SPAWN! A look back at an award-winning collection of graded slabs. 11 11

[newshane]

TOP FIVE MOST DIFFICULT VARIANTS FROM THE MAIN SERIES (stopping with 275). 

1. 

2. 

3. SPAWN 189 - SKETCH COVER 

4. SPAWN 222 - KUDRANSKI VARIANT

5. SPAWN 185 - MCFARLANE'S HEADLESS VARIANT 

 

While I was collecting, this was considered the second most coveted variant of the main series. They are not impossible to find, but you will pay very good money. eBay prices currently start at 7K. 

I'm not going to speculate on the number released beyond "not many." 

 

[newshane]

TOP FIVE MOST DIFFICULT VARIANTS FROM THE MAIN SERIES (stopping with 275). 

1. 

2. SPAWN 232 EWU VARIANT 

3. SPAWN 189 - SKETCH COVER 

4. SPAWN 222 - KUDRANSKI VARIANT

5. SPAWN 185 - MCFARLANE'S HEADLESS VARIANT 

 

This was the ONLY variant that I never found in 9.8! 

McFarlane played baseball for Eastern Washington University. He gave a speech there back in 2013. The variant was distributed to those in attendance. I just couldn't pull off a plane ticket in time. I found out just a few days before the event went down! None of my connections were able to attend. 

The cover states that this variant was limited to 400 copies. A great majority of those were signed by Todd after the speech. If you find one that isn't signed, it is very rare! Some of the unsigned books managed to slip through. I later heard that a few handfuls of these books were thrown in the garbage. Many of them were probably rolled up and stuffed in people's bags. Not everyone in attendance was a collector, and even fewer were probably concerned with "9.8 status." 

The ones that were signed at the event ended up in a qualified holder because there were no CGC signature witnesses in attendance. There is one 9.6 copy floating around out there in a yellow labeled holder. No doubt, that books was one of the unsigned copies that leaked from the original event and was later signed in the presence of a witness. 

There are only two universal copies in 9.8 on the census. There are only four qualified copies in 9.8. 

This is a BRUTAL variant. A very valuable book in ANY GRADE. From the looks of the census, this may even top the number one book at my spot, which is practically mythological. I'm sure that many of you can guess...but we will get there with the next post! 

 

Edited June 3 by newshane

[newshane]

TOP FIVE MOST DIFFICULT VARIANTS FROM THE MAIN SERIES (stopping with 275). 

1. SPAWN 185 - PORTACIO SKETCH COVER 

2. SPAWN 232 EWU VARIANT 

3. SPAWN 189 - SKETCH COVER 

4. SPAWN 222 - KUDRANSKI VARIANT

5. SPAWN 185 - MCFARLANE'S HEADLESS VARIANT 

 

No surprise to anyone halfway in the loop on collecting this series. 

The Portacio Sketch Cover for 185 is the granddaddy of all Spawn comics, at least from 1-275. I haven't been keeping up at all, so maybe there has been a recent variant to eclipse it, but I doubt it. 

In fact, it would be easy to argue that this is one of the top three most valuable variants of the modern age. There is a thread on the boards dedicated to such a discussion. 

A 9.6 copy sold last year for over 17,000 dollars. 

I'd say that you could buy a 9.8 copy IF: 

A. You found one at all. 

B. You found one with an owner willing to sell it to you. 

C. You had the cash. I'd say that a brand new Honda Accord and a 9.8 copy of 185 sketch would cost around the same! 

I don't have a lot of information about this book, but I know that most of them ended up in the hands of people who worked for Todd or high-level dealers. The census numbers speak for themselves. There aren't many! 

Word on the street is that the likely print run was around 100 copies, but I have zero actual proof. This seems about right to me. In the early days, people were claiming a run as low as 30 or 40 total copies, but current census numbers say otherwise. 

This book is valuable in ANY grade, and it's extremely tough. Its value comes primarily from its rarity, but 185 is probably the most important issue in the entire run, with the exception of the first issue. 

 

Edited June 16 by newshane

[newshane]

NERD-WORLD PROBLEMS

Hey everyone! If you want to do a deep-dive into my collecting experiences, take a look at my old journal thread! 

Unfortunately, I stopped posting in the journals after the CGC destroyed the old format (huge mistake IMO). 

I kept this journal as I was putting together my Spawn run, and a majority of the posts catalog that experience. You can see what I was thinking and read all about my experiences in detail! 

Enjoy! (or not!) 

[newshane]

TOP 20 LIST - THE ONES I WOULD BUY AGAIN - MY FAVORITE COVERS 

Listed in chronological order. These are NOT listed in order of favoritism. That would be far too difficult. I guess you would call these my favorites, and these are the ones I will be chasing again one day. I  picked them based on cover art. I did not pick them based on market value, importance, or the quality of the storyline. Not saying these are THE best cover...I'm saying they are MY favorites. 

Will I ever do it? Outlook is grim. I have too many other desires in the hobby, so it may never happen...but if it were...

88
119
124
131
144
153
162
164
165
175
178
181
201
203
222
230
235
243
267
268
 

EDIT: I would also collect issues 1-14 because those are the classics, and I stopped collecting as a teen around the time Capullo came on board. Not because I didn't like the art; I had just moved on to different pursuits as a youngster. I still have those original raws that I bought back in the day. I'd love to get some pristine copies for the sake of nostalgia. 

 

Edited July 16 by newshane

[pmpknface]

Movie update:

https://screenrant.com/spawn-reboot-movie-king-spawn-todd-mcfarlane-script-director-update/?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=SR-202407261345&utm_source=SR-NL&user=cG1wa25mYWNlQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ&lctg=1f160f7b0ed499b5b911a077d7f3e798f84265415b02c2bd2ebb25a245234db3

 

[TeddieMercede]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266932932385?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D270840%26meid%3D0d523af18fce4e75be63f82b023c3d5c%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D266932932385%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRV6RankerPricelessTop30Features&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A2631b2d51910ab9fdea357b4ffffd5bc|pageci%3A08e9ae1e-53b6-11ef-b9ab-3a6003c1102c|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

Ambitious - such a cool book. 

[BuscemasAvengers]

On its way back from Sarasota

[newshane]

On 8/6/2024 at 12:38 AM, TeddieMercede said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266932932385?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D270840%26meid%3D0d523af18fce4e75be63f82b023c3d5c%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D266932932385%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRV6RankerPricelessTop30Features&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A2631b2d51910ab9fdea357b4ffffd5bc|pageci%3A08e9ae1e-53b6-11ef-b9ab-3a6003c1102c|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

Ambitious - such a cool book. 

It sold. 

No idea for how much. Anyone know?

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 9/4/2024 at 7:06 PM, newshane said:

It sold. 

No idea for how much. Anyone know?

 

[newshane]

Wow! Very nice! 

But it makes me SICK that I sold my 9.8 so long ago. 

 

Man...

Turns out the asking price wasn't all that "ambitious" after all! 

 

Edited September 5 by newshane

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 9/5/2024 at 2:17 PM, newshane said:

Wow! Very nice! 

But it makes me SICK that I sold my 9.8 so long ago. 

 

Man...

Turns out the asking price wasn't all that "ambitious" after all!