Copper (and early modern) you keep on buying anyway... 1 1

[valiantman]

43 minutes ago, Aweandlorder said:

I grab any 83-88 indie whenever I see it in NM/1st print on the bay. That includes Nexus b&w, fish police, samurai, adventurers, spaced, quadrant.. I've amassed a short box of those through the years and am yet to break a $100 total on them all

That's impressive since shipping costs are normally higher than book costs.

[valiantman]

17 hours ago, the blob said:

Trying to figure out when to start picking up the later issues is a challenge too. The last one or two of many of the titles have popped (Turok 47, etc.), but honestly, it isn't like I run into a lot of Turok 42s either. They may have had slightly higher print runs, but the title was dying at that point too and were quarter box books for a while. 47 might have gotten into a bag and board. The market hasn't responded on many of those books that had reasonably low print runs. (The same is true of some of the marvel titles that died in the late/mid 90s like Punisher, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange...)

Later issues of the original Valiant titles (especially late-1995 and 1996) are a different animal, in my opinion.

They have low print runs, lower than all of the Pre-Unity books (except the sendaway #0s and gold variant), but that's generally all they have going for them.  Pre-Unity Valiant has first appearances, origins, continuity, "Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, Barry Windsor-Smith" collaboration, lower print runs (relative to Marvel, DC, and Image in 1991-1992), and basically all of the "nostalgia" attributed to Valiant.  Later issues have... lower print runs, and... uh, nothing else.

Admittedly, collecting the later issues can be tricky since the number of comic shops was dwindling by 1995 and the number who still ordered books besides Marvel, DC, and maybe Image was dwindling further.  But, that's only a problem for collectors who want a complete Valiant collection (800 books 1991-1996), and there aren't many of those types of collectors who don't already have those later books.  But, if you're talking about picking books out of dollar bins, there's no real downside for any book from any publisher... let alone a publisher like Valiant which has an active online fan-base that predates Facebook (and lots of fans added there since).

[the blob]

1 hour ago, valiantman said:

Later issues of the original Valiant titles (especially late-1995 and 1996) are a different animal, in my opinion.

They have low print runs, lower than all of the Pre-Unity books (except the sendaway #0s and gold variant), but that's generally all they have going for them.  Pre-Unity Valiant has first appearances, origins, continuity, "Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, Barry Windsor-Smith" collaboration, lower print runs (relative to Marvel, DC, and Image in 1991-1992), and basically all of the "nostalgia" attributed to Valiant.  Later issues have... lower print runs, and... uh, nothing else.

Admittedly, collecting the later issues can be tricky since the number of comic shops was dwindling by 1995 and the number who still ordered books besides Marvel, DC, and maybe Image was dwindling further.  But, that's only a problem for collectors who want a complete Valiant collection (800 books 1991-1996), and there aren't many of those types of collectors who don't already have those later books.  But, if you're talking about picking books out of dollar bins, there's no real downside for any book from any publisher... let alone a publisher like Valiant which has an active online fan-base that predates Facebook (and lots of fans added there since).

A lot of them have cool covers. Yes, I suppose other than the last 1 or 2 issues maybe the broader collecting community isn't going to care so much and the hard core valiant people have them already.

[valiantman]

9 minutes ago, the blob said:

A lot of them have cool covers. Yes, I suppose other than the last 1 or 2 issues maybe the broader collecting community isn't going to care so much and the hard core valiant people have them already.

It's becoming pretty clear that most of the Valiant 2012-current issues are lower print runs than the later 1990s Valiant books, and even some of the "order all" (non-incentive, non-ratio) covers (B, C, D) are going to be nearly impossible to find.  I suppose that whole sentence is off-topic since the mid-1990s aren't Copper Age (even though it was 20+ years ago).

[the blob]

3 hours ago, valiantman said:

It's becoming pretty clear that most of the Valiant 2012-current issues are lower print runs than the later 1990s Valiant books, and even some of the "order all" (non-incentive, non-ratio) covers (B, C, D) are going to be nearly impossible to find.  I suppose that whole sentence is off-topic since the mid-1990s aren't Copper Age (even though it was 20+ years ago).

Yes, but honestly, would it be surprising if a lot of those late valiants got tossed or otherwise trashed as valiant was just the worst in the eyes of many collectors and dealers? I remember my LCS putting copies of Magnus 1, X-O 1, and Solar 1 out on the rack in the late 90s at cover price and nobody bought them. Of course, I guess a lot of the current valiant books are getting trashed too as I pass plenty in the cheap boxes.

