Sandman V2 #1 & #8 Appreciation Thread: "Don't wake me, I'm dreaming!!!" 3 3

[Microchip]

A somewhat obscure copy these days, and a double cover too boot 

[HighVoltage]

On 8/5/2021 at 2:21 AM, Microchip said:

A somewhat obscure copy these days, and a double cover too boot 

I love the platinum Sandman 50!

Awesome double cover! 

[cbmitch]

On 8/5/2021 at 4:21 AM, Microchip said:

A somewhat obscure copy these days, and a double cover too boot 

On a related subject, anyone know the print run of Death: The High Cost of Living #1 Platinum Edition?  I believe it was given to retailers as a thank-you for the launching of the Vertigo line with Death #1 as the first comic.  My gut thought is that  the print run of this would be similar to Spider-Man #1 Platinum which was given as a thank-you also and that is around 10,000 copies (which should be a much more expensive book for that print run but another subject).  Anyhow, a 9.8 just sold on ebay for $500 which there are only 13 9.8's in the census.  That price seems reasonable to me...

[manetteska]

On 8/4/2021 at 8:18 PM, Lazyboy said:

As Sandman was a Direct-only title, orders from shops (well, DC would have seen the orders from the distributors) would have been by far the most significant driver of print runs. Seeing sales numbers of previous issues is for titles with newsstand distribution.

Interesting; I didn't know it was Direct-only. Do you know if that was due to content or other as the Essential reprints had newsstands.

[MAR1979]

On 8/5/2021 at 12:50 PM, cbmitch said:

On a related subject, anyone know the print run of Death: The High Cost of Living #1 Platinum Edition?  I believe it was given to retailers as a thank-you for the launching of the Vertigo line with Death #1 as the first comic.  My gut thought is that  the print run of this would be similar to Spider-Man #1 Platinum which was given as a thank-you also and that is around 10,000 copies (which should be a much more expensive book for that print run but another subject).  Anyhow, a 9.8 just sold on ebay for $500 which there are only 13 9.8's in the census.  That price seems reasonable to me...

 

Regarding "Cost of Living" Plat 1 , variant collectors are a sub-set of Comic Collectors and sadly DC Collecting, especially post Silver, also seems to be a subset as well.  I know many Marvel only collectors but no DC only collectors.  If those 9.8 #'s increase I really do not think demand will follow in tandem.

As for me i collect DC and Marvel but have no interest in variants even if a few have made their way into my collection over the years.  Close friends I have that also collect have no variant interest.  So IMHO Variant collecting is a sub-set and by sub-set I am not referring to a  much lower collected niche status.

-------------

In my opinion #8 will exceed #1 possibly by a lot going forward;  1/3 the 9.8 pop, 1/2 the 9.6 pop. More condition sensitive and by all accounts lower print run than #1. Also a more collector desirable character first appearance. For those that actually read the book (I know the social media speculator crowd ain't doin' that) it's a much more enjoyable issue as well.  Again its only my opinion but I think the market is already playing it out.

Edited August 5, 2021 by MAR1979

[Lazyboy]

On 8/5/2021 at 4:47 PM, manetteska said:

Interesting; I didn't know it was Direct-only. Do you know if that was due to content or other as the Essential reprints had newsstands.

It was at least partly based on content, like the other DC Direct-only titles from that time. The real question is how much was based on not wanting to put mature content in a general sales area and how much was based on projected sales of that content through that system.

To be clear, the very end of the series has Newsstands, likely based on requests from bookstores which were doing well selling the TPBs. I would suspect that was also the case with the Essentials, rather than them having full newsstand distribution.

[followtheleader]

On 8/5/2021 at 6:40 AM, HighVoltage said:

I love the platinum Sandman 50!

Awesome double cover! 

Me too.  That cover is just amazing.

Patrick

[Namtak]

Hey did not know about this thread!yes i have a cgc sandman 1 9.6 hidden somewhere....even got the kirby one just because i love sandman but its not as good as gaimans one!my favorite story is dream of a thousand cats!and i own a few no8 but needs to get pressed and cgc then framed with this silver jewelry lol!love the blue cat variant wish to have a better copy someday but found it for 5$then pressed and cgc so cant complaint i guess.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 8/7/2021 at 7:12 PM, Namtak said:

Hey did not know about this thread!yes i have a cgc sandman 1 9.6 hidden somewhere....even got the kirby one just because i love sandman but its not as good as gaimans one!my favorite story is dream of a thousand cats!and i own a few no8 but needs to get pressed and cgc then framed with this silver jewelry lol!love the blue cat variant wish to have a better copy someday but found it for 5$then pressed and cgc so cant complaint i guess.

Ah that's cool

I remember this error edition coming up in my searches long ago, very nice!

[mcduckz]

Took me a while to do it, but I finally broke down earlier this year and shipped off a bunch of my Sandman books to CGC for grading.  I've had the entire run of 75 issues (+ the special) since buying them new from my LCS when they released.  Pretty happy with the grades considering I bought them fresh and have stored them/carried them around/occasionally reread them over the past 30-some odd years. 

