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Marvel Australian Price Variants
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648 posts in this topic

7 minutes ago, kustomizer said:

No worries, that's nice of you to say. I'm an Aussie so I lived through this at the time. I think the AVPs are great, much better than when some Australian company started printing their own versions of the latest FF and Spidey comics around 1978.

All is cool. Sometimes what we type reads differently to what we meant to convey!

Whilst the focus of this thread is the APVs, I do like the locally printed Yaffa publications too. Some of them are very nice looking and I like the absence of the top cover banners which give more prominence to the cover art:

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.5ef9e3362acb5f1db18938dc82de8fa5.jpg

Someone should start a separate thread on them :)

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On 7/12/2020 at 11:38 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Only two Conan magazines left to find now - both for Conan Saga - numbers 54 and 56:

One to go...

56b.jpg.968632daec2d258216e1ff76bd04a4a0.jpg

 

conan.gif.c1bc2d1b13ce2b83adae97cb13d9329c.gif

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Four of a possible eight 'Adventures of The X-Men / Adventures of Spider-Man' flipbooks have now surfaced:

1298.thumb.PNG.19379f209537cf4558e2abbbcb2d52ec.PNG

 

All are priced at AUS $3.20 and in each case so far:

  • The primary X-Men covers have the barcode UPC and AUS price
  • The secondary Spidey covers have a regular picture UPC where it is present (no UPC at all on #3)

Here's an example of #7:

328378965_7CopyAX-M.jpg.0a5c74f309bafb616c165bef90f031d7.jpg1969241388_7CopyAS-M.jpg.94e228dd80038aa63ccffb4c8bb2d4dd.jpg

No reason to believe the remaining four won't turn up at some point but I would imagine these flipbooks are scarcer than many other titles. We'll see:popcorn:

 

 

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I picked this up on eBay UK of all places, for a pound:

1c.thumb.jpg.f83c3838071ca55dd15ad518add9b164.jpg

That doesn't happen often.

Someone stuck a price sticker on it for the same amount as the UPC printed price - just to make sure :eyeroll:

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Afternoon :)

Darkhold number six finally turned up:

6.thumb.jpg.813a482d873edd18e20190b44599daa1.jpg

It brings us to 1,299 confirmed APVs now.

I don't believe number seven onwards exist as the cut off fits the profile of many other titles as you can see here, ending before the general cover price increase:

1299dh.thumb.PNG.87dfa064e280c835342c6eff181a00a5.PNG

Over the last few months I've been working my way through each title and assessing whether any more APVs are likely to exist. There can be a lot of anecdotal evidence to support conclusions in that direction if you look carefully and the goal is to arrive at three figures:

  1. How many US priced comics physically exist in the APV date ranges for the titles for which one or more APVs have been found (1,711)
  2. How many of them have confirmed corresponding APVs (currently 1,299)
  3. How many additional APVs are likely out there waiting to be found

That excludes the three Conan magazines by the way.

It looks to me like the final APV comic total may be around 1,400 books. It's possible that additionally titles may surface of course, but with each passing day that possibility reduces now that these books are under the microscope like never before. The missing books that I believe may exist are mostly found among the more obscure titles - Barbie, Alf etc - which logic tells me were unlikely to be kept by collectors in the same way that perhaps more high profile super hero books were. And of course there will likely be the handful of gaps in more collected runs that perhaps mirror the unexplained gaps in the Amazing Spider-Man run.

I'll update this thread with my final findings when the review process is complete and give a few examples as to why I think certain books will never show.

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Spider-Woman #1 finally surfaces to be our 1,300th confirmed Australian Price Variant (excluding magazines and TPBs):

1394853541_1Crop.jpg.e80a947fe0b7decd4392d57db6d10813.jpg

I don't believe issue 3 will exist being an AUS April 1994 book, so that title is likely complete now:

1300.thumb.PNG.9033411ca088a9839131de629d1b823d.PNG

My aforementioned review of the books that I think are likely to exist is almost complete and the projected maximum total is now under 1,400 books. I'll post some of the rationales later as I said but, if I'm right, there are less than 100 APVs to find now with the vast majority being among the more obscure titles.

I'm popping over to Morlar's now to update the confirmed issue list - if anyone reading has any books that are not on the list, do chime in eh...

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Afternoon. Rainy one :)

A little insight into how difficult it can be to assess which issues may or may not have APVs.

