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Modern (last 4 years) back issues tough to find?

Started by ninanina,

22 posts in this topic

ninanina

ninanina

Posted
Posted

Just wondering if you guys are having a tough time buying back-issues for comics printed in the last four years or so. Considering how low the print runs are now and especially with Marvel printing to order, are you having a tough time finding these? My local shop is having a tough time finding comics like a a Hulk 51, Alias 5, JSA's 25, 27, & 28 for example. This never was a problem 20 years ago??? Yeah, sure you can probably pick them off one at a time on e-bay, but you tack on shipping, it's pretty pricey. Talked to an over-street advisor on this, and he seems to also feel they are tough to find.

 

Whatcha' guys think?

 

If I'm wrong, please tell me where to go to get these hard-to-find comics. I need about 30 or 40 different ones I've missed. (Including Hulks 29 - 43)

 

Darth, you the guy???

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spidermanbeyond

spidermanbeyond

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Posted

I am finding any recent back issue goodevil.gif difficult. If you don't buy a book off the stand right away on Wednesday, it is hard to find because no comic store really stocks back issue anymore. Store dealers buy enough to sell through with maybe a few extra on things like Amazing Spider-Man and X-Men but that is it.

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lighthouse

lighthouse

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There's three factors here:

 

Marvel prints to order

Stores don't order extras for back issues

Stores don't buy back issues from their customers

 

None of these used to be true. It used to be that stores could get extras from their distributors for months afterwards. It used to be that stores would order a few extra copies with the intention of selling them as bask issues (not speculation, just 2-5 copies). It used to be that stores would buy back issues from their customers...

 

That's just not the way it is now.

 

40,000 copies of Thor 58 are sold, and from that day on there are less than 1,000 copies still in play in the marketplace. The rest of them have gone to die in collections. If for any reason, demand increases, even 10%, you now have 4000 extra people chasing those 1,000 copies that are still in play. The going rate suddenly becomes $9 for the book.

 

It used to be that distributors would have a couple thousand extras, and stores would have a couple thousand extras too. A small bump in demand would be absorbed by those copies. But it's not the case any longer. If even a few thousand people decide they want a book they didn't buy when it came out, it translates into huge back issue demand. There are lots of folks who never, ever sell their comics. So that extra demand now fights for the copies of the people who do.

 

After Darth fills what he can from your list, let me know what you need. You might be surprised at what I have available...

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ninanina

ninanina

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tell your shop I have a slew of hulk 51 as well and have extra issues of alias... they are hard to come by because of the 1) low print run and 2) MArvel's no -reorder policy

 

I'll tell him Darth, but like lighthouse said, I am thinking he's one of those dealers that just doesn't stock back-issues. With what's being said here, I also am thinking this stuff being printed today could conceivably become quite pricey in no time. I know we've talked about this before a few months ago, and some felt it was rediculous. But, just look and see what's happening.

 

I also feel overstreet really doesn't have a handle on this new ultra-modern era of back-issues. They just list it all at cover. This stuff is going to become quite collectable pretty quick.

 

Darth, please PM me a list of what you have and what the selling price is for these. I'd like to try and get them all from one place, but any way I can get them is certainly better than buying them one at a time from e-bay. And thanks for your reply.

 

Lighthouse, I'll get back to you after I hear from Darth.

 

So....am I right about the future ultra-rarity of the moderns?

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blowout

blowout

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So....am I right about the future ultra-rarity of the moderns?

 

Only if, as Lighthouse said earlier, the collector base for new books rises to a higher level in the future than it is at now.

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dam60

dam60

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In addition to my Batman run, I have a full run of Detectives that I am working on. I am missing about 20 in the 700 range, most within the last 2 years. I find that every con I go to, another one of them falls into the 50 cent bin. Maybe it is just Marvels that are impossible, but with my DCs, I have no problem finding copies cheaply. Even though right now I am still 20 shy in the 700 range, I bet if I bumped my criteria to $1 I would be able to fill them all no sweat.

