The Ongoing eBay Direct to Newsstand For Sale Ratio Project. 3 3

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

So is the end goal of this only to identify how many are available on the market, or is some other conclusion to be drawn from that? I imagine that it won't be a foolproof way to determine how the print run breaks down, as I imagine that direct market copies would have been purchased in multiples (and therefore, available for resale later) in greater numbers.  

[Lazyboy]

34 minutes ago, GeeksAreMyPeeps said:

So is the end goal of this only to identify how many are available on the market, or is some other conclusion to be drawn from that? I imagine that it won't be a foolproof way to determine how the print run breaks down, as I imagine that direct market copies would have been purchased in multiples (and therefore, available for resale later) in greater numbers.  

It's only a market watch. It cannot be assumed that the numbers are proportional to print, sale, or survival numbers. Direct market copies should almost always be more available.

[Lobstrosity]

On 9/7/2018 at 10:12 AM, RockMyAmadeus said:

I purposely excluded Image. Here's why: Image's newsstand program only lasted a few years, through the mid to late 90s, and then ends. I think 1996-1997 were the last Image newsstands. So, using an Image book to see the changes in ratio over a long period of time wouldn't work, because their newsstand program was so short. It would essentially be a flat line, for those 5 years. 

I can't speak for the rest of the Image books, but Spawn's final newsstand edition was printed in August 2004.

Edited September 9, 2018 by Lobstrosity

[RockMyAmadeus]

31 minutes ago, Lobstrosity said:

I can't speak for the rest of the Image books, but Spawn's final newsstand edition was printed in August 2004.

If you'd like to share the numbers for Spawn #1, I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. I don't know what that would tell us, since the goal is to see patterns over a long period of time (30-40 years), and the Image numbers look to be radically different from Marvel and DCs of the same period, but there's nothing wrong with more data.

[Lobstrosity]

8 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

If you'd like to share the numbers for Spawn #1, I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. I don't know what that would tell us, since the goal is to see patterns over a long period of time (30-40 years), and the Image numbers look to be radically different from Marvel and DCs of the same period, but there's nothing wrong with more data.

I'd be curious to see that information myself, alas, I don't have it.

I have a lot of experience regarding which Spawn issues are more rare than others, but I have no hard numbers, so for the purposes of this ratio exercise, I have no data.

I think you're correct though, Image numbers seem quite different from Marvel/DC of the same period.

[divad]

Shocked and dismayed that this "Project" hasn't crashed and burned already.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

11 hours ago, Lobstrosity said:

I'd be curious to see that information myself, alas, I don't have it.

I have a lot of experience regarding which Spawn issues are more rare than others, but I have no hard numbers, so for the purposes of this ratio exercise, I have no data.

I think you're correct though, Image numbers seem quite different from Marvel/DC of the same period.

It's on eBay. Just count the number of Direct copies and newsstand copies, and post here.

[FlyingDonut]

SpawnSearch

Currently 292 copies of Spawn 1 for sale on eBay (that search is a start but have to hand do it to delete things). Of those, 19 are newsstand editions. That's 6.5%. 

Wikipedia (yes, I know) says Spawn 1 had sales of 1.7 million. 6.5% of 1.7 million = 110,500. 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Working on the numbers right now; will post them tonight. Since there were no objections to the list I nominated, and no additional lists proposed, I'll assume it works for anyone interested. I've gone ahead and added ASM #365 to it. I've decided to substitute DD #1 for Deadpool #1 (1997.)

Anyone who feels a book was left out is more than welcome to do the calculating for those books. The more info, the better.

 

 

 

[divad]

1 hour ago, FlyingDonut said:

SpawnSearch

Currently 292 copies of Spawn 1 for sale on eBay (that search is a start but have to hand do it to delete things). Of those, 19 are newsstand editions. That's 6.5%. 

Wikipedia (yes, I know) says Spawn 1 had sales of 1.7 million. 6.5% of 1.7 million = 110,500. 

Is that the thirty-second search? or the 30-minute search? Parameters?

[FlyingDonut]

1 minute ago, divad said:

Is that the thirty-second search? or the 30-minute search? Parameters?

Trying to eliminate all the false positives for "Spawn 1". Get all of the other stuff - Splinter (a Spawn Parody) 1., all of the spinoffs, etc. etc. Have to go through it by hand after a while.

[divad]

Just now, FlyingDonut said:

Trying to eliminate all the false positives for "Spawn 1". Get all of the other stuff - Splinter (a Spawn Parody) 1., all of the spinoffs, etc. etc. Have to go through it by hand after a while.

I get close enough to your numbers, just using "spawn 1 1992 mcfarlane newsstand" = 16 out of 309 (without any closer scrutiny).

