Marvel #1 at Heritage -- Nov. isssue. Is Oct. a more desirable 1st printing?

[showcase4]

This Marvel #1 is listed in the January '07 Heritage auction on their website. Nice to see this book with its original, unfaded dark rich blue cover!

 

[metropoliscomics]

This book is listed in the January '07 Heritage auction on their website. Nice to see this book with its original, unfaded dark rich blue cover!

 

 

Pretty nice for one of those November reprint copies.

 

S

[batman_fan]

This book is listed in the January '07 Heritage auction on their website. Nice to see this book with its original, unfaded dark rich blue cover!

 

 

Pretty nice for one of those November reprint copies.

 

S

 

Sad thing is, I can't even afford the reprint!

[Bronty]

 

Pretty nice for one of those November reprint copies.

 

S

 

yeah, but didn't other books have vintage reprints also? Superman 1 had three printings, correct? But nobody mentions it because the prints aren't so easily identifiable. I look at the reprint issue differently when it comes to early GA... who's with me?

[metropoliscomics]

 

Pretty nice for one of those November reprint copies.

 

S

 

yeah, but didn't other books have vintage reprints also? Superman 1 had three printings, correct? But nobody mentions it because the prints aren't so easily identifiable. I look at the reprint issue differently when it comes to early GA... who's with me?

 

The difference is that in the case of Marvel Comics #1, we have the info. We know which is the first printing and how many book were printed for the two printings. With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

S

[Bronty]

that's exactly my point as to why I wouldn't care too much about a reprint vs non-reprint Marvel 1 if I were in the market for one. Lots of other GA keys one might buy that might in fact technically be unidentified "reprints." I can understand where you're coming from though.

[metropoliscomics]

that's exactly my point as to why I wouldn't care too much about a reprint vs non-reprint Marvel 1 if I were in the market for one. Lots of other GA keys one might buy that might in fact technically be unidentified "reprints." I can understand where you're coming from though.

 

All one need to do is to look at the rare book market for guidance. The difference between a first printing and a 2nd printing is at the very core of that market. In many cases, physical differences between the printings can be somewhat minor.

 

What you have at work here are numerous collectors with $$ tied up in November printings that you end up with a clear agenda that attempts to blur the difference between the 1st printing and the 2nd printing both in terms of value and scarcity.

 

Stephen

[showcase4]

All one need to do is to look at the rare book market for guidance. The difference between a first printing and a 2nd printing is at the very core of that market.

 

This is exactly right. Many of the Victorian and Platinum Age comics had multiple printings just like in the rare antiquarian book market. When there are distinguishing factors to help identify the true 1st printing, there is often an extreme demand and price difference for that issue, even if the reprints look identical and are from the same year. Some books are known to have multiple printings, but there is no way to tell them apart, so the value and demand is consistant with all copies. Marvel #1 makes it as easy as any book I've ever seen to know which printing was 1st.

 

My point is if Marvel #1 were treated like a Vic/Plat book or antiquarian book, the October issue would be worth 10 - 20 times ( guesstimate ) as much as the November issue. But apparently with Marvel #1, the marketplace has made it exempt from this rule

[Crowzilla]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

[adamstrange]

that's exactly my point as to why I wouldn't care too much about a reprint vs non-reprint Marvel 1 if I were in the market for one. Lots of other GA keys one might buy that might in fact technically be unidentified "reprints." I can understand where you're coming from though.

 

Disclaimer: I have no stake in the controversy as I don't have/don't plan to buy any of the big GA keys.

 

Aren't most of the high-grade pedigree copies of Marvel 1 November? I believe I was told that was true of the Church copy.

 

So far, it appears that the comic market has decided that several key comics have been reprinted, most reprints can't be discerned from the original, most high grade copies are reprints, therefore we won't pay attention to the reprints in the cases where reprints can be distinguished from the original.

 

The market can always change but comics don't have to follow the same rules that other collectibles do. For example, in stamps there is much greater emphasis on varieties and interesting production errors (inverted printings) than in comics. The recent interest in the 35cent marvels is an example of the comic market shifting to focus on varieties in a way that it did not use to.

[bluechip]

that's exactly my point as to why I wouldn't care too much about a reprint vs non-reprint Marvel 1 if I were in the market for one. Lots of other GA keys one might buy that might in fact technically be unidentified "reprints." I can understand where you're coming from though.

 

All one need to do is to look at the rare book market for guidance. The difference between a first printing and a 2nd printing is at the very core of that market. In many cases, physical differences between the printings can be somewhat minor.

