Guardians of the Galaxy #25 error or variant 2 2

[bandbsdad]

I saw that a GOTG #25 Direct edition from 1992 with no silver foil sold for $999.99 on ebay. The slab was a Qualified (green label) 9.4 from CGC stating "manufactured without etched prism foil on cover", This slab sold on Feb 12th and has an older serial number. On ebay currently there is a CGC 9.6 with a newer serial number that has the blue label of this book listed at $528.98 with nothing mention about an error on the label. There is also a CBCS slab in 9.6 on ebay listed for $639.99 that mentions the "manufacturing error". CGC census just shows the Collectors edition and a standard edition. Cover Price (my go to people), say there are three (Collectors, Newsstand, and a Variant (the direct without prism foil). I did see a Newsstand edition without the prism foil. So I believe there are 4 variants to this book. 

Signed Befuddled

Edited March 18 by bandbsdad
photos

[ygogolak]

On 3/18/2024 at 10:31 AM, bandbsdad said:

I saw that a GOTG #25 Direct edition from 1992 with no silver foil sold for $999.99 on ebay. The slab was a Qualified (green label) 9.4 from CGC stating "manufactured without etched prism foil on cover", This slab sold on Feb 12th and has an older serial number. On ebay currently there is a CGC 9.6 with a newer serial number that has the blue label of this book listed at $528.98 with nothing mention about an error on the label. There is also a CBCS slab in 9.6 on ebay listed for $639.99 that mentions the "manufacturing error". CGC census just shows the Collectors edition and a standard edition. Cover Price (my go to people), say there are three (Collectors, Newsstand, and a Variant (the direct without prism foil). I did see a Newsstand edition without the prism foil. So I believe there are 4 variants to this book. 

Signed Befuddled

 

Sold for $200.

[Mr. Spider-Woman]

I'm not sure it's an error. It could be Marvel printed versions of the direct and newsstand editions without the foiling on the cover. The Grand Comics Database lists four versions/variants:

• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Regular Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Newsstand]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Newsstand Edition]

Link: https://www.comics.org/issue/1875149/

One thing that does give me pause is the fact there is no price difference between the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions. Other Marvel comics with deluxe foil comics from the 1990s did have different prices, including Guardians of the Galaxy #50. Some examples include:

• Excalibur #75 (March 1994) - Direct Edition - Deluxe Foil Cover ($3.50), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #387 (April 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($1.25)
• Guardians of the Galaxy #50 (July 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($2.00)
• Doom 2099 #25 (January 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Standard Edition ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #398 (March 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.50), Regular Direct Edition ($1.50)
• Spider-Man #57 (April 1995) - Direct Edition - Deluxe ($2.95), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.50)
• Daredevil #350 (March 1996) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($3.50), Direct Edition ($2.95)

Either Marvel didn't see the need to price the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions differently for both the direct and newsstand editions OR there were printing errors resulting in both direct and newsstand editions without foil. Is it likely that printing errors for both editions exist? I don't know. I personally think it was intentional and there were no printing errors. GotG #25 has a cover date of June 1992 so it came out a few years before any of the other deluxe editions I found with a quick search of the Grand Comics Database that did have price differences. Maybe other examples of deluxe/regular editions with and without foil and no price difference exist from 1992 as well. 

Edited March 19 by Mr. Spider-Woman

[captainzombie]

On 3/18/2024 at 8:56 PM, Mr. Spider-Woman said:

I'm not sure it's an error. It could be Marvel printed versions of the direct and newsstand editions without the foiling on the cover. The Grand Comics Database lists four versions/variants:

• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Regular Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Newsstand]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Newsstand Edition]

Link: https://www.comics.org/issue/1875149/

One thing that does give me pause is the fact there is no price difference between the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions. Other Marvel comics with deluxe foil comics from the 1990s did have different prices, including Guardians of the Galaxy #50. Some examples include:

• Excalibur #75 (March 1994) - Direct Edition - Deluxe Foil Cover ($3.50), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #387 (April 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($1.25)
• Guardians of the Galaxy #50 (July 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($2.00)
• Doom 2099 #25 (January 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Standard Edition ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #398 (March 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.50), Regular Direct Edition ($1.50)
• Spider-Man #57 (April 1995) - Direct Edition - Deluxe ($2.95), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.50)
• Daredevil #350 (March 1996) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($3.50), Direct Edition ($2.95)

Either Marvel didn't see the need to price the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions differently for both the direct and newsstand editions OR there were printing errors resulting in both direct and newsstand editions without foil. Is it likely that printing errors for both editions exist? I don't know. I personally think it was intentional and there were no printing errors. GotG #25 has a cover date of June 1992 so it came out a few years before any of the other deluxe editions I found with a quick search of the Grand Comics Database that did have price differences. Maybe other examples of deluxe/regular editions with and without foil and no price difference exist from 1992 as well. 

I recently bought a collection and this book was in there as they had the complete 1990 Guardians run. I do not remember seeing #25 have a foil cover on it. I'll try to dig it up later and see if its a NS or Direct.

Are the non-foil versions worth more, being more scarce?

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

On 3/18/2024 at 9:56 PM, Mr. Spider-Woman said:

I'm not sure it's an error. It could be Marvel printed versions of the direct and newsstand editions without the foiling on the cover. The Grand Comics Database lists four versions/variants:

• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Regular Direct Edition]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Newsstand]
• Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel, 1990 series) #25 [Deluxe Newsstand Edition]

Link: https://www.comics.org/issue/1875149/

One thing that does give me pause is the fact there is no price difference between the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions. Other Marvel comics with deluxe foil comics from the 1990s did have different prices, including Guardians of the Galaxy #50. Some examples include:

• Excalibur #75 (March 1994) - Direct Edition - Deluxe Foil Cover ($3.50), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #387 (April 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($1.25)
• Guardians of the Galaxy #50 (July 1994) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Regular Direct Edition ($2.00)
• Doom 2099 #25 (January 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.95), Standard Edition ($2.25)
• Fantastic Four #398 (March 1995) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($2.50), Regular Direct Edition ($1.50)
• Spider-Man #57 (April 1995) - Direct Edition - Deluxe ($2.95), Direct Edition - Standard ($2.50)
• Daredevil #350 (March 1996) - Deluxe Direct Edition ($3.50), Direct Edition ($2.95)

Either Marvel didn't see the need to price the regular (no foil) and deluxe (foil) versions differently for both the direct and newsstand editions OR there were printing errors resulting in both direct and newsstand editions without foil. Is it likely that printing errors for both editions exist? I don't know. I personally think it was intentional and there were no printing errors. GotG #25 has a cover date of June 1992 so it came out a few years before any of the other deluxe editions I found with a quick search of the Grand Comics Database that did have price differences. Maybe other examples of deluxe/regular editions with and without foil and no price difference exist from 1992 as well. 

This is the case. A common complaint at the time was whenever they did these special covers, the book always cost more because of the enhancement. So Marvel started printing non-enhanced versions as well. On this particular issue, it may have been a mistake to not offer the non-enhanced version at a cheaper price, but for sure the lack of foil is not an error.

[fastballspecial]

Thor, ASM and FF all have the same type of 25 covers there maybe more, but those 4 come to mine. The rarest are the
newsstand non-deluxe covers I think. 

[Bill C]

Wait--

The GOTG #25 comic was mostly done in foil, but there were a mess of them printed without foil. That's no error, lol.