Civil War variants - seriously worth this much?

[MutantKeys]

Have they released any images of the cover?

 

Not yet..

[MutantKeys]

Looks like Ed McGuiness is up next for a Civil War cover for #3? According to Wizard Store...

 

25 per retailer

 

 

which, I dont know about you guys, is a wierd way for them to do a variant. I think this is a mistake of some sort:

Could be 1 in 25

Could be max 25 based on orders?

 

I have no idea thats all I saw it said 25 per retailer..

[ComicSupply]

They won't be realeasing an image. It will be shown at the San Diego con. It isn't really a variant per say. Each retailer was allowed to order up to 25 with no qualifying order.

[Darrell F]

My LCS will probably want $40-$50 for it.

[lou_fine]

Going forward, I don't think much from the modern era is going to worth much. (As a whole that is, I know that's a broad statement). The exception in the future may be variants. 30 years from now I suspect many people will still be able to buy Spawn #1 at a relatively cheap price, but the variants will actually be worth significant money.

 

From Marvel's perspective, they're just trying to boost sales, but if I'm a speculator that wants a return on my investment, I might want to invest in variants for the money. Or if I'm a serious collector, I might want to invesst in variants for the rarity of them.

 

Carnage;

 

Not sure if you are serious here or if you are just joking?

 

If you think variants are a good investment, you should probably just look back in history to see how some of the other variants have done. They almost always enter the market at a peak and head straight down from there. Sometimes, past performance is a good indicator of future performance.

 

As already mentioned by another poster here, the classic example being the so-called "super rare" Platinum edition of Spidey #1 back in the early 90's. Imagine being able to acquire a variant copy of the absolute hottest book of the decade, featuring the hottest character at the time, and also drawn by the hottest artist of all time. A so-called guaranteed can't miss investment opportunity, you would think.

 

I remember being at my first SD Con in the early 90's when this variant had just come out. Dealers were claiming it was the rarest book of all time and priced it accordingly at a $1,000 a pop. Silly old me found myself a couple of HG GA Captain America books at roughly guide for $500 each. The Spidey dealers told me not only was I throwing money away on books which nobody would remember in the future, but also passing up the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

Well, 15 years later, it now sounds like you can pick up this so-called in-demand rare Spidey variant for $50 on eBay even though it is valued at $130 in the guide. The two Caps, on the other hand, now guides at $6,500 and would most probably fetch more than double guide in the marketplace.

 

Well, let me see now. Is the $50 Spidey better or are the $13,000 Caps better...........I just can't seem to fugure this one out! I guess to each, their own.

[Hobgoblin]

Going forward, I don't think much from the modern era is going to worth much. (As a whole that is, I know that's a broad statement). The exception in the future may be variants. 30 years from now I suspect many people will still be able to buy Spawn #1 at a relatively cheap price, but the variants will actually be worth significant money.

 

From Marvel's perspective, they're just trying to boost sales, but if I'm a speculator that wants a return on my investment, I might want to invest in variants for the money. Or if I'm a serious collector, I might want to invesst in variants for the rarity of them.

 

Carnage;

 

Not sure if you are serious here or if you are just joking?

 

If you think variants are a good investment, you should probably just look back in history to see how some of the other variants have done. They almost always enter the market at a peak and head straight down from there. Sometimes, past performance is a good indicator of future performance.

 

As already mentioned by another poster here, the classic example being the so-called "super rare" Platinum edition of Spidey #1 back in the early 90's. Imagine being able to acquire a variant copy of the absolute hottest book of the decade, featuring the hottest character at the time, and also drawn by the hottest artist of all time. A so-called guaranteed can't miss investment opportunity, you would think.

 

I remember being at my first SD Con in the early 90's when this variant had just come out. Dealers were claiming it was the rarest book of all time and priced it accordingly at a $1,000 a pop. Silly old me found myself a couple of HG GA Captain America books at roughly guide for $500 each. The Spidey dealers told me not only was I throwing money away on books which nobody would remember in the future, but also passing up the opportunity of a lifetime.

