Comprehensive List of DC Universe Logo UPC Variants 18 18

[Brandon Shepherd]

3 minutes ago, mysterio said:

Are you thinking they’re high or low? These don’t seem too far off what non-variants would get in 9.8. I’m not seeing much of a premium. 

I'm thinking they're astronomically high. All of the books would probably not go for more than $30 if they were not DCU variants. Especially Action #703, a 9.8 non DCU has been sitting on World Wide Comics for years. 

Unless you're being facetious!   

[Aweandlorder]

40 minutes ago, Brando- said:

I'm thinking they're astronomically high. All of the books would probably not go for more than $30 if they were not DCU variants. Especially Action #703, a 9.8 non DCU has been sitting on World Wide Comics for years. 

Unless you're being facetious!   

Yup I agree.. esp bats 511. That is a shocker. Why??

I doubt youd even get any bites on a reg version or even newsstand for that matter @30 per issue of any of these 

[Cpt Kirk]

1 hour ago, Brando- said:

Have you guys seen the prices realized on the latest ComicLink auction for DCU 9.8 examples?

Action #703 - $80

Adventures of Superman #518 - $125

Batman #511 - $255

Green Lantern #55 - $74

Superboy #8 - Ends 4/4, currently @ $11

Superman #93 - Ends 4/4, currently at $10

Superman: The Man of Steel #37 - Ends 4/4, currently @ $40

I didn't expect this at all. 

 

The Adv of SM 518 seems reasonable... it is very hard to find, let alone in high grade.   I agree with Aweandlorder.... the others seem high if they sell above $50... especially the Batman 511 (very common DCU).

[mysterio]

I’ve seen plenty of random books sell for $75-100 if they’re in a 9.8 holder. I’m never surprised by that anymore. The Batman #511 does seem a bit high, I’ll grant that one, but it’s also a black cover. It’s possible it’s got a low census number because of the cover and the fact that few copies get subbed. Could be a few different factors. 

[Cpt Kirk]

8 hours ago, mysterio said:

I’ve seen plenty of random books sell for $75-100 if they’re in a 9.8 holder. I’m never surprised by that anymore. The Batman #511 does seem a bit high, I’ll grant that one, but it’s also a black cover. It’s possible it’s got a low census number because of the cover and the fact that few copies get subbed. Could be a few different factors. 

For sure.... I think Batman collectors tend to be a little more fanatical than others, so the prices sometimes get ridiculous.   Heck, I paid $300 for a 9.2 jeweler variant of Batman 357 (I just couldn't stand having a gvg copy in the run, so had to upgrade).

[revat]

wait are we talking about cgc 9.8 comics? or just high grade raws?

[mysterio]

4 hours ago, revat said:

wait are we talking about cgc 9.8 comics? or just high grade raws?

CGC 9.8s. Several sold on Clink in the past couple of days with a few more to come. 

[Cpt Kirk]

OK, my eyeballs are still a little strained, but here’s what I got after checking approx. 200 DCUs, 50 spare/duplicate DCUs, several boxed sets, 2-packs, and 20-packs:

1.       I found no other DCUs that resembled the Flash 96 DCUs.  There might be others like it, but they are not common.   I’ve concluded that Flash 96, with two different variations of back covers with the same DCU variant front cover, is a rare animal.

2.       There are a few DCU variants that have something in the indicia regarding the print run, which makes them different than other DCUs.   Most DCU’s are identical to their direct sales counterparts in every way (ads, indicia, etc) except for the DCU symbol on the front cover.  Here’s the  DCUs that I found with something different in the indicia:

a.       Significant:  One version of the Superman Man of Steel 30 DCU (Feb 1994) says “Collector Pack First Printing” in indicia.  However, I also have a Superman MOS 30 DCU that DOES NOT have “Collector Pack First Printing” in the indicia.  I believe the copy that says “Collector Pack First Printing” came from a Superman boxed set (my copy came from one of those boxed sets … see photo below).  I think it is interesting that none of the other DCU variants from that Superman boxed set have “Collector Pack First Printing” in the indicia.   I believe the SM MOS 30 DCU that has nothing in the indicia came from a 20-pack.  So Superman Man of Steel 30 is the only other DCU variant I’ve seen (besides Flash 96) that has 2 variations of indicia.   In both variations, all the ads are the same.

Here's SM MOS 30 DCU with "Collectors Pack First Printing" in indicia:

 

Here's SM MOS 30 DCU within nothing in the incidia.