Thinking I might upgrade my copy of issue 8 to a 9.8 before pricing gets even crazier when the show trailers start.

 

[HighVoltage]

On 8/16/2021 at 3:53 PM, mcduckz said:

Took me a while to do it, but I finally broke down earlier this year and shipped off a bunch of my Sandman books to CGC for grading.  I've had the entire run of 75 issues (+ the special) since buying them new from my LCS when they released.  Pretty happy with the grades considering I bought them fresh and have stored them/carried them around/occasionally reread them over the past 30-some odd years. 

Thinking I might upgrade my copy of issue 8 to a 9.8 before pricing gets even crazier when the show trailers start.

 

Very, very nice!!! 

[grendelbo]

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by grendelbo

[Jaydogrules]

Boy the #8 editorial variant has turned in to an absolute ghost over the last 2 years.  

-J.

[valiantman]

On 8/20/2021 at 7:33 PM, Jaydogrules said:

Boy the #8 editorial variant has turned in to an absolute ghost over the last 2 years.  

-J.

800 universal copies of #8 graded in the past two years... only 11 are the editorial variant. 

[MAR1979]

On 8/4/2021 at 7:25 PM, MAR1979 said:

I have self-submitted UN-pressed CGC 9.8's of 1 and 8 which I purchased raw, of course, from my local shop during my youth back in 1989.  Sorry don't have pics.

Over the years I recall reading that after issue 6 DC increased the press runs after seeing the earlier sales numbers. Then vastly increased again after 9.  It was mentioned that the lowest print runs were issues 2,3,4,5 with 4 being the lowest. #3 remains my favorite issue of the run. Anyone have #'s for the print runs ?

Interesting that for issues #4 and #8 both the individual 9.6 and 9.4 populations exceed the 9.8's. Given the era in which these were produced that says to me they are somewhat condition sensitive.

I think #4 should be added to this thread title that way THE 3 Keys to the run are covered. 

Now I have pics

Edited October 28, 2021 by MAR1979

[EmpyreDave]

Some of my prized books 

 

[chrisco37]

On 8/4/2021 at 10:39 PM, followtheleader said:

Very interesting.  Game of You ended up being one of my favs. 

Sandman definitely feels all over the place in spots.  It's really what I liked about it.  Some portions really have little to do with Morpheus. 

I agree, the story does really come become more cohesive, in the standard expectation, in the later arcs.  

Patrick

The first time I read the series, I didn’t really like A Game of You.  After subsequent re-reads, it’s one of my favorites as well.  It’s the most “dreamy” of the early arcs.  
Seasons of Mist is the most “accessible” for most readers.  It’s more “traditional” of a story.  It’s great as well and was my favorite on the first go.

Also, I absolutely love #13 (Hobbs).  It’s one of my favorite single issues of any series ever.  I sold most of my comics earlier this year (including my Sandman runs), but I kept a copy of 13 for “nostalgia” sake.  Probably should’ve kept a 1 and/or an 8 too.  Oh well.  

[jjonahjameson11]

The sandman special #1(Orpheus) was the first Sandman book that I purchased.  I was immediately hooked and went to a half dozen comic stores to pick up all of the back issues I could find (pre-ebay).  The thrill of the hunt was almost as much fun as reading the comics.

this led to my spending way too much money on the Sandman bronze statue.  😂

[wormboy]

Here is my #8 Editorial variant. In 1989 I was working in a warehouse in SF. My coworker and friend had this book rolled up in his back pocket. I was out of comics for several years, but was curious and asked him about it. He said they gave it to him free at Comix Experience, and he gave it to me. I absolutely loved it and immediately picked up the earlier issues and collected it through completion. I’ve been collecting comics (again) ever since then. Thanks Mike!

 

 

[jdandns]

Wow, great stuff in this thread! I started reading the book around issue 3 or so after hearing some great buzz. It was still very easy at that time to go back and get the first couple of issues, which I did, and read each issue when new for the entire run. Great series for sure, with "Dream of A Thousand Cats" and "Ramadan" (among others) remaining some of my favorite single issue stories ever.

My own collection is just a full raw set and few of the original hardbacks, plus the Skybox widevision Sandman and Vertigo trading card sets. I did have an extra #8 at one time but sold it raw for about $100 a long, long time ago.

There were newsstands of this series' early issues. The single digit issues were sold at Waldenbooks and the like with a thinner-than-usual UPC sticker affixed to them, and I had the first half-dozen issues or so like that in great shape, but traded them away exactly because I didn't like those stickers on them (D'oh!). Somehow, I do still have a #12 with a regular sized UPC sticker on it. I don't remember how/where I got it.

From the Death miniseries, I have a couple of versions of the Lee Tennant Enterprises (think Dynamic Forces before Dynamic Forces) signed editions from Gaiman and Bachalo, and was also lucky to get this nifty advertising standee from my LCS shop owner way back when after he was finished using it:

Edited October 29, 2021 by jdandns
typos