More Marvel and DC Variant madness

[Stromm]

When will it stop!

More variant cover madness

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING SPIDER-MAN THE OTHER VARIANT COVERS!

Due to overwhelming response from retailers and fans, we will be offering unplanned and unannounced variant covers for the remaining chapters of Spider-Man the Other. Retailers will be able to order parts 7-9 in as many quantities as they want. The final 3 chapters will be incentive variants, similar to recent New Avengers or House of M variants. Here is the breakdown:

 

 

Order these in ratio of 1 for 8

PART 10 FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #4 variant Wrestler Peter Parker Cover for every 8 copies you order you may order 1 variant

FOC 12/21 On Sale 1/11

 

PART 11 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #22 variant for every 8 copies you order you may order 1 variant

FOC 12/28 on sale 1/18

 

RETAILERS CHOOSE THE FINAL COVER ART: GET US YOUR SUGGESTIONS BY 12/22 AND WE MAKE THAT COVER

 

PART 12 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #528 variant for every 8 copies you order you may order 1 variant

FOC 1/5 On sale 1/25

 

And for you DC fans

 

NEAL ADAMS RETURNS TO GREEN LANTERN WITH VARIANT COVER FOR ISSUE #8

 

Legendary comics artist Neal Adams returns to one of his signature heroes

with a special variant cover to GREEN LANTERN #8! The issue, which

features the team of Green Lantern and Green Arrow on its cover, is

scheduled to arrive in stores on January 25. 1:10 variant

 

[Timulty]

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

[Hobgoblin]

A variant cover for a random Green Lantern issue that really won't have anything special about it.

[Sal]

8:1 ratio...sounds like their print order was set too high, and so they're trying to figure out a way to move that extra 12% of books that would otherwise be lying around.

 

 

unless that's too cynical. naaah, couldn't be

[Hobgoblin]

8:1 ratio...sounds like their print order was set too high, and so they're trying to figure out a way to move that extra 12% of books that would otherwise be lying around.

 

 

unless that's too cynical. naaah, couldn't be

 

nah. you're right.

[october]

This variant foolishness is getting out of control. I can't wait to see 1992 all over again.

Once people stop paying more than cover for this junk it will fade away, so stop supporting this manufactured "collectible" drek.

[Excelsior!-migration]

It is getting to the point where if I am not careful I accidently by the variant cover of a comic a purchased the week or month before. I am now the owner of 2 different cover versions of Astonishing X-men #12 by not paying close attention. It isn't quite as bad as the early-mid 90s, but it is getting there. Foil and holagram covers are probably right around the corner.

[Hobgoblin]

This variant foolishness is getting out of control. I can't wait to see 1992 all over again.

Once people stop paying more than cover for this junk it will fade away, so stop supporting this manufactured "collectible" drek.

 

Good luck convincing all those people who only collect variants.

[RTBrandy]

That's like paying a nickel to buy a shiney penny!!

[Pirate]

my LCS gets the variants and instantly puts them for $9.95 behind the counter. He does have a rather large stack now, go figure

[joe_collector]

my LCS gets the variants and instantly puts them for $9.95 behind the counter.

 

When that starts happening, you know the end is near. Once retailers automatically look at variants as a pure cash grab or speculative investment, rather than a way of enticing buyers or rewarding current customers, it all comes down like a house of cards.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like 1994...

[mrwoogieman]

my LCS gets the variants and instantly puts them for $9.95 behind the counter.

 

When that starts happening, you know the end is near. Once retailers automatically look at variants as a pure cash grab or speculative investment, rather than a way of enticing buyers or rewarding current customers, it all comes down like a house of cards.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like 1994...

 

But, that's the whole point of limited variants, it's a cheap way for the comic publishers to 'thank' their retailers by giving them limited books that they can use to soak their customers. It's built that way for a reason. The more limited the variant the more they can charge.

 

And the publishers who tie the limited variants to quantities of the regular issue ordered are milking the retailers by dangling the variant carrot as a way of forcing the retailer to increase their order for the regular issues.

