WTF Spiderman!!!

[kaholo1256]

Issue 700 1:200 Variant

 

About a month ago I scored a spot in gaining a copy of the 1:200 Amazing Spider-Man #700 from a store in Austin, TX by paying a preorder amount of $160. This is a copy of the Ditko Variant of Spider-Man swinging in all his glory. As many may know I'm a variant addict. Usually the 1:25's I pass on without a second thought but know that I have a 1:100 or higher and the idea that its more rare is what intices me to usually go out and spend that extra dollar.

 

So today my wife called me and while on a trip down to Austin said she had picked up my copy which had actually been placed in a top loader by the store for safe keeping. She then informed me to my dismay that the sketch one i had also ordered or the 1:150 had been damaged to the point that the owner could not varifiably sell it to me knowing how picky I am with my comics and refunded my money for it. This at first was fine to me. My wife has some extra spending money for her shopping trip, I have my 1:200, and I can always go to eBay and look around for a copy.

 

So during the lull of work I go on and simply type Amazing Spider-Man 700 Variant in the search engine and "HOLY TOLEDO BATMAN" the Best Match first selection is that same 1:200 Ditko issue that is at bidding now along with the other variants for $1600 dollars. In fact bidding completed at almost TWO GRAND

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-m...Comic_Books&hash=item337ecfbd03

 

So again WTF? When in the history of time has a MODERN issue ever come out and garnered so much attention. I men I thought the Walking Dead 1:200 or even comixology issue completed prices of three to four hundred was a stretch but two grand, TWO GRAND for an issue that came out under a week ago.

 

So immediately I call the wife ask her to put this thing basicly in a safe while on her trip and not let the kids get remotely close to it.

 

But now comes the question as I like to ask at the end of these. Being a collector I am keeping this thing and told her to take it to my CGC guy under armed security for Fast Tracking grading and to have it sent in the top loader. But what would you do? The hype around this should die down after a month or two and go back to prices around five hundred but would you sell right now at this penecale of hype. Or CGC it and try your luck with for a coveted 9.8 and then sell it. Or would you do as I do and CGC it and hold on to it.

 

Either way as stated in movie 300. "This is blasphomy, This is madness." Nope its just the lunacy of what collecting does to a few of us.

 

See more journals by kaholo1256

[gyro-1]

was nice of the shop to ==quote She then informed me to my dismay that the sketch one i had also ordered or the 1:150 had been damaged to the point that the owner could not varifiably sell it to me knowing how picky I am with my comics and refunded my money for it == on a book selling for $2000 they paid 5 bucks for

I may have this wrong but seems they screwed you over ?

or not?

Welcome To The Boards

[surfer99]

Me? I would send it to CGC and then sell it, wait a year and then buy it back at less than half of what you sold it for. That's easy for me to say since I'm not a huge Spidey fan...if this was an X-men book, no who am I kidding, I would still sell it because like you said it's a MODERN book!

 

[miraclemet]

was nice of the shop to ==quote She then informed me to my dismay that the sketch one i had also ordered or the 1:150 had been damaged to the point that the owner could not varifiably sell it to me knowing how picky I am with my comics and refunded my money for it == on a book selling for $2000 they paid 5 bucks for

I may have this wrong but seems they screwed you over ?

or not?

Welcome To The Boards

 

No he got the Ditko 1:200.

The 1:150 Quesada sketch variant was the one they had damaged and didnt think he would want.

 

He didnt say what he agreed to pay for the 1:150 variant, so who knows. The Quesada sketch is only going for $300 online, and thats for NM+ copies. Damaged ones certainly would be less... sounds like the shop knew, and was trying to meet, his expectations... if they were trying to screw him they would have said it was the Ditko that was "damaged"

[SW3D]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

And when is this whole variant cover nonsense going to end already?

 

I say... If you could get someone to pay $2,000 on a new

comic you paid only $160 for... go for it!!! Then use the money

constructively either to pay bills, or towards an emergency fund,

or into a college trust for your kids, or re-invest in a bell-whether

stock which pays a decent dividend.

 

This is my opinion and only my opinion... but these fad variant comics

are absolutely worthless and a potential harm to the hobby as a whole... they serve

no purpose but to milk the reader dry of money! Stupid marketing gimmicks!