[divad]

1 hour ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Working on the numbers right now; will post them tonight. Since there were no objections to the list I nominated, and no additional lists proposed, I'll assume it works for anyone interested. I've gone ahead and added ASM #365 to it. I've decided to substitute DD #1 for Deadpool #1 (1997.)

Anyone who feels a book was left out is more than welcome to do the calculating for those books. The more info, the better.

 

 

 

Hearing no further objections . . . I declare that I am God.

 

[Joosh]

I suggest selecting a dc book from their last year of newsstand distribution. Batman 24 (proposal issue) has a large selection on eBay at any given moment and is mid 2017.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Ok, Star Wars #1 is going to be impossible. There are 2,000+ listings that come up, with the vast majority being something other than Star Wars #1. Sigh. Stupid keyword spammers. Also not doing ASM #300...again, far too much keyword spamming and reprints.

I'll go with Amazing Spiderman #165 and Fantastic Four #193 to represent the early Direct market numbers. Then, at least, we won't have to contend with reprints.

So, as of today, there are on eBay:

Amazing Spiderman #165 - 159 copies; 149 newsstand, 10 Direct, or "Whitman" copies. 6.3% Direct, 93.7% newsstand

Fantastic Four #193 - 119 copies; 108 newsstand, 11 Direct, or "Whitman" copies. 10% Direct, 90% newsstand

Amazing Spiderman #194 - 106 copies; 77 newsstand, 29 Direct copies. 27% Direct, 63% newsstand (this alone puts a large dent in Rozanski's claim of Shooter saying the Direct market was "only 6% in 1979.")

Wolverine Limited Series #1 - 182 copies; 136 Direct,  46 newsstand.  75% Direct, 25% newsstand (that's an eye opener.)

Amazing Spiderman #252 - 181 copies; 65 Direct, 116 newsstand. 36% Direct, 64% newsstand (the newsstand was still alive and well in 1984.)

Amazing Spiderman #298 - 200 copies; 156 Direct, 44 newsstand. 78% Direct, 22% newsstand

New Mutants #98 - 373 copies; 293 Direct, 80 newsstand. 79% Direct, 21% newsstand

 

 

And that's enough for tonight. My eyes are glazing over from the counting. Once a month is more than enough. I'll finish the rest tomorrow!

Hopefully, that gives people some interesting numbers. Anyone else wants to do any, feel free!

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

5 hours ago, Joosh said:

I suggest selecting a dc book from their last year of newsstand distribution. Batman 24 (proposal issue) has a large selection on eBay at any given moment and is mid 2017.

That's a good idea; Let's do that one. 

[Joosh]

I just did a real quick count and found 47 1st print books  on eBay for Batman rebirth 24. I added rebirth to search to eliminate a lot of other things, which might have missed a few legitimate books. I can make and save a more efficient search.

i counted both covers but no limited variants, and only 1st print.

42 direct

5 newsstand 

12% newsstand.

adding in 2nd-4th printings would certainly lower the newsstand representation, as none were available as newsstand. What are your thoughts on including later printings? 

Also, some may not know you can omit words by doing this in your eBay search: -(new) -(52)

[valiantman]

10 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Amazing Spiderman #194 - 106 copies; 77 newsstand, 29 Direct copies. 27% Direct, 63% newsstand (this alone puts a large dent in Rozanski's claim of Shooter saying the Direct market was "only 6% in 1979.")

It puts a dent, but it isn't necessarily wrong if direct editions were 4 or 5 times more likely to be saved for 40 years. 

(That should be 73% for Newsstand)

Edited September 11, 2018 by valiantman

[valiantman]

31 minutes ago, Joosh said:

Also, some may not know you can omit words by doing this in your eBay search: -(new) -(52)

You can use almost all negatives, too... and sometimes it still works.  Here's how I search for CGC ASM #300:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=cgc+%28amazing%2Casm%29+300+-niagara+-spawn+-gwen+-homage+-chrome+-chromium+-silk+-phantom+-dvd+-ross+-reprint+-mini+-2011+-carnage+-true+-800+-reprints+-700+-"Venom+%231"+-secret+-classics+-"1%3A300"+-lethal+-swipe+-virgin+-blank+-morty+-301+-2007+-"not+cgc"+-fantasy+-promo+-dvd+-298+-299+-sketch+-lot+-euro&_sacat=1&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fcid=1&_sop=12&LH_TitleDesc=0

[valiantman]

10 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Wolverine Limited Series #1 - 182 copies; 136 Direct,  46 newsstand.  75% Direct, 25% newsstand (that's an eye opener.)

This one is very interesting. My first thought is that it's the result of being a #1 and a direct edition, so retailers could stock up and hype up the #1 aspect.  There's not much value in a newsstand trying to "hype" a #1, since they weren't making their living selling comics... they're just selling comics/magazines and returning unsold ones for credit.  The #1 phenomenon is likely a direct edition print run inflation, once the direct market got to early 1980s.