Total Noob question around variants... 0

[JLam1127]

I should know this, but I don't.... when I see 1:100 what does that mean?  I recently saw one that was 1:2000 for a variant, and am curious because of the price they were asking for the book.....THANKS!

[Jimbo749]

16 minutes ago, JLam1127 said:

I should know this, but I don't.... when I see 1:100 what does that mean?  I recently saw one that was 1:2000 for a variant, and am curious because of the price they were asking for the book.....THANKS!

Newb as well! AFAIK when you 1:100 or 1:2000 you are talking about a retailer variant. So 1:100 means for every 100 "regular" copies of the book a retailer orders, they can then order one (1) variant.

Lots of great information available from the community here.

[JLam1127]

3 hours ago, Jimbo749 said:

Newb as well! AFAIK when you 1:100 or 1:2000 you are talking about a retailer variant. So 1:100 means for every 100 "regular" copies of the book a retailer orders, they can then order one (1) variant.

Lots of great information available from the community here.

That's ALOT of comics to order......

[Exhero]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but from my understanding a 1:100 means the retailer had to order 100 regular covers to get the 1 in 100 variant. A 1:2000 would mean they needed to order 2,000 copies of the regular cover to get 1 of the 1:2000?

[FN-2199]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 8:08 PM, Exhero said:

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but from my understanding a 1:100 means the retailer had to order 100 regular covers to get the 1 in 100 variant. A 1:2000 would mean they needed to order 2,000 copies of the regular cover to get 1 of the 1:2000?

You are correct.

The 1:2000 variants are priced ridiculous because:

1) People pay the price

2) Many dealers will have to move the other 2000 copies at cover price or below so they will need to make up for the lost profit on those

[JLam1127]

1 hour ago, FN-2199 said:

You are correct.

The 1:2000 variants are priced ridiculous because:

1) People pay the price

2) Many dealers will have to move the other 2000 copies at cover price or below so they will need to make up for the lost profit on those

HOLY !  Is this part of the reason why I hear retailers being upset about the industry?  I went into several shops this past week and have heard that they don't carry variants because it's too expensive for them..... and then they got into a tirade about the industry..... Didn't have variants when I was collecting as a kid back in the 80s.... now, I can't keep track

[FN-2199]

On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 1:43 PM, JLam1127 said:

HOLY !  Is this part of the reason why I hear retailers being upset about the industry?  I went into several shops this past week and have heard that they don't carry variants because it's too expensive for them..... and then they got into a tirade about the industry..... Didn't have variants when I was collecting as a kid back in the 80s.... now, I can't keep track

You're right. How many local comic shops can order 100 copies of one specific comic and sell through them all just to get the 1:100 variant?

Most variants can be had in the discount bins in a year or so and that's a double whammy. The shop will have to take on a lot of risk to get a (maybe) hot variant. They also have to compete with online vendors. Have you ever bought a variant at an LCS for $20 and later that week find it on eBay for $10? What's your incentive for going back to that LCS or paying their mark up for the variant?

[revat]

22 minutes ago, FN-2199 said:

On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 10:43 AM, JLam1127 said:

HOLY !  Is this part of the reason why I hear retailers being upset about the industry?  I went into several shops this past week and have heard that they don't carry variants because it's too expensive for them..... and then they got into a tirade about the industry..... Didn't have variants when I was collecting as a kid back in the 80s.... now, I can't keep track

You're right. How many local comic shops can order 100 copies of one specific comic and sell through them all just to get the 1:100 variant?

Most variants can be had in the discount bins in a year or so and that's a double whammy. The shop will have to take on a lot of risk to get a (maybe) hot variant. They also have to compete with online vendors. Have you ever bought a variant at an LCS for $20 and later that week find it on eBay for $10? What's your incentive for going back to that LCS or paying their mark up for the variant?

A lot of shops make offers to subscribers or preferred customers BEFORE ordering so THEY KNOW they can cover their costs based on the pricing of the cost of the variant. And if there are no takers, they won't order that many.

For example.

1:100 for a comic that retails at $4.  Assume the LCS buys it at $2 per.  So 100 comics will cost $200 to the LCS.  So the LCS might see if there are any takers at $200, and might adjust that number DOWN based on how many regular issues they expect to sell (I'm sure they have their own equation for how they decide, these numbers are just for the example).  Obviously everyone has their own model, and obviously its better for your store if they sell more comics.

So a lot of times we see a bunch of leftover comics at the LCS and think "WHY DID THEY ORDER SO MANY COMICS???? THEY MUST BE LOSING MONEY!!!"  While that's true in some cases, sometimes its just a matter of them pre-selling a rare variant for one of their customers, and even if they end up eventually blowing those extras out for a $1 or a quarter, its still all profit. 

And even then you might say "Is that even worth it? They might make the same amount of money overall, but their ROI is most likely wayyyyyy lower and you have to tie up more cash. " Maybe, but oftentimes the buyer of that rare variant is a BIG SPENDER at the shop, and it makes LOT more sense to keep that guy happy, who can drop $200-$500 a month on comics at your store, rather than risk him hunting for variants (and possibly other comics) at other stores.  And its all pre-order anyway, so if you can find the right price and judge your market somewhat accurately, there's very little risk (unless the buyer flakes). 

 

This can also lead to the 1:25 and 1:10 incentive variants ending up in the $1 bin at the end of the year.  Someone wanted the 1:100 (and pre-ordered), and the store made enough on that one that they don't really care as much about the other ratio incentives.

 

Edited October 24, 2017 by revat