[miraclemet]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

valid point here at the start. How does a shop decide who gets which copy? If the shop ordered copies of the variant themselves do they get first "dibs"? They are the ones that shelled out the money to order them (assuming there isnt some pre-order process in place). They took the risk. Who's to say someone couldnt pre-order a 1:200 variant, see that it isnt skyrocketing in value and then just never come pick it up and pay for it?

 

The "opportunity" to buy them is during the pre-order. If you really want a book pre-order it from a trusted LCS. Nothing guarantees that Diamond/USPS/UPS doesnt damage them anyway, but at least you know you have a copy coming. If you are just going to wait and hope to "snag" one of the copies at your shop, then yep, I think the LCS is free to do whatever they want with their inventory (it is theirs right?). If they want to mark the price up to the current market they can do that. If they want to pull their ordered copies and lock them in the basement, they can do that too. If they wanna send them off to CGC, again its their inventory. They took the monetary risk in ordering them, so its their call.

 

You can decide if you agree with their practices by voting with your $$$s. Dont like what they do? Shop elsewhere, or online.

[The Madness]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

And when is this whole variant cover nonsense going to end already?

 

This is my opinion and only my opinion... but these fad variant comics

are absolutely worthless and a potential harm to the hobby as a whole... they serve

no purpose but to milk the reader dry of money! Stupid marketing gimmicks!

 

So true! One of my LCS' still had Revival #1's in stock and I told him I was looking for one. What he told me was that he took them home and was thinking of getting them graded because they were in really good condition. And I also completely agree with the variant covers. Sure the Ditko cover is very appealing but the story just completely sucked! They kill off Peter, say that its the last issue of ASM, and put out a cover that was unused when in fact it was used on other books. It's all about the money now at Marvel.

[The-Collector]

Sell it now.

[miraclemet]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

 

So true! One of my LCS' still had Revival #1's in stock and I told him I was looking for one. What he told me was that he took them home and was thinking of getting them graded because they were in really good condition.

 

So we are allowed to try and flip books (ie Revival #1) for a profit, but LCSs arent?

 

Just trying to understand the rules here....

 

(again, if you dont like it, vote with your dollars)

 

And my practice is to pre-order books. My LCS orders em for me, I pay them, they hold em for me, I pick them up. What they want to do with their stock is their business.

 

 

[The Madness]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

 

So true! One of my LCS' still had Revival #1's in stock and I told him I was looking for one. What he told me was that he took them home and was thinking of getting them graded because they were in really good condition.

 

So we are allowed to try and flip books (ie Revival #1) for a profit, but LCSs arent?

 

Just trying to understand the rules here....

 

(again, if you dont like it, vote with your dollars)

 

And my practice is to pre-order books. My LCS orders em for me, I pay them, they hold em for me, I pick them up. What they want to do with their stock is their business.

 

 

No, the fact is that he wouldn't sell them to anyone. He had 3 copies left. And it just wasn't that book. He took the majority of the 2nd Revival and Catwoman and Batgirl 13s to get them CGC'd. He just opened the shop and to be honest, all he really does is take the hyped up books and tries to flip them rather than put them on the stand. He'll leave like 2 or 3 on the stands and say the others are sold out

[SW3D]

It's not in my practice to flip.

 

I am a fanboy first and foremost.

 

Then I am a collector.... collecting the comics

that I love.

 

Then I am a long term value investor... buying high priced

books which I hold for a number of years until I decide if

and when the opportunity is right to sell in order to maximize

profit.

 

I hate the notion of flipping... I'm totally against it! Flipping is not investing

but a practice which creates an inflated, artificial and unsustainable market

which puts everybody at risk. It's a derth to the hobby! It has to end!!!

 

And as far as an LCS practicing this on Modern Comics released less

than six months... this upsets me more than anything. I relie on an LCS

for Modern Comics... but it will force me to take my business to newsstands

and booksellers like B&N.

[SW3D]

K-man... I forgot to mention... you're a lucky guy!

 

My ex-wife would never pick up my comics much less allow

me to spend that much. I had to do it behind her back.