 

Well, 15 years later, it now sounds like you can pick up this so-called in-demand rare Spidey variant for $50 on eBay even though it is valued at $130 in the guide. The two Caps, on the other hand, now guides at $6,500 and would most probably fetch more than double guide in the marketplace.

 

Well, let me see now. Is the $50 Spidey better or are the $13,000 Caps better...........I just can't seem to fugure this one out! I guess to each, their own.

 

In my opinion, variants *could* be worth significant amounts in the future, IF there were not so many variant issues. If New Avengers had only a variant cover for issue #1, and not variants for the first 12 issues (which is ridiculous). The fact that there are so many variants out there will negate the fact that they are limited variants. I think if a title was limited to 1 variant every 100 issues, they would actually be valuable; but unfortunately that's not the case.

[lou_fine]

In my opinion, variants *could* be worth significant amounts in the future, IF there were not so many variant issues. If New Avengers had only a variant cover for issue #1, and not variants for the first 12 issues (which is ridiculous). The fact that there are so many variants out there will negate the fact that they are limited variants. I think if a title was limited to 1 variant every 100 issues, they would actually be valuable; but unfortunately that's not the case.

 

Gobby;

 

What you are proposing would make absolutely no sense at all from the publisher's point of view. You have to remember that the entire purpose of producing variants is to entice the newbies and speculators into buying more copies of the same book that you would not otherwise buy.

 

Although your idea would be good for the buyers of these variants, you have to remember that the publisher's only interest is in lining their own pockets. In order to do this, they have to come up with ideas to convince stores and customers into buying as many copies of these books as they can.

 

Pushing as many of these variants as they can is a good idea, even though it most likely results in countless unwanted regular copies (and eventually, also unwanted variant copies) sitting in the LCS's back rooms and also in personal collections.

 

Publishers don't care about this negative at all, as there are more than enough newbies and suckers rushing blindly in with their wallets wide open, to play this latest cash cow scam designed by the companies.

[barkeep-migration]

I collect the vairant issues but normally not for investment purposes.. I collect the variaint issues only of the comics I really enjoy.. I tried getting some #1 issues I didnt really care for a while back in hopes that they would really go up.. but that really hasnt been the case.

Modern variants could be a good investment but a very short term investment.. The value will often go up .. however only while the book is popular..

[joe_collector]

Obviously whatever happened did not completely crash the comic book market, because silver age books are thriving.

 

 

You of course negelct to mention a little entity called CGC, which has driven the overall speculation rate higher than in the early-90's.

[Sal]

Obviously whatever happened did not completely crash the comic book market, because silver age books are thriving.

 

 

You of course negelct to mention a little entity called CGC, which has driven the overall speculation rate higher than in the early-90's.

 

not to mention that he left out the words "high grade" in front of "Silver Age," because LG copies of SA books are going unsold for less than 10 bux all over the place

[Hobgoblin]

In my opinion, variants *could* be worth significant amounts in the future, IF there were not so many variant issues. If New Avengers had only a variant cover for issue #1, and not variants for the first 12 issues (which is ridiculous). The fact that there are so many variants out there will negate the fact that they are limited variants. I think if a title was limited to 1 variant every 100 issues, they would actually be valuable; but unfortunately that's not the case.

 

Gobby;

 

What you are proposing would make absolutely no sense at all from the publisher's point of view. You have to remember that the entire purpose of producing variants is to entice the newbies and speculators into buying more copies of the same book that you would not otherwise buy.

 

Although your idea would be good for the buyers of these variants, you have to remember that the publisher's only interest is in lining their own pockets. In order to do this, they have to come up with ideas to convince stores and customers into buying as many copies of these books as they can.

 

Pushing as many of these variants as they can is a good idea, even though it most likely results in countless unwanted regular copies (and eventually, also unwanted variant copies) sitting in the LCS's back rooms and also in personal collections.

 

Publishers don't care about this negative at all, as there are more than enough newbies and suckers rushing blindly in with their wallets wide open, to play this latest cash cow scam designed by the companies.

 

That goes without saying. That wasn't the point of my post. My post was in the view of a collector who is looking for value.