 

Here's the boxed set that SM MOS 30 DCU with "Collector's First Printing" came from:

 

b.      Steel 4 (May 1994) says “second printing” in indicia.  This probably came from a 20-pack and for some odd reason they put “second printing” in the indicia.   This Steel 4 DCU has identical ads as the Direct Sales version of Steel 4.   I haven’t found any Steel 4 DCUs without “second printing” on the indicia, so they all appear to be the same.   Note:  Shawn Laffey has one on listed on ebay and he states it has “second printing” in indicia.  Mysterio has four copies of Steel 4 DCU with “second printing” in the indicia.   Janet-Johnson on ebay also has one listed and it says "second printing" in the indicia.   Here's photo again of Steel 4:

 

c.       All issues from the Batman Contagion boxed sets say “second printing” in the indicia:  Namely Batman 529, TEC 695, Batman SOB 48, Robin 27, Catwoman 31, Azrael 15 from Contagion #1 set;  and TEC 696, Batman SOB 49, Robin 28, Catwoman 32, Azrael 16, and Batman Chronicles 4 from Contagion #2 set.    Note:  I also found a TEC 696 from a 3-pack, and it also had “second printing” in the indicia.   I have spares of these DCUs and they all have “second printing” in the indicia, so it appears as if the DCU variants of the Contagion comic books are all the same.

Batman 529 with "second printing" in indicia

I did notice a trend after staring at all these DCU variants:   The Flash 96 (Dec 1994) 2^nd print DCU variant has the same ads (i.e. Cyber Mall on back cover and a cereal ad on inside front cover) as Action 720 (Apr 1996) 1^st and 2^nd prints, BM 529 (Apr 1996) 1^st and 2^nd prints, and TEC 696 (Apr 1996) 1^st and 2^nd prints.   Could it be that the print run dated Apr 1996 for the Contagion boxed sets that included the words “second printing” in the indicia also included a Flash 96 for some reason?    

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Cpt Kirk

[WolverineX]

How rare are  Flash 90 and 91 DCU?  I just found one of each at the flea market.  Nice condition and wondering if I should slab it.

Edited April 8, 2018 by Wolverinex

[Cpt Kirk]

41 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

How rare are  Flash 90 and 91 DCU?  I just found one of each at the flea market.  Nice condition and wondering if I should slab it.

I hate to say it, but neither one appears to be very rare, so slabbing might not be good idea unless really high grade.   Neither one is on want lists for my die-hard DCU friends, so that leads me to believe that they are not too hard to find.

 

[revat]

There are occasionally questions about which DCU's might be worth slabbing (assuming you hit a 9.8).  I have different categories (they assume you purchased at cover price or less), and they are all (most likely biased) OPINIONS.  I'm not a professional dealer, I'm not a leading expert on these, I haven't done any real research.  But they are good faith opinions which I believe will get most people in the 'range' of what's slabbable.

:

Obvious Tier: (probably make money slabbing even at 9.6)

Doomsday reprints

Keys - Flash 92, GL 48 and 49

 

Probably Tier: (I'd probably do it, but some people won't slab unless they can guarantee sell for $100 or more)

Sexy Adam Hughes covers - Legionnaires 16

Main title batman related to Knightsquest/end/fall

Wonder Woman Bolland covers.

 

Questionable Tier:  (ostly if you can find (or already have) a market or customers to sell to, and you will absolutely lose money if you don't hit 9.8.

Knightsquest/end/fall Ancillary Titles - Detective, Catwoman, Robin Justice Leagues, etc.

Milestone issues which are otherwise somewhat overprinted - GL 50, the '100' issues as examples.

If their are two covers for some issues, the less common one.

Non Sexy Hughes and other covers with 'popular' artists.  Mignola is the only other one that comes to mind right now, but there might be others (other Bolland if they exist).

DC v Marvel Issues.

Any issues under 'funeral for a friend' or 'reign of the supermen'

 

Subjective Tier:

Any thing Cpt Kirk or Jerome says is  rare.  BUT most of the super completionists prefer higher grades but aren't trying to get a slabbed set, so they may not command as much of a premium as you'd think.  The market is still pretty limited.

[mysterio]

27 minutes ago, revat said:

There are occasionally questions about which DCU's might be worth slabbing (assuming you hit a 9.8).  I have different categories (they assume you purchased at cover price or less), and they are all (most likely biased) OPINIONS.  I'm not a professional dealer, I'm not a leading expert on these, I haven't done any real research.  But they are good faith opinions which I believe will get most people in the 'range' of what's slabbable.

:

Obvious Tier: (probably make money slabbing even at 9.6)

Doomsday reprints

Keys - Flash 92, GL 48 and 49

 

Probably Tier: (I'd probably do it, but some people won't slab unless they can guarantee sell for $100 or more)

Sexy Adam Hughes covers - Legionnaires 16

Main title batman related to Knightsquest/end/fall

Wonder Woman Bolland covers.

 

Questionable Tier:  (ostly if you can find (or already have) a market or customers to sell to, and you will absolutely lose money if you don't hit 9.8.

Knightsquest/end/fall Ancillary Titles - Detective, Catwoman, Robin Justice Leagues, etc.

Milestone issues which are otherwise somewhat overprinted - GL 50, the '100' issues as examples.

If their are two covers for some issues, the less common one.

Non Sexy Hughes and other covers with 'popular' artists.  Mignola is the only other one that comes to mind right now, but there might be others (other Bolland if they exist).

DC v Marvel Issues.