 

Does she have a sister?

 

SW3D

[The-Collector]

It's not in my practice to flip.

 

I am a fanboy first and foremost.

 

Then I am a collector.... collecting the comics

that I love.

 

Then I am a long term value investor... buying high priced

books which I hold for a number of years until I decide if

and when the opportunity is right to sell in order to maximize

profit.

 

I hate the notion of flipping... I'm totally against it! Flipping is not investing

but a practice which creates an inflated, artificial and unsustainable market

which puts everybody at risk. It's a derth to the hobby! It has to end!!!

 

And as far as an LCS practicing this on Modern Comics released less

than six months... this upsets me more than anything. I relie on an LCS

for Modern Comics... but it will force me to take my business to newsstands

and booksellers like B&N.

 

Paying $160 for a variant sounds a lot like speculation to me.

 

 

 

 

[SW3D]

TC,

 

I don't think K-man bought it to necessarily flip-it... so it wasn't a speculative buy... more of a collectors purchase... afterall he admits he loves variants.

 

As for me, I wouldn't buy any modern for that price, unless it has great potential for growth. And in the case of the rarest ASM 700 variant... just because it's rare doesn't make it valuable. Yes, it may be the "death of Peter Parker", but in this day and age, when do heroes stay dead?

 

But fair enough... there are some out there who speculate it would make a good investment... it's considered a key: death of Peter Parker, anniversary issue, last ASM issue, 1:200 variant... all rolled into one. So I could see the reason for speculation.

 

Hmmm... maybe I should buy it?

 

 

[The Madness]

TC,

 

But fair enough... there are some out there who speculate it would make a good investment... it's considered a key: death of Peter Parker, anniversary issue, last ASM issue, 1:200 variant... all rolled into one. So I could see the reason for speculation.

 

Hmmm... maybe I should buy it?

 

 

or death of Peter Parker's brain. That's the problem here. "Peter Parker" still exists. His body is still alive and everyone believes that he's still Peter Parker. The only one that knows the truth is Ock and Peter. Maybe Carlie if she believes what Pete told her. It's going to be sort of interesting how this turns out. And last ASM issue? I don't know. I just don't see this Ock thing working out.

[Jeffro.]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

I understand the sentiment but that kind of thing has been going on for a long, long time. It's really not that much different than a comic dealer given his "preferred" customers or buddies first shot at new collections and such. It's also not much different than the Hot Wheels collectors who get buddy buddy with Toys R Us employees and find out when the new cases are going to come in.

 

This happens in every collectible field. It may not be "fair" but the people who do the legwork often get the rewards. Sometimes you gotta shmooze.

 

And when is this whole variant cover nonsense going to end already?

 

When people stop buying them

[kaholo1256]

First off let me say wow, quite the response. I like this and believe that this is why many of us enjoy reading these. As for my response it’s a long one…

 

Gyro-1 – I have been with a customer at this store since 2009 and in good standing with their owner and other store personnel. Usually they go out of there way for me as when it comes to making my purchases I’m usually meticulous in my purchases. So much so that the owner will actually open the variant packages they are sent in t ensure I get the one that I believe is in the best condition. When it comes to this one particular issue I had heard all the hype about a possible 1:700 variant and worked out an amount for it. But once the amount went down to 200 we renegotiated the price and refunded the difference. Now with the 1:150 and him not selling it to my wife, it was an issue with mine having been dropped or something and showed my wife the defect that had been caused. To my wife she shrugged it off and was like ok I’m simply here to pick it up, but him knowing how I am offered the refund with the ability to get one if it should become available at the same negotiated price. To me I have been shopping here for awhile and understand that her picking it up now meant the other 1:150 variants have already been sold due to the amount of time from release – to her pickup. So do I think I got screwed? No, I just know I paid a lot for an issue that was I think $8 when it came out.

 

Surfer99 – I’m not a Spider-Man fan at all. Honestly this one I didn’t even get a copy of the normal issue. I simply downloaded it onto my iPad, got pissed and then realized that this was why I was still not a Spider-Man fan. So the more I think about it the more I may do this as well. I also have really thought about getting it Signature Series with a Stan and Slott signature. Problem is in doing this a lot of time will pass and the hype may subside.