Two Barbie titles - both appear fully in the first AUS wave, both have a maximum of 35 APVs out there:

b1.thumb.PNG.0e3fb3442f1ed77abd22595563b39d42.PNG

b2.thumb.PNG.ac01ee238244f3405e8f46d7f4cd61fa.PNG

b3.thumb.PNG.b22c86e0d1799e4e61413d773717e8a3.PNG

If you think about it, it's unlikely that many kids bought their Barbie APVs off the Australian newsstand and then loving kept them for future uploading to eBay. I can understand that for Spider-Man, which is why pretty much all Spidey title APVs have revealed themselves, but it would take a fairly unique young lady shall we say (dare I say that) who would have kept them all. 

The Barbies that I have captured and documented are almost without exception the only copies that I have seen after a long and extensive search. So they are clearly out there in very limited numbers. This could of course mean that all 35 issues for both titles may have been made as APVs. They're so scarce that we may have to rely on that one or two dedicated collectors revealing their hand in one go. But you know me, I like to look at the patterns.

Look at the huge area of white for both titles for issues 26-35. Only one copy known, right at the end, Barbie Fashion #35, the price of which is obscured by a price sticker:

35.thumb.jpg.75cd6ecda72852b17693c96e4641b40f.jpg

For Barbie singular, how likely is it that issues 11 to 25 would appear (less just issue 20) and then nothing from 26 to 35? We have numbers 1, 3 and 4 and then nothing to #11. And for Barbie Fashion we have 1-6 but nothing from 16 to 35.

There are a couple of other observations I could make but, in essence, it's impossible to say what may or may not be out there. So these two titles alone account for 41 of the 100 issues that are in the 'may / likely to exist' bracket.

Now if events follow their normal course, the Universe will see to it that someone will now proceed to post all 70 issues on eBay. That's what tends to happen whenever I post like this. 

Which is why I'm doing it! :wishluck:

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I mentioned the Spidey titles in the above post. Take a look at this snapshot:

Capture.thumb.PNG.1454adca55d60a3d229334e6883395e1.PNG

Those that have been following will know that I put together an ASM APV run over ten years ago when I was in Spidey completist mode. I can say categorically - even at the risk of angering The Universe - that ASM #409 does not exist as an APV.

I can also tell you that, currently, only 8 of the 29 in scope March 1996 cover date titles have APVs. There was something going on that month it seems. If we look at the four core Spidey titles we see all four are missing their March 1996 books. So you can hopefully see the circumstantial evidence to support the case for marking Spider-Man (1990) #66, Spectacular #232 and Spidey 2099 #41 as 'NOAUS'.

Spidey is and was at the time one of the most popular characters in the MU and is / was arguably the character with the most 'collectors'. So add that to the mix and you would expect these issues to have surfaced by now if they were made wouldn't you?

So I'll likely mark those accordingly soon. I won't stop looking for them, but I don't expect to find them. 

 

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On 11/24/2019 at 3:01 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Here's a snap shot of one APV calendar year, 1992, for ASM to show you what I mean:

6.thumb.PNG.a94f9aa97c72cbd1178f0612a9ad38bd.PNG

There are 15 APVs for ASM in (AUS cover date) 1992, hence the numbering going from 1 to 15, January to December. In typical fashion, we have a mistake - ASM #354 and 355 both are numbered '03'. Logic suggest #355 should have been numbered '04'.

I don't have a back cover scan for the gatefold covered ASM #358 saved (which is dumb, seeing as I owned it), but I'm sure it will dutifully appear with an '07' number at some point unless it too was the subject of a numbering cock up.

2103164876_358aus.thumb.jpg.ddf05f9b94e5d4d332ef70fc439ba874.jpg

....I've been waiting for ages for someone to post an ASM #358 APV on eBay with a back cover scan. Finally got one and it's one of those damn listings on which you can't zoom in / magnify the images!

Capture.PNG.38dc05588d018b9611ef6beaf8ef5c9f.PNG

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spiderman-358-and-359-1992-Rare-Australian-Price-Variants-Marvel/284033889452?hash=item4221bd34ac:g:bx4AAOSwwZBfeV1t

Why does that always happen! :frustrated:

 

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3 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Now if events follow their normal course, the Universe will see to it that someone will now proceed to post all 70 issues on eBay. That's what tends to happen whenever I post like this. 

Which is why I'm doing it! :wishluck:

See, that's not how it works.  If you sincerely say "I think we're done", the universe will mock you by having something show up right away.  But if you try and trick it on purpose like that, you just get it to hide the books a few more years...

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33 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

See, that's not how it works.  If you sincerely say "I think we're done", the universe will mock you by having something show up right away.  But if you try and trick it on purpose like that, you just get it to hide the books a few more years...

