Marvel Masterworks question....how to identify the variant?

[VintageComics]

I have not been to keen on following the different foil covers of the Masterworks variants. Why do some copies fetch huge $$ and others not? How do you identify them?

[Foolkiller]

different covers. The Marble covers are the variants. When Marvel started reissuing the Masterworks, they had printed a few previously with covers from Comiccraft, and they reissued those volumes as well with the Marble covers. But these were very limited runs of that cover, thus producing greater scarcity.

[VintageComics]

so is there more than one type of marble cover? I've several with blue marble (Thor) or red (DD)....but the FF's and ASM etc. have the light coloured marble.

[Foolkiller]

They have a particular color marble for each hero is my understanding. The "marble cover" is the variant. There's no color variant that commands higher pricing. Just as they used to be (before they were reprinted and reissued) certain volumes command more based on print run.

[VintageComics]

i guess i'm a bit confused as some book fetch $150+ while others fetch $20-30...all with marble covers, and they all have a print run of about 400-500 copies.

[Foolkiller]

Actually, my recollection is that some do not have only 400-500 print runs. There's a timeline where some of the Masterworks were remastered and sent out with new covers/marble covers with lower distribution. I think the print runs have increased over time.

[Aman619]

are any of the recent books selling for that much? $200?? I remember a few years ago, before Marvel started publishing them again, some of th elater editions of the origina;l series were scarcer and sold for that much.. But I hadnt heard that any of the recent editions commanded any premium over cover... I was buying them at first, but abadoned the quest to have them all cause it was so expensive and silly cause they were coming out so fast.

[Foolkiller]

There are a few... the Sub Mariner volume 1, maybe one of the Daredevil volumes -- I can't remember... I do know there were a few volumes that got reprinted with lower #s marble covers. There's gotta be someone around here who definitely knows what the deal is with these.

[Aman619]

so sales are slipping again, making a few lesser titles scarcer?

[baklo]

Here's a great site on the Masterworks series:

http://www.marvelmasterworks.com/

 

The variants (lower print run books) have marble covers with the typically gold or silver foil around the particular cover chosen to grace (highlight) the front cover of the masterwork book in question.

[kidcolt]

Golds also have a gold border and serial #.

[burntboy]

There are a few... the Sub Mariner volume 1, maybe one of the Daredevil volumes -- I can't remember... I do know there were a few volumes that got reprinted with lower #s marble covers. There's gotta be someone around here who definitely knows what the deal is with these.

 

Brian.........

 

i've been trying to amass a complete set of the Masterworks for some time now.

 

i'm only interested in the "Variant" (marble) covers because they continue both the numbering and cover style from the original run. you can still buy the original series fairly inexpensively on most books (original cover price up to 2X's or so).

 

the Variants, which begin with Volume 28 or 29, came about when Marvel redid the books with new covers and started to renumber them along the lines of ASM #'s 1-5. #29 is definitely among the new books which weren't originally published in the "marble" style and were later revised to include approx 500 or so copies of that style for completionists, who preferred the old cover style and consistent/consecutive numbering.

 

now here's where the prices go awry; for some reason #'s 28 and 31 (both in the "marble" style command crazy prices approaching and occasionally exceeding $200. no one has ever been able to explain it to me, but you can't touch these. while #31 (x-men, i believe) is definitely of the "variant" type, # 28 (FF) may be the last of the Originals - i don't have a copy of either and advertised in the Marketplace many months back for them with nary a nibble.........

[Foolkiller]

harry --

 

thanks -- I knew there was something around these numbered volumes, but I can't really figure out why these volumes spiked either. The marbles generally aren't commanding crazy prices anymore.

 

btw: how'd sales of the remaining Sid's books go at the National... what do you have left... you can PM me that if you'd like.

[chromium]

The Masterworks sage reads like a Russian novel, I have been following them for over 5 years and I still have trouble following the plot...

 

I have about 50 Marvel Masterworks (don't ask) consisting among others of 25 out of the 27 of the original run. I also have all the new marble variant editions (except the Comicraft ones, )

 

During 2000-2002 prices for most of the FF, ASM and the TOS Masterworks were very high...I used to follow all Masterworks auctions, and one of the FFs (I think the one with #40-#49) went over $300 regularly.

 

MileHigh still have some of these in stock, check out the whacked out prices.

 

The first ten volumes all sold very well and were reprinted while new volumes came out. The later volumes (#10 and up) probably didn't sell that much and were left with a single printing.

 

Then Marvel started reprinting the most popular ones and adding a few new volumes in the pop-art "Comicraft"-style (FF #51 - 60, Daredevil 12-21, JIM 11-120 & X-men 22-31). Again the later volumes were not reprinted. Thus the (then) high prices for the original set.

The Comicraft books are not popular at all, and are mass-printed and discounted everywhere, but as they are the only source for new Masterworks, most people do buy them

 

Fast forward a few years and Marvel announce they are going to reprint the all the original books, because of fan lobbying, they agree to two prints, the regular one and the "re-Masterwork" one which is limited, has the original marble cover, but is more expensive and is made-to-order.

The print run on most of the variant covers is staggeringly low (some as low as 440, making it one of the rarest official Marvel publications).

 

The 4 "new" Comicraft editions also get the Re-Masterworks treatment, but as almost all collectors bought them in the day (fearing that these 4 books would soon also be sold out) they do not sell well....and now these 4 Re-Masterworks editions of the original Comicraft editions are very HTF and command a premium.

 

One of the hardest to find MM is a variant of the first print of the very first Marvel Masterworks (#1 ft. Amazing Spiderman #1-10 and AF#15). This variant is exactly the same as the first edition marble cover but comes in a nice slipcase with the MM logo and a Spidey head imprint.

I tried searching the web for a pic, but can't find any at all. I'd scan mine, but I don't want to get it out of the slipcase...maybe I'll get braver in a few days

[JohnBull]

I have not been to keen on following the different foil covers of the Masterworks variants. Why do some copies fetch huge $$ and others not? How do you identify them?

 

Apologies if someone else has answered, but I haven't the patience to read all the replies.

 

When Marvel started the Masterworks program again a few years ago, they reprinted the original line (27 original volumes, 4 comicraft and the Sub Mariner) and did so in 2 formats. The first was a new standard format - the cheapies - and the second was a trade dress that copied the original marble format.

 

The marble variant was more expensive and in every case limited, presumably to advance order numbers. Figures vary but they're generally around the 400-500 mark.

 

It's these reprint marble variants that command the huge prices.

 

The original series of 27 does contain some valuable issues, usually in the later numbers. Vol.4 of ASM and FF are particularly expensive as are most of the run from numbers 20 up. However, with the reprintings, these volumes have come down a lot in recent years and you probably shouldn't pay over $100 for any of them.

 

The reprint variants will likely stabilise at something sensible in time too.

 

With the volume in hand, identification is fairly easy, as they are all marked as "Xth printing".

[mr_highgrade]

Can anyone post some pics of some of the variants.

[mr_highgrade]

Here's my MM FF from 1987. I believe my LCS offered me a return cause of a printing defect with the page count.

 

 

 

 

[mr_highgrade]

Is this a MM variant?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chromium]

yes it is.

[JohnBull]

Is this a MM variant?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the back cover has the "This printing is limited to XXX copies" legend, then it's a variant.

 

To my knowledege, there is no great value in the latter series of volumes, numbers 33 and up. Maybe the print runs were slightly higher, which wouldn't be surprising as the older variants had already been reprinted on a number of occassions, whereas the newer volumes featured material that hadn't been seen before.