 

Miraclemet – I’ve got to agree with you on this one.

 

SW3D – There are a lot of stores that seem to do this. You see it on eBay and its usually the same ones that have a CGC’d copy within three weeks of the release. This completely baffles me how some can get out so fast and yet mine set for what feels like decades. My big thing is that I believe I am a personable guy and treat another as they would like to be treated. In doing this the one store I usually hit wanted to do it for me but in looking at the numbers of what he believed he could sell decided against it. The store I got it from though, I know serve in large bulk orders. They don’t really do much on CGC and never really have to worry much on them doing this. My thing is that many store owners do it for this specific reason. To get one and if hype is maddening enough flip it in there general benefit. Most stores can’t possibly be as big as Midtown or Dynamic Forces or even ABC. They get along off the idea that they are making a living and paying the electric bill. If selling this big ticket item in that manner gets them a vacation somewhere warm, then by all means CGC it and jack the price up.

As for the second issue you brought up and what variants do to the market, I understand where you’re coming from on this issue. With what happened when X-Men relaunched in the early 90’s everyone started to jump onto the variants of the number 1 issue as there were I believe five different covers. I think the numbers were something in the million set for amount of comics released for this specific issue and when looking at the resale value for a comic that I believe could have been a verifiable key in some way it’s still stuck at face value or less. I think both Marvel and DC learned something from this and hence do the now ratio comic variants but could see this kind of launching do some damage if numbers are ever as high as in that time. My biggest issue is that many times the variant itself is more eye catching than the issue. With ASM 700 the original cover, while different, wasn’t nearly as eye catching as any of the variants. In fact Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all released variants of the collogue look before there relaunch. On the buyers side, I do have to say that some buyers even make up their profit with the selling of the variants. A 1:200 variant costing almost 32 times more than what they paid for is good business on the seller’s point and for them making a profit is the bottom line.

 

Back to Miraclemet – I think I hit on this above but it comes down to loyalty with the comic shops I tend to go to. For Earl’s shop (America’s Heroes Comics) I have enough good faith with him that he does this for me. I treat him as a friend and as I want to be treated and not simply as my LCS owner but someone I can talk to. This man knows my kids and over the course of the past few years as seen them grow as I have. He even introduced my daughter to her first comicbook. For him and not so much his shop I want to say I have done more good for him as a friend than as a customer. I have assisted him in setting up comic artists such as Sam De La Rosa and David Marquez to do store signings, given him commissions without asking for payment, and even given him VIP tickets to a Con. The point here is that I don’t use Earl’s shop as simply my go to LCS but honestly as my go to place to hang out with a friend. So in the end does he look out for me with stuff over others? Yes, but I don’t ask for handouts and I don’t ask for mark downs. I ask that he treat me as a normal customer and if he gives me first crack at something he knows I’m good for then why shouldn’t he? But as for variants I guess in writing this whole thing you know where my vote lies.

 

Ntorres2 – Yeah other than the cover of the variant this story did suck for me. I purchased this through my iPad and as I said earlier I think, this is just another reason why I stopped reading Spider-Man. As for an LCS to hold for CGC yes and no I can understand this practice and it all boils down to how they think they can make money. If they believe they can make more doing this then as a shop I can say I understand why. As a customer it does make me angry as they could have an issue I am looking for but Earl has never done this around our area from what I know and usually goes out of his way to acquire issues if you simply ask.

 

Back to SW3D – I think I’ll be horrible at this whole flipping thing, as I usually want to keep everything. While probably not the greatest way of safeguarding comics I honestly use them as a boarder / wallpaper for my son’s bed room. Every CGC for the exception of two borders the top of his room next to the ceiling out of reach and are used more as art than simply placed into a box. A lot of times I even have Earl hang onto them and display them so that others can be inspired and attempt to do the same thing I have with emphasis on the commissioned art. If all I did was put them in a box then to me this is taking away what the comics mean to me. I may never own a Rembrant or Picaso but to me I don’t get that type of art, I simply don’t understand it. But I get this type. To me this took as much hard work as those did and are more appealing to the eye than a messed up looking face that’s suppose to be the dehumanizing of humanity?