 

What you have at work here are numerous collectors with $$ tied up in November printings that you end up with a clear agenda that attempts to blur the difference between the 1st printing and the 2nd printing both in terms of value and scarcity.

 

Stephen

 

I agree that it's an anomaly to the comics biz. The only book about which people seem to obsess over first printing is, strangely enough, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I let go my October Marvel 1 and have regretted it since.

 

FYI, I am sure you know this but there were at least two Batman 1s and it should be easy to figure out which is the first. One omits a period behind the "No" in "No 1"[ and the other has a period. Safe to assume the one with the period came later, as a correction.

[lou_fine]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

[metropoliscomics]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

 

 

If that is the case, let get some scans of the differences. After that, we need to get a sense of rarity of the different printings. Lastly, a discussion of the differences in value.

 

S

[Crowzilla]

Here is a link to the original thread:

Superman #1 multiple printings

Of course to check Superman's now, they will have to be broken out of their slabs.

 

I just looked through the Heritage archives and Metropolis' site and could not find a Batman #1 without the "." before the "1", does anyone have a scan of one?

[Timely]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

 

Also there are 2 different versions of All Star Comics #3 with different ads. CGC has graded both versions.

 

Quite frankly I think it is foolish to call the November copy of Marvel #1 a reprint or second print of the October copy. After all Superman #1 is 90%+ reprinted material yet look at the value of it! No one I know considers Superman #1 to be valueless because of its reprint content.

 

West

[metropoliscomics]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

 

Also there are 2 different versions of All Star Comics #3 with different ads. CGC has graded both versions.

 

Quite frankly I think it is foolish to call the November copy of Marvel #1 a reprint or second print of the October copy. After all Superman #1 is 90%+ reprinted material yet look at the value of it! No one I know considers Superman #1 to be valueless because of its reprint content.

 

West

 

It is foolish to call a second printing a second printing? Ok. That's an interesting point of view.

 

What does how much original content Superman #1 had have to do with a status of a November copy of Marvel #1?

 

S

[metropoliscomics]

Here is a link to the original thread:

Superman #1 multiple printings

Of course to check Superman's now, they will have to be broken out of their slabs.

 

I just looked through the Heritage archives and Metropolis' site and could not find a Batman #1 without the "." before the "1", does anyone have a scan of one?

 

Now you are talking!

 

The vast vast majority of Batman #1s I have sold, and I believe no one has owed more Batman #1s than I, have the period before the 1. It is certainly much rarer and is probably the 1st print run. If only there was someone at DC who could confirm this. Does anyone have a time machine?

 

S

[Timely]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

 

Also there are 2 different versions of All Star Comics #3 with different ads. CGC has graded both versions.

 

Quite frankly I think it is foolish to call the November copy of Marvel #1 a reprint or second print of the October copy. After all Superman #1 is 90%+ reprinted material yet look at the value of it! No one I know considers Superman #1 to be valueless because of its reprint content.

 

West

 

It is foolish to call a second printing a second printing? Ok. That's an interesting point of view.

 

What does how much original content Superman #1 had have to do with a status of a November copy of Marvel #1?

 

S

 

I suggest it is merely a continuation. Putting November on the cover was a way to continue to sell the book for another month. Correcting cover dates happened all the time, such as Catman #5. The publisher put a November date on the cover that would not have allowed enough rack time to sell the book so November was covered with an all black cat and then the December date was added below the logo.

 

West

[lou_fine]

With Superman #1, we have no info regarding separate printings. And in fact, if there were multiple printings, all the printings were exactly the same.

 

Not quite true.

We do know that on the last page of Superman #1 (next to the inside back cover) there are at least two variations of the ad for Action #14.

One says "On sale June 2nd"

other version says "Now on Sale"

 

So at the very least, any copy of Superman #1 that has the "now on sale" text in the house ad can not be a first printing.

 

Yes, we have already had this discussion on the Superman and Batman #1 printings already. In fact, I believe we already know what the individual print runs were for each of the Superman printings. Sounded like pretty definitive information to me.

 

Does anybody have a link to this previous discussion in the past?

 

 

If that is the case, let get some scans of the differences. After that, we need to get a sense of rarity of the different printings. Lastly, a discussion of the differences in value.

 

S

 

Steve;

 

If I remember correctly, you was one of the more significant contributors to the ORIGINAL thread to the Superman multiple printings thread.

 

The thread that Sean linked us to was one of the subsequent threads and not the original one that initialy discussed the multiple printings.

[nearmint]

Does anyone have a time machine?

 

Can't talk about it.