 

I'm well aware that the large number of variants are being published in order to make more money, because that's what it all boils down to. But find out which point of view someone is looking at before you retaliate.

[drice6900]

In my opinion, variants *could* be worth significant amounts in the future, IF there were not so many variant issues. If New Avengers had only a variant cover for issue #1, and not variants for the first 12 issues (which is ridiculous). The fact that there are so many variants out there will negate the fact that they are limited variants. I think if a title was limited to 1 variant every 100 issues, they would actually be valuable; but unfortunately that's not the case.

 

Gobby;

 

What you are proposing would make absolutely no sense at all from the publisher's point of view. You have to remember that the entire purpose of producing variants is to entice the newbies and speculators into buying more copies of the same book that you would not otherwise buy.

 

Although your idea would be good for the buyers of these variants, you have to remember that the publisher's only interest is in lining their own pockets. In order to do this, they have to come up with ideas to convince stores and customers into buying as many copies of these books as they can.

 

Pushing as many of these variants as they can is a good idea, even though it most likely results in countless unwanted regular copies (and eventually, also unwanted variant copies) sitting in the LCS's back rooms and also in personal collections.

 

Publishers don't care about this negative at all, as there are more than enough newbies and suckers rushing blindly in with their wallets wide open, to play this latest cash cow scam designed by the companies.

 

That goes without saying. That wasn't the point of my post. My post was in the view of a collector who is looking for value.

 

I'm well aware that the large number of variants are being published in order to make more money, because that's what it all boils down to. But find out which point of view someone is looking at before you retaliate.

 

[joe_collector]

But find out which point of view someone is looking at before you retaliate.

 

So you're looking at the "fantasy" point of view, of a fictitious world where right-minded comic publishers flit around like fairies, sprinkly variant pixie dust as they go?

[Hobgoblin]

But find out which point of view someone is looking at before you retaliate.

 

So you're looking at the "fantasy" point of view, of a fictitious world where right-minded comic publishers flit around like fairies, sprinkly variant pixie dust as they go?

 

Yes, I was looking from the point of view as a buyer who would love to see his variant issues increase in value (which would be the case if publishers put out much fewer variants), unfortunately knowing in the back of his mind that publishers are only flooding the market with variants in order to sell more issues (which goes without saying, and is why I did not point it out earlier).

 

Is that okay with you, JC? Oh, God of Comics?

 

 

 

 

We don't always have to look at things exactly the way they are. These are discussion boards for a reason: to discuss how things are and how things could be if the situation was different.

[the blob]

"not to mention that he left out the words "high grade" in front of "Silver Age," because LG copies of SA books are going unsold for less than 10 bux all over the place"

 

chuck at mile high [highly] disagrees and thinks a more appropriate pricing structure for these gems in 2-4X guide.

 

actually, low grade SA sells somewhat decently. they're cheap. it's the expensive Fine to VF books that have trouble.

[Mr. Spider-Woman]

From today's Scoop!:

 

Civil War #1 Aspen Michael Turner Exclusive CGC certified 10.0 Gem Mint Signature Series signed by Michael Turner, Peter Strigerwald, and Steve McNiven brought $1,225

 

Egads, that must be the CW cover to end all CW covers, eh?

[Carnage]

Someone asked earlier how much the Civil War variants were going for....both of my LCBS's:

 

Turner: $20 - 25

Turner Sketch: $75

 

And I actually did pick up both on the #2 (Peter Parker reveal), b/c I figured since the comic made national news, what the heck. Though on all other in the series I'm just picking up the normal Turner variants.

 

On another subject touched upon on this thread, I did say that I think variants will be worth money, but I definitely should've qualified that by saying demand does play a huge role in that. I wasn't collecting comic books when Ultimate Spider-man came out, but from what I've been told it was expected to be a short-lived 6 part mini-series and then die. However, given the success of the comic there came a huge demand for the back issues, thusly driving up the price of the white variant cover to +$500.

 

Demand + Rarity = $$$$ I guess, if you're into that sort of thing....

[joe_collector]

But the White Variant is FAR from rare - check the CGC census.

 

Speculation + Hype = $$$