 

And I am a lucky guy with the woman I married. She doesn’t get this “hobby” at all. I took her to a Con and she didn’t understand anything and on the second day offered to simply drop me off so she could go shopping. But I don’t understand her need to buy a million different shoes. The big thing is we both understand that what we buy makes us both happy and in the end its seeing each other happy that makes it acceptable. When I first started collecting again, I did have to go behind her back as I wrote about earlier and the need to use my daughter as a scapegoat. But after she saw how happy I was for my birthday she went out and got me the worst copy of Fantastic Four 48. Bless her heart and her attempt and I plan to get this graded just for her even though it may go as a 1.0. But she accepts it and I love her more for that. And yes she does, but I would never recommend her. HIGH MAINTENANCE doesn’t even begin to describe her.

 

But as you told The-Collector I’m not in this to flip anything. One day when I’m old and grey and my kids are off doing whatever it is in the world they are doing their grandkids will come by and ask what they are. I’ll read them the uncased story and give them off to them. I collect because I simply love collecting. Never dream of flipping a single issue I own.

 

 

 

[surfer99]

Is it me or does it seem unfair for a Comic Specialty

Store to sift through their pre-orders... an hog up the best condition

comics, then send them to the CGC before we get the opportunity

to buy them, only to turn then around and resell said graded comic

at a huge mark-up... this doesn't seem fair to me.

 

 

So true! One of my LCS' still had Revival #1's in stock and I told him I was looking for one. What he told me was that he took them home and was thinking of getting them graded because they were in really good condition.

 

So we are allowed to try and flip books (ie Revival #1) for a profit, but LCSs arent?

 

Just trying to understand the rules here....

 

(again, if you dont like it, vote with your dollars)

 

And my practice is to pre-order books. My LCS orders em for me, I pay them, they hold em for me, I pick them up. What they want to do with their stock is their business.

 

 

No, the fact is that he wouldn't sell them to anyone. He had 3 copies left. And it just wasn't that book. He took the majority of the 2nd Revival and Catwoman and Batgirl 13s to get them CGC'd. He just opened the shop and to be honest, all he really does is take the hyped up books and tries to flip them rather than put them on the stand. He'll leave like 2 or 3 on the stands and say the others are sold out

 

Anyone remember Atomic Comics? They were a local chain here in AZ. They used to pull this...I once saw a kid ask about a comic that was HOT at the time (years ago, can't remember the book) and it had just come out, but they claimed to be sold out. I went in the next week and they had multiple copies for sale at 10 times cover price. So not cool. I never went back. Now they are out of business. I don't wish that on any small business and it's unfortunate they were not more customer friendly.

 

 

[surfer99]

Back to SW3D – I think I’ll be horrible at this whole flipping thing, as I usually want to keep everything. While probably not the greatest way of safeguarding comics I honestly use them as a boarder / wallpaper for my son’s bed room. Every CGC for the exception of two borders the top of his room next to the ceiling out of reach and are used more as art than simply placed into a box. A lot of times I even have Earl hang onto them and display them so that others can be inspired and attempt to do the same thing I have with emphasis on the commissioned art. If all I did was put them in a box then to me this is taking away what the comics mean to me. I may never own a Rembrant or Picaso but to me I don’t get that type of art, I simply don’t understand it. But I get this type. To me this took as much hard work as those did and are more appealing to the eye than a messed up looking face that’s suppose to be the dehumanizing of humanity?

 

 

Totally agree, and that's a pretty cool idea with the border across the top of the wall. I have my top 8 CGC books framed in my bedroom and also view them as art. I use the Frame It Again Sam frames which look fantastic and allow me to periodically change out which comic I have displayed.

 

 

 

[miraclemet]

Comic Shops have to weight short term gains vs long term gains. Short term gains like pulling hot books to jack up prices at the expense of keeping long term customers is a short sighted practice.

 

Unfortunately most LCS owners don't have long term plans (or hopes) or much business acumen beyond making the monthly lease payment and keeping the lights on and the Diamond bill paid.

 

The shops that build a long term loyal customer base and realize that the real revenue stream are the customers not the random hot book of the month are the shops that stay around for decades.