 

The dimwitted customers who buy the variants for extravagant mark-ups that have no relation to actual market value are the perpetuators of this form of cannibalized marketing. And frankly, they get what they deserve; shorn of their money and proud owners of worthless junk. Eff 'em if they're too dumb to realize it!

[Hobgoblin]

my LCS gets the variants and instantly puts them for $9.95 behind the counter.

 

When that starts happening, you know the end is near. Once retailers automatically look at variants as a pure cash grab or speculative investment, rather than a way of enticing buyers or rewarding current customers, it all comes down like a house of cards.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like 1994...

 

True, but $10 at an LCS is still likely less than what you'd have to pay on eBay.

[joe_collector]

But, that's the whole point of limited variants, it's a cheap way for the comic publishers to 'thank' their retailers by giving them limited books that they can use to soak their customers. It's built that way for a reason. The more limited the variant the more they can charge.

 

Of course, but I'm not talking about the ultra-limited or RIP ones, but the 1-in-8 generic crepe. Remember, it's the old "variants will make me easy money and pay for my shop" mindset that occured in the early-90's and seems to be creeping back in. Basing your business around variants, even to a limited extent, is a bad long-term move.

 

Once the suckers stop buying variants, and the owners have come to depend on that fake revenue, what makes up the shortfall?

 

We found out the answer to that in the mid-90's.

[thedude]

I don't really care for variants none myself, but I love Neal Adams and will be getting his Green Lantern variant...I'm glad he is doing some new work for DC recently.

[WiseGuyX]

But, that's the whole point of limited variants, it's a cheap way for the comic publishers to 'thank' their retailers by giving them limited books that they can use to soak their customers. It's built that way for a reason. The more limited the variant the more they can charge.

 

Of course, but I'm not talking about the ultra-limited or RIP ones, but the 1-in-8 generic crepe. Remember, it's the old "variants will make me easy money and pay for my shop" mindset that occured in the early-90's and seems to be creeping back in. Basing your business around variants, even to a limited extent, is a bad long-term move.

 

Once the suckers stop buying variants, and the owners have come to depend on that fake revenue, what makes up the shortfall?

 

We found out the answer to that in the mid-90's.

 

 

Well said

 

 

I bailed out on comics back in the mid 90's like a ton of people. Just this last few years I started collecting again and I see no real difference between then and now. It started out cool with 1:50 or 1:65 variants but then they started with bogous reports of them selling out of a book and rushing a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th print of it to the press. The term variant turned into reprint and then back into variant in a single year. Then people like Marvel came up with their brain child New Avenger variant [embarrassing lack of self control]. Ya, some of those covers kicked [embarrassing lack of self control] but the first six books having 2-3 variant covers was over board. Then structuring of it wasn't not thing but a scam if you ask me. Well I stop collecting comics, probaly never but I've switch to putting 90% of my money into Silver age books and only 10% in to Moderns. This is completely opisite of what I was doing a year ago. Rant off.

 

 

Ray

[Hobgoblin]

I don't really care for variants none myself, but I love Neal Adams and will be getting his Green Lantern variant...I'm glad he is doing some new work for DC recently.

 

Some would argue that its not technically a variant, because it was printed 1:1. I'd still call it one; just one that isn't ever really going to be in demand.

[joe_collector]

Some would argue that its not technically a variant

 

Well, NONE of these Moderns are technically a variant copy, and are simply limited edition, manufactured collectibles.

 

The only real variants we've seen in a long time, were those color-error USM issues and that Avengers newstand 50-cent copy Jimbo likes to post.

[Hobgoblin]

Some would argue that its not technically a variant

 

Well, NONE of these Moderns are technically a variant copy, and are simply limited edition, manufactured collectibles.

 

The only real variants we've seen in a long time, were those color-error USM issues and that Avengers newstand 50-cent copy Jimbo likes to post.

 

Don't make me pull out the definition of "variant" again.