Any issues under 'funeral for a friend' or 'reign of the supermen'

 

Subjective Tier:

Any thing Cpt Kirk or Jerome says is  rare.  BUT most of the super completionists prefer higher grades but aren't trying to get a slabbed set, so they may not command as much of a premium as you'd think.  The market is still pretty limited.

I’d agree with all of this, with additional emphasis on the last points. DCU variants have a small enough collector base that the book needs broader appeal than that variant to warrant slabbing. 

I’d also add WW #90 onto the Key list as first Artemis. Raw books have jumped up, and since it’s probably worth slabbing in 9.6-9.8 as a non-variant I’d consider it for the DCU. 

[revat]

18 minutes ago, mysterio said:

I’d agree with all of this, with additional emphasis on the last points. DCU variants have a small enough collector base that the book needs broader appeal than that variant to warrant slabbing. 

I’d also add WW #90 onto the Key list as first Artemis. Raw books have jumped up, and since it’s probably worth slabbing in 9.6-9.8 as a non-variant I’d consider it for the DCU. 

good call on WW 90

[NormdaMarine]

Well I sent my Looney Tunes in to be graded and IMO has a chance to be a 9.8... Time will tell!

[Cpt Kirk]

7 hours ago, NormdaMarine said:

Well I sent my Looney Tunes in to be graded and IMO has a chance to be a 9.8... Time will tell!

[mysterio]

Found one that had eluded me so far while I was at Fan Expo Dallas this past weekend, so that helped put a cherry on top of the weekend. Also met and got to chat with @ZillaCat, which was great!

[RockMyAmadeus]

On 3/29/2018 at 9:05 AM, Cpt Kirk said:

Very interesting.... if you could let us know which issues you found with notes like this, it would be much appreciated.

I don't know if it's already been mentioned, but any DCU book with a cover date before the program officially launched (Jan 94) will be a reprint of some sort, marked or not. Green Lantern #36, for example, which has a Feb 93 cover date, or GL #47. The "collector's pack first printing" means "second printing." 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Also...any DCU that is not identical to the regular version was almost certainly a reprint, after the fact, because DC (or whomever assembled their collector's packs for them) had run out of a particular issue.

I am certain that MOS #30 is in that category, because Lobo was fairly popular at the time, it was an interesting gimmick, and sold better than surrounding issues. 

I do not know, but thinking about it, it makes sense that, in that era of overprinting everything, they would have extra copies to make collector's packs of just about everything, and would go back to press on the copies they didn't have on hand, creating more DCU versions. I suspect that's the case with Flash #96 (and keep in mind that Flash was hot around this time, and several issues sold out at the distribution level) and any others that might be out there.

[mysterio]

6 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Also...any DCU that is not identical to the regular version was almost certainly a reprint, after the fact, because DC (or whomever assembled their collector's packs for them) had run out of a particular issue.

I am certain that MOS #30 is in that category, because Lobo was fairly popular at the time, it was an interesting gimmick, and sold better than surrounding issues. 

I do not know, but thinking about it, it makes sense that, in that era of overprinting everything, they would have extra copies to make collector's packs of just about everything, and would go back to press on the copies they didn't have on hand, creating more DCU versions. I suspect that's the case with Flash #96 (and keep in mind that Flash was hot around this time, and several issues sold out at the distribution level) and any others that might be out there.

Whether or not they overprinted the comics, they were putting different covers on the DCU variants. I don't know enough about the printing process to know how difficult/easy it would be to have separate covers for the same insides. I would guess fairly easy, and would explain why the indicias are the same across those printings.

[RockMyAmadeus]

7 minutes ago, mysterio said:

14 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Also...any DCU that is not identical to the regular version was almost certainly a reprint, after the fact, because DC (or whomever assembled their collector's packs for them) had run out of a particular issue.

I am certain that MOS #30 is in that category, because Lobo was fairly popular at the time, it was an interesting gimmick, and sold better than surrounding issues. 

I do not know, but thinking about it, it makes sense that, in that era of overprinting everything, they would have extra copies to make collector's packs of just about everything, and would go back to press on the copies they didn't have on hand, creating more DCU versions. I suspect that's the case with Flash #96 (and keep in mind that Flash was hot around this time, and several issues sold out at the distribution level) and any others that might be out there.

Whether or not they overprinted the comics, they were putting different covers on the DCU variants. I don't know enough about the printing process to know how difficult/easy it would be to have separate covers for the same insides. I would guess fairly easy, and would explain why the indicias are the same across those printings.

Very easy. They were already printing newsstand versions as well. Simple plate swap.

But my point was that books that aren't identical (in terms of ads and "collector's pack first printings") were printed after the fact, sometimes a couple of years after the fact (as with MOS #18 5th), and that explains the few anomalies. Not that it matters...I don't think anyone cares...just pointing out that the anomalies coincide with books that were sellouts, in general, when they were first published.

Concerning overprinting, it was policy (as it had been for decades) to overprint. That held true for most of the Direct era as well. That's why Quesada's announcement when he took over as EIC in 2000 that Marvel would only "print to order", plus enough to cover freebies, damages, and the like, was such a big deal. That's how the advance reorder system could work in the first place.