[Aweandlorder]

6 hours ago, valiantman said:

That's impressive since shipping costs are normally higher than book costs.

I really feel bad when sellers list them at 0.99 auctions with free shipping.. I got a whole Mage set for less than 10 bucks that way. Hey at least they get a very nice fb from me so dont say im not generous  

[Aweandlorder]

Here are some of them..

 

[F For Fake]

11 hours ago, Aweandlorder said:

Here are some of them..

 

Drool. Awesome stuff man, right up my alley. 

[Key Largo Comics]

I smell what you're cooking with those Nexus books. High on my want list.

[the blob]

Are you saying you spent less than $100 on all that stuff pictured, including all the MIBs, Bizarre Sex, Omaha 1s, Tick 1s, and Nexus 1s?

[WolverineX]

On 4/4/2018 at 4:47 PM, valiantman said:

Several people have mentioned Pre-Unity Valiant (in this topic and others), so I figure it might be useful to define those.

About 50 different Pre-Unity Valiant books, all 1991 or 1992, cover prices between $1.75 and $2.25:

Archer & Armstrong #0 (and #0 Gold)

Harbinger #1 - #7 (#1-#6 should have a coupon insert), #0 with a pink sky cover

Magnus Robot Fighter #1 - #14 (#1-#8 should have cards insert, 3 cards, 1 coupon card), #0 (with and without card insert)

Rai #1 - #5 (#0 is not Pre-Unity, but if you see it for $1, grab it)

Shadowman #1 - #3

Solar, Man of the Atom #1 - #11 (there is also a 2nd print of #10 that came out post-Unity)

Vintage Magnus Robot Fighter #1 - #4 ("Vintage" is part of the title, reprints Gold Key stories)

X-O Manowar #1 - #6

Tiny (but clickable) images at the bottom of this page: http://valiant101.com/

Anything of work from Ninjak vol 1?  Is it worth picking up the last issue?

[aardvark88]

I just keep on buying circa 1983 overstock from the $1 and less bins like Chiodo's classic GGA cover that contains a previously unpublished Matt Baker story, and Justice Machine with the 1st app. of the Elementals by Bill Willingham writer/artist.

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

1 hour ago, Wolverinex said:

Anything of work from Ninjak vol 1?  Is it worth picking up the last issue?

The gold version of the first issue is about the only one

[followtheleader]

That Flamingo cover is pretty nice. 

Patrick

[ComicConnoisseur]

Comico Grendels and Grendel comic books.

Early Elementals as well.

 

 

[aardvark88]

I can't stop buying Zeck covers on DC or Marvel since he is constantly on tour signing his work. Deathstroke vs Batman pic:

 

[Aweandlorder]

15 hours ago, aardvark88 said:

I can't stop buying Zeck covers on DC or Marvel since he is constantly on tour signing his work. Deathstroke vs Batman pic:

 

Nice. Im going to see him at the end of the month. What does he charge for signing do you know?

[aardvark88]

1 hour ago, Aweandlorder said:

Nice. Im going to see him at the end of the month. What does he charge for signing do you know?

At Vancouver Fan Expo Nov, 2017, Zeck or Beatty was signing  each comic for $10  or 3 comics for $25 combo. Sometimes, they discount to $15 for signing an Artist Edition Zeck covers art book for both of their sigs plus Zeck may do a free head sketch if there is not a long line up.

Edited April 9, 2018 by aardvark88
sp.

[Aweandlorder]

16 minutes ago, aardvark88 said:

At Vancouver Fan Expo Nov, 2017, Zeck or Beatty was signing  each comic for $10  or 3 comics for $25 combo. Sometimes, they discount to $15 for signing an Artist Edition Zeck covers art book for both of their sigs plus Zeck may do a free head sketch if there is not a long line up.

Well that's a little high but I'm not complaining. They deserve what they ask for I may just bring a limited set of books than. Thank you!

[valiantman]

On 4/6/2018 at 9:00 PM, GeeksAreMyPeeps said:

On 4/6/2018 at 7:31 PM, Wolverinex said:

Anything of work from Ninjak vol 1?  Is it worth picking up the last issue?

The gold version of the first issue is about the only one

The last issue is #26.  It's not a bad $1 buy, especially if you happen upon a newsstand edition of #26.