPC. If there are variations such as a filled in UPC it is probably a printing error.

 

As to price differences-all Whitmans that I have seen have the same prices. There is a Marvels's Greatest Comics #74 that has a 30 cent cover when the regular newstand version is 35 cents but all MGC #74 are 30 cents.

 

The changes to the Whitman logos are in various stages. The UPC is present is issues through either Aug or Sept 1977 depending on the title. It is then gone but returns in Aug-Oct 1978 for some titles and issues. It is then gone again until you get the Direct Market editions in June 1979.

 

The top logo also changes depending on the regular Marvel logo. The familiar diamond in a black box is changed to a diamond with a starburst when Marvel changed to "Still only 35 cents" in October 1978 and then 40 cents in May 1979.

 

The June-Oct 1978 issues can have as many as 4 versions:

1. Regular newstand

2. Whitman

3. 35 cent variant

4. Pence edition

 

Hope this helps.

[tay666]

Thanks.

So it is as I thought.

 

I'm just now learning about all the differenent variants, and I thought 'cool, something to spice up my Conan collection'.

Up until a couple weeks ago, I never realized what all was out there. Now I have tons of stuff to look for. Whitman's, direct, newstand, .30 and .35 plus all the foriegn versions. So now I can look forward to searching for lots of stuff.

As to value, I am happy with things being the same

I'm working on getting all variations of all the Conan comics. So I prefer there to be no premium.

[cosmic-spider-man]

The June-Oct 1978 issues can have as many as 4 versions:

1. Regular newstand

2. Whitman

3. 35 cent variant

4. Pence edition

 

great Info Metarog but did you mean June-Oct.1977 issues? Any way I thought I would post an example of this as I am also interested in this subject and have a few Questions myself.

 

Their are some books I have never seen with the UK price like ASM from 1977 did they make these ? I have some much older ones but none from this time.

 

Also the Direct market ones were these only sold in three packs or were they also sold loose in comic stores back in 1977 I never seen any in my area back then? And is it likely that they printed Direct Market verisions of all Marvel comics from Feb. 1977 on, because their are a lot of them that I have never seen?

 

And if they only came in 3pack's are their any info on what the pack combinations were or were they just random?

 

[Metarog]

Ooops! Terry is right that was a typo that should read June through Oct 1977. That's a nice side by side comparison BTW. I guess the ultimate variant collectors get every possible variant so there can be no doubt you have covered all the bases.

 

As to the pence varaints I know that Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk and the Avengers were not distributed in the United Kingdom during this time so they would not compete with the British Marvel reprints. Go to this site for a good explanation of Pence copies. http://217.196.238.182/big-tel/market/market1.htm

 

I don't think that Marvel sold the Direct Sale variants to comic book shops as I recall getting my Marvels from a local shop and they were the regular UPC comics. That is until mid 1979 when they carried the "slash through the UPC" covers. There were many combinations of comis and some are quit rare... have you ever seen a Conan #93, Devil Dinosaur #6 or Kull #23 Direct Sale? These are quite scarce and may be tougher than some price variants.

[cosmic-spider-man]

Yea I guess I am a little nuts with my collecting habbits I just realy like the mid to late 70's because that was when I first started reading comics and it looks real cool to compare the different variations of each book.

 

I think the Star Wars #2 has at least 7 variations counting the three reprint ones it would be cool to see a comparison of those I think I may have all but the UK verision of it.

 

I would like to try and start putting together a set of Pence copys from 1976-77eventualy and I am already buying the Diamond ones when I can get a good deal on them so maybe some day I will have a set of every Marvel variation from the late 70's.

 

No I have never seen a three pack with Conan #93, Devil Dinosaur #6, and Kull #23 is this pack even possible I know the Kull 23 came out 1977 and the Conan #93 came out at least 14 mounths later not sure when Devil Dinosaur #6 came out did they pack comics from this far apart in the same bags. I think I have about 8 of these 3pack's from 1977 and I belive all of them have comics from the same mounth in them.

 

Did the Direct market ones come out the same time as the regular news stand editions ? Does anyone remember buying these three packs back in 1977? I ask this on another board and got no responce yet so I am going to ask again just what is that " Free Prize Inside " and I am not going to open the bag to find out?

 

[Metarog]

Hi Terry, those three comics that I was talking about (Conan, DD and Kull) were just some samples of the rarer variants but I did not want to suggest that they came in a bag together. The bags usually collected comics from around the ame time frame.

 

Well at least you know that ASM, Hulk and Avengers from this era don't have pence variants so that is three fewer titles to worry about.

 

I have no idea what the prize could be-maybe a card, tattoo or sticker? Somebody must have opened one of these right? Good luck on the set.