Like when you say “at least 2020 can’t get crazier”

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I found this APV ASM #358 back cover barcode a few months ago, then spliced it with the decent front cover scan I already had:

2012004631_92-01w1.1AmazingSpider-Man358APVCONFIRMED1.50AUSi.o.1.00(LateApr1992)i.o.(LateJan1992)barcoderepeatsAUSpricechangestop2-digits.thumb.jpg.7446b95e8cd2b9751e9b7d9bdfea680e.jpg

Please reciprocate by showing your pics of: Adventures Of X-Men/Spider-Man #5, Punisher #42, Spider-Man #33, and What If #40.

The only wraparound barcodes I'm missing are Infinity War #3 & 5 and Stryfe's Strike File #1.  Are there others besides them you're looking for?

Looking at my list, 352 total have a minor aspect yet to verify; either the annual issue number is unknown for the found photo's barcode being cutoff/covered/blurry, or I haven't seen the original polybag that I expect exists.

Differently than your list, I count as confirmed: Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits Of Vengeance #13, Marvel Milestone Edition: Amazing Spider-Man #1, Wolverine #57, X-Force #2 (those 4 have production stickers that I assume are "how they were done"), and ID4: Independence Day deluxe reprint (aka TPB...which is how it was solicited, but they seemed to have treated it more like a special format comic, or at the very least as a newsstand-available item, unlike any other TPBs(?)).

Clipped from Marvel Vision #9 (cover date Sep1996, released 6/26/1996):

1664047867_MarvelVision9(coverdateSep1996released6-26-1996)solictfor8-14-1996IndependenceDaytradepaperback.thumb.jpg.357f7d0ea7236f51ac3094ac808cba40.jpg

There are many APVs that I consider yet possible to be found which you probably do not, based mainly on the solicit dates of 11/2 & 11/9/1993: notables include Nova #1, Scarlet Witch #1 & Starblast #1, and I'll mention Spider-Woman #3 (11/9) since you just posted about it.

That rounds up everything that jumped out at me as I caught up reading this thread & compared our current findings. Stay safe & healthy, ---A ROM Curator, Gary Martin, Jr. :)

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14 hours ago, OtherEric said:

See, that's not how it works.  If you sincerely say "I think we're done", the universe will mock you by having something show up right away.  But if you try and trick it on purpose like that, you just get it to hide the books a few more years...

That'll learn me :tonofbricks:

3 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

That rounds up everything that jumped out at me as I caught up reading this thread & compared our current findings. Stay safe & healthy, ---A ROM Curator, Gary Martin, Jr. :)

Hello Gary. Thanks for the input - I'll reply to each point in your post separately, shortly :)

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3 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

I found this APV ASM #358 back cover barcode a few months ago, then spliced it with the decent front cover scan I already had:

2012004631_92-01w1.1AmazingSpider-Man358APVCONFIRMED1.50AUSi.o.1.00(LateApr1992)i.o.(LateJan1992)barcoderepeatsAUSpricechangestop2-digits.thumb.jpg.7446b95e8cd2b9751e9b7d9bdfea680e.jpg

Great, thanks. It's an '07' as expected, and completes the illustrative table that I posted earlier in the thread:

bc.thumb.PNG.442a72712f7f00f266ae4f17c9101b45.PNG

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4 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

Please reciprocate by showing your pics of: Adventures Of X-Men/Spider-Man #5, Punisher #42, Spider-Man #33, and What If #40.

Here they are (click to enlarge):

40.thumb.jpg.03c27e4ab2eb14b34e5bc9150a85b9ec.jpg 33.jpg.f0604f9143921fed8bd5d58bf523bfba.jpg 42.jpg.1b714d328f5a9e1ec8fa304bc7e95fb6.jpg

 

1302205063_5CopyAX-M.thumb.jpg.57d1453052ef0e074da793a1f79fe533.jpg674218251_5CopyAS-M.thumb.jpg.8d7b926abd673c9fb213660ef76b287b.jpg

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3 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

The only wraparound barcodes I'm missing are Infinity War #3 & 5 and Stryfe's Strike File #1.  Are there others besides them you're looking for?

I don't have images of any of those back cover barcodes either I'm afraid Gary, just the fronts confirming the AUS prices. I haven't made a list of any others as yet. 