 

One theory that I have about Marvel and their low print run is that it is great business for promoting TPBs. Can't get an issue? Just get the TPB! If I understand correctly, TPBs don't require any additional payment to the creative team hence more money hitting MVLs coffers . . .

 

Thoughts?

 

DAM

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Zonker

Zonker

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Posted

Just a couple of thoughts...

 

In addition to my Batman run, I have a full run of Detectives that I am working on. I am missing about 20 in the 700 range, most within the last 2 years. I find that every con I go to, another one of them falls into the 50 cent bin. Maybe it is just Marvels that are impossible, but with my DCs, I have no problem finding copies cheaply. Even though right now I am still 20 shy in the 700 range, I bet if I bumped my criteria to $1 I would be able to fill them all no sweat.

 

One theory that I have about Marvel and their low print run is that it is great business for promoting TPBs. Can't get an issue? Just get the TPB!

 

Yes, indeedy! Also, recall that Marvel alone has the no-overprint policy. DC does still overprint for reorders, so there are likely more recent DCs floating around.

 

If I understand correctly, TPBs don't require any additional payment to the creative team hence more money hitting MVLs coffers . . .

 

Actually, the creators do get a royalty (depending upon how big a name they are, they may have a bigger participation in the reprint revenues). But in general you're correct: the initial printing pays off the creators (one reason the monthly books cost so much); the cost of reprinting (including the relatively-small royalty) is much less (one reason the TPB reprints seem so affordable by comparision).

 

Cheers,

Z.

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500Club

500Club

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Yes, indeedy! Also, recall that Marvel alone has the no-overprint policy. DC does still overprint for reorders, so there are likely more recent DCs floating around.

 

I'd heard that DC was planning to go the 'no overprint' route. Any truth to this?

 

Also, Marvel is apparently going to start slightly overprinting selected issues.

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BigMan

BigMan

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tell your shop I have a slew of hulk 51 as well and have extra issues of alias... they are hard to come by because of the 1) low print run and 2) MArvel's no -reorder policy
Man I guess Darth hoards more recent Modern Age like I do early 90's Keys...anyone want multiple copies of Wolverine Regular Series #1 grin.gif893whatthe.gif
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dam60

dam60

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In addition to my Batman run, I have a full run of Detectives that I am working on. I am missing about 20 in the 700 range, most within the last 2 years

 

WOW! You've got yourself a might impressive run of comics!!!

 

Thanks!! It isn't as impressive as you might think though - for Batman I have 175-616. Breakdown: 175-200 vg, 200-300 everything from vg-NM+, 300-500 mostly above vf/nm with most solid NM, but 500-616 they are NM/MT. Detectives I have 416-782 (with holes) and Actions 400-700 (with holes) but I aggressively seek VG copies at nice discounts to guide. My About Me page has my want list.

 

I am a completionist and not really a perfectionist smile.gif

 

DAM

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musicmeta

musicmeta

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In addition to my Batman run, I have a full run of Detectives that I am working on. I am missing about 20 in the 700 range, most within the last 2 years

 

WOW! You've got yourself a might impressive run of comics!!!

 

Thanks!! It isn't as impressive as you might think though - for Batman I have 175-616. Breakdown: 175-200 vg, 200-300 everything from vg-NM+, 300-500 mostly above vf/nm with most solid NM, but 500-616 they are NM/MT. Detectives I have 416-782 (with holes) and Actions 400-700 (with holes) but I aggressively seek VG copies at nice discounts to guide. My About Me page has my want list.

 

I am a completionist and not really a perfectionist smile.gif

 

DAM

 

Still that's a lot of comics for each title. Very nice indeed. What great reading. 893applaud-thumb.gif

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dam60

dam60

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Still that's a lot of comics for each title. Very nice indeed. What great reading. 893applaud-thumb.gif

 

Thanks! One day I want to read them all! I think that would be cool to take a week's vacation and read every single issue of Batman from the beginning all the way up!

 

DAM

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dam60

dam60

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Not even close!!!

 

Batman 175-616 missing about 6

Detective 425-current missing a bunch

 

Check out my want list on my about me page! (Link in my sig)

 

DAM

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