[cosmic-spider-man]

Sorry I took it you ment they were packed together I should have known this was not right and you are right that Kull 23 must be very rare I have never seen one.

 

What are the rarest Direct market ones from the late 70's I have only seen one Marvel Super Action #1 and those Star Wars #2-4 I have seen a lot less of them than the 35 cent variants of those issues so they must be somewhat rare. What about a Western Direct market Marvel have you ever seen one of those?

 

Back to the UK comics I am almost sure I have seen Avengers #162 12P UK verision last year and was going to bid on it but didn't I also think I remember seeing a #161 a while back. Has anyone else seen any Avengers from 1976-77 with the UK price. I know I have never seen any ASM because I always look for these and I don't think I have ever seen any HULK from that time either. I may have saved a picture of that Avengers #162 I will look for it and post it if I find it.

 

 

Roger do you collect the Direct market marvels they are still very cheep and it is fun to hunt for them you can always find a few hear and their and since I hunt for 35 cent variants all the time anyway I come across them all the time.

[Metarog]

Maybe one day we can figure out what the rarest DS variants are but I think we would need Gifflefunk over on the E-Bay boards to help out with that. He is the owner of the most informative site on the matter- http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/Direct/

BTW, I thought these were distributed by Western? No?

 

Besides the ones I have already mentioned there are a few that are supposedly yet to be found and some are missing from the grid in the site like Spidey Super Stories #36 which I have seen. The MSA #1 is tough but I have seen 3 or 4 before. Among the toughest IMHO are Spider-Women #5, Marvel's Greatest #80 and Marvel Super-Heores #76. A few of the Defenders, MTU and Tarzan are rough also. I am sure there are more out there... have you seen any missing from the grid?

 

Looks like you found some Avengers that that site said didn't exist. Just goes to show that you can't believe everything you read.

 

I used to have a whole bunch of these variants but I traded most of them to a neighbor years ago and then he moved. I do have a few here and there but nothing like before. I think I had all of the Capt. Americas and most of the ASM.

 

[tay666]

So, has anyone seen any direct versions of Red Sonja?

 

It's not on the grid, even though it started in 1977.

[cosmic-spider-man]

So, has anyone seen any direct versions of Red Sonja?

 

I have never seen one but that don't mean their not out their .

 

Roger I don't think I have ever seen any that are not on that site if I do I will let you or gifflefunk know are you helping him with locating these. Very Cool site by the way.

 

Did any one ever figure out what was up with that Star Wars #1 that had the 35 cent diamond and UPC was it a reprint or a eairly Direct market verision did anyone ever find out?

[Earl Davis]

I am slowly working on a list of all DC Pence Price Variants. I estimate there are only about 700-800 issues which were printed with a UK price only.

 

I am far from an expert on Marvel so I could be wrong but I think the issues of Avengers in the 100's which were not printed with a UK only price are issues 121 to 152.

 

Regards Earl.

[cosmic-spider-man]

Earl Thanks for the reply and Good luck with that DC UK price variant list. Do you know where I might be able to find out what all Marvel's from say 1975-79 had UK price variants it would be nice to have a list of those are their any web site's that you know of ?

I read on the Comics Price Guide Message board where you had posted to ask about Canadian variants "was that you?" and some one replied that if they were known they would only be worth 1/2 as much as american ones just like the UK price variants. Well this should not be the case it is most certain that the UK variants are much rarer than the normal copy's and were supposed to be printed at the same time this should make them more valuable and the same should go for the Direct Market and Canadian ones also. I guess however that American collectors would rather have american priced comics but when they complete their collections some will be looking for variants "like me" to keep it interesting so they should eventually be worth more than the normal priced copy's wouldn't you think.

[Earl Davis]

Some collectors estimate the number of pence copies printed is 5% or less of the total print run although I have never seen any factual evidence to support this. For books under $10 there seems to be little difference in sales prices realized, as the value of the book rises pence variants seem to fetch less and less as a percentage of the dollar value.

 

No one has ever made a comprehensive list of Pence variants that I know of which is why I started to research the DC pence variants. Current research indicates there are no more than 700-800 DC issues, which had a UK only price variant printed. There are many more Marvel issues with pence variants.

 

Even 5% of the print run seems high given that the UK population was about 10% that of the US, Superhero comics were never as popular in the UK in the 70’s as home grown UK titles and that the US imports were also competing against Marvel’s own B&W reprints that these were selling in the UK through their UK subsidiary company.

 

I guess 3% to 5% of the print run therefore sounds about right.

 

Regards Earl.

[cosmic-spider-man]

have you ever seen a Conan #93, Devil Dinosaur #6 or Kull #23 Direct Sale?

 

Look what I just found

 

[Metarog]

Very nice Terry, that is only the second one I have ever seen! Some of these are almost as tough as some of the 30 cent variants.