Sale prices like these will likely bring more examples out of the wood work though:

stryfe.thumb.PNG.e4be9c0b7a1f30133f03862ad23e3ef0.PNG

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4 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

Differently than your list, I count as confirmed: Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits Of Vengeance #13, Marvel Milestone Edition: Amazing Spider-Man #1, Wolverine #57, X-Force #2 (those 4 have production stickers that I assume are "how they were done")

Yes, I don't currently count those in my APV figures - see my spreadsheet key below (stickered):

stick.thumb.PNG.0234945bcf9c2d6a92d96226caec7bc9.PNG

My thinking at the moment is that a book has to have a physical printing difference to be counted as an APV. That is why I do count the stickered copies that have printed AUS barcodes (i.e. they forgot to amend the US price / issue box) - these are noted as 'US/APVBC' in my key.

I'm open to discussion on this but my overriding thought is that a stickered US copy is too easy to manufacture. A printed variant barcode, less so. So I am aware of the four books you mention and I do believe that they are authentic in as much as the stickers were probably 'officially' manufactured. Comics are littered with mistakes like that with official after the production event corrections. I prefer to treat them as a subset of which I am aware, rather than promote them to full APV status.

For a book to be classified as a variant it has to have a printed difference - that principle underpins all my variant research activities. Otherwise I could argue, for example, that UKPVs with Thorpe & Porter price stamps are UKPVs as the UK stamp is 'official'.

So I don't include these four as they have AUS price stickers but no printed differences:

13.jpg.997d62aed53aa19378cb16732d90e79e.jpg1016804646_57(Sticker).jpg.42ec279b506f8972b24f91ac19f0fb89.jpg369590655_MMEASM1AUSCopyB.jpg.19df3aff27a96dcaa957da3b61bbdf78.jpg1044015143_X-Force2AUSSticker-CropExampleC.jpg.7b3a6760f05965c2932a007a42c18b13.jpg

(We did agree that the GR/Blaze #13 was a sticker didn't we - I don't have one in hand?)

I do include this one as it has an '06' variant AUS barcode along with the correcting AUS price sticker:

1689058515_122(Sticker06AUSBarcode)(3).jpg.4f8ee1956c549e749b98b5d82eff647f.jpg1335816494_122(Sticker06AUSBarcode)(2).jpg.ea3465b39b56dde49155b7380d186a13.jpg

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3 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

Differently than your list, I count as confirmed............ and ID4: Independence Day deluxe reprint (aka TPB...which is how it was solicited, but they seemed to have treated it more like a special format comic, or at the very least as a newsstand-available item, unlike any other TPBs(?)).

Clipped from Marvel Vision #9 (cover date Sep1996, released 6/26/1996):

1664047867_MarvelVision9(coverdateSep1996released6-26-1996)solictfor8-14-1996IndependenceDaytradepaperback.thumb.jpg.357f7d0ea7236f51ac3094ac808cba40.jpg

Thanks for the clip - it does say 'trade paperback' I see.

I posted the book a few pages back and said I was unsure what to do with it. As you know, I separate the (Conan) magazines from the comics and I'm minded to keep trade paperbacks separate too. Also I have not seen inside and, for all I know, it may indicate a local / separate printing.

Do you have a copy in hand to confirm Gary? I only have multiple images lifted from various sources but no interior / indicia shots.

1820936233_1GraphicNovelAUSExampleB.thumb.jpg.64b930eda30134e3e25937ac8f3d00f2.jpg1039343545_1GraphicNovelAUSBackCoverExampleB.thumb.jpg.210d797e92dd184b16ae8d7f5a61d422.jpg

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4 hours ago, A ROM Curator said:

There are many APVs that I consider yet possible to be found which you probably do not, based mainly on the solicit dates of 11/2 & 11/9/1993: notables include Nova #1, Scarlet Witch #1 & Starblast #1, and I'll mention Spider-Woman #3 (11/9) since you just posted about it.

I get that and you may be right. My work has two components - fact and speculation. The facts are the books confirmed, for which images are captured. The speculation is - hopefully - educated hypothesising but, of course, no one knows what will turn up. Solicit / on sale dates do indeed often help / work as indicators of what might exist (see my DC UKPV thread for a great recent example) but sometimes they don't. Only time will tell and there are enough people in the hunt now to spot one if any of the books exist. I'd love to see a Nova #1 turn up myself but my gut says no. And it's a big one! My gut that is. :grin:

Quote

That rounds up everything that jumped out at me as I caught up reading this thread & compared our current findings. Stay safe & healthy, ---A ROM Curator, Gary Martin, Jr. :)

You too mate. 

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I only have the same picture of GR/Blaze #13 and I'd guess it's a sticker because of its slightly crooked placement.

I don't have any version of the Independence Day book and was also searching online for the indicia, to see if it showed a month i.e. August, or just 1996.  I hadn't thought of the possibility of it being a local printing, so definitely, comparing indicias will be essential to full confirmation.

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