Rallas Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 (edited) Hi there, I have two comics which I think 'might' be quite rare and therefore collectable, and I am just hoping to hear some opinions on value and whether it is worthwhile paying to have them graded. The first is an APV 'Red Foil Venom Lethal Protector #1, and while I don't know much about grading based on the information I have found online this comic should grade in the 9's somewhere as its virtually mint condition. I believe only 4000 of these APV's were printed, and only 10-15% are estimated to have survived. The second is an APV 'Red Foil Spiderman 2099 #1, this one I think will grade in the high 8's or low 9's. Only 4000 of these were printed for the AU market also, and again 10-15% estimated survival rate. Interested to hear some thoughts and opinions on what I should do with these comics - I am not really a collector at all, just someone who bought these as a kid and took good care of them. Many thanks, Dallas Edited November 23, 2023 by Rallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazyboy Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 On 11/22/2023 at 11:12 PM, Rallas said: I believe only 4000 of these APV's were printed, and only 10-15% are estimated to have survived. According to what reputable source? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 Welcome to the Boards, mate! Those are very cool books. The print run and survival rate numbers you mention drive some people around here a little squirrelly, if I'm permitted a Canadianism. I think you might say it "makes them mad as a cut snake" or "makes them go off like a frog in a sock". Don't let the drama put you off! Basically, print run numbers are hard to verify, and survival rates are impossible to verify, so some people want to remind us that anything we say about this stuff is really just a guess. Having said that, I agree with you - Australian variants are harder to find than regular editions, and their survival rate is undoubtedly lower than their print run. It's a tough call for books in the 8.0 to 9.0 range - they're nice, but not spectacular, Still, if I was in your shoes, I might send them for third party grading (like CGC) and try them on eBay. I think your market will likely be stronger outside Australia than inside... I hope that helps! Rallas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallas Posted November 24, 2023 Author Share Posted November 24, 2023 (edited) I am just going off what little information I could find about them (sources below)..... as I mentioned originally, I don't know much about comics, which is why I am here asking questions. https://alternateworlds.com.au/australian-price-variants-apv/ https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/2019/09/22/australian-price-variants-apvs/ The survival rates are apparently very low due to the fact these were sold on newstands here in AU (ie: not to collectors who purchased through comic shops who purchased USA price copies) and many of the APV variants were thrown out by the casual readers who picked them up from the newsstands (like me). Quote Facts about APV’s 1. Print runs for APV for the Australian newsstand market was 2000-4000 per book. 2. Many local collectors, shunned Australian cover price editions as they thought they were inferior to the US cover editions (many thought they were local reprints), so most newsstand sales were to casual readers. The remaining non-sold copies were pulped. Estimates (depending on title) suggest that most books had a survival rate of 5%-10% and those that did survive are usually in low grade condition. These “variants” are vert rare. 3. Not all Marvel titles were distributed on the newsstand in Australia, but all books that were, were from 1991 cover date. Cheers, D Edited November 24, 2023 by Rallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicginger1789 Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 If there is one thing you should know it is that the niche side of this hobby can be surprising. I do not know what the desire is or market for these variants but I do know the people in that space sometimes pay well, depending on the book. In your case, the books would need to be photographed outside of whatever case they are in. It appears that they have some creases and other flaws which could hurt the value greatly. Ebay is your best bet to appeal to the biggest market, especially if you label your auction with Australian Price Variant in the title. The folks looking for these will have saved searches on and likely be alerted to your listing when posted (if there are people looking for them). Price high but if you get zero looks or action it means the price is too high OR the market and desire for those books isn't there. Rallas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowGradeBronze Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 If you do end up listing them on the bay, you could add Make Offer to the listing so that you get the feel for what folks would pay if they didn't like your Buy It Now price. Just a thought. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you are offered! Perhaps have their grade assessed here, in the Buddy Can You Spare a Grade section. That will help guide you on price. Welcome to the boards Rallas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvelmaniac Posted November 26, 2023 Share Posted November 26, 2023 Just and FYI... remember, a collectible is only worth what a collector is willing to pay for it, if you have the only issue of a book printed and nobody wants it it is basically worthless $ wise, if you have 2 million copies of a book and 4 million people want it, then the $ value increases, supply and Demand. I have no idea about the interest in those books, however, basically if there is no interest in those books their value is low. You will not know until they are listed for sale. Good Luck!!! Rallas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallas Posted November 27, 2023 Author Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) On 11/25/2023 at 1:10 AM, comicginger1789 said: It appears that they have some creases and other flaws which could hurt the value greatly. The Spiderman 2099 issue most certainly does have some visible creasing, I was not as careful handling this one, and I think from memory pretty much all of the copies on the newsstand had some kind of minor creasing on the cover, not sure why. I doubt it would have a particularly high grade score. I suppose the one saving grace for this one is the comment made in the article I quoted about that only somewhere between 5% to 15% survived (200 to 600 copies) and most are in low grade condition. The Venom comic on the other hand is pretty much free of creases or other handling damage, the only real 'flaw' as far as I can tell is a small white corner imperfection (bottom left) which might have happened either during production, or perhaps while on the newsstand. If not for that one thing, its basically mint. Anything that looks like a crease in the image on this one is most likely my shadow being cast over it while taking a picture, or a reflection. Edited November 27, 2023 by Rallas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK2 Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 If it helps @Rallas there is a dedicated thread for Australian Price Variants which you can find here: This also has a link to the known Australian Price Variants in a separate section compiled by @Get Marwood & I Get Marwood & I 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
