New UPC Variant for Superman 75 4th Printing 2 2

[kenaran]

Hello all

I have been hunting all of the direct and newstands of Superman 75 for a while now.  I finally have the elusive 2nd print with a UPC sticker inbound from someone who has very good rep (and will probably chime in).  While wading through many many ebay auctions I made a discovery, a 4th print with a UPC sticker.  Then about a month later while still scratching my head on how I was going to verify it, another one popped up.  I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't really make much sense that it exists, the regular 4th print UPC is actually kind of common. 

Anyone else found any of these?  Any information on why they would do a UPC sticker on something like this?  Everything I can think of is pure speculation revolving around unexpected demand from the newstand market.

FYI my duplicate is spoken for and just shipped out today.  I'll get a set-shot together when the 2nd print gets in, of the original releases I'm now only missing the 1st print newstand (that's just me focusing on the HTF's). 

[FlyingDonut]

22 hours ago, kenaran said:

Hello all

I have been hunting all of the direct and newstands of Superman 75 for a while now.  I finally have the elusive 2nd print with a UPC sticker inbound from someone who has very good rep (and will probably chime in).  While wading through many many ebay auctions I made a discovery, a 4th print with a UPC sticker.  Then about a month later while still scratching my head on how I was going to verify it, another one popped up.  I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't really make much sense that it exists, the regular 4th print UPC is actually kind of common. 

Anyone else found any of these?  Any information on why they would do a UPC sticker on something like this?  Everything I can think of is pure speculation revolving around unexpected demand from the newstand market.

FYI my duplicate is spoken for and just shipped out today.  I'll get a set-shot together when the 2nd print gets in, of the original releases I'm now only missing the 1st print newstand (that's just me focusing on the HTF's). 

That's very interesting. Why would they have done this? Outside of a straight cash grab, can't think of a reason.

BTW here's the Superman 75 newsstand.

[Carl Elvis]

Is this the 2nd print with sticker?

https://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.ebay.com/outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F132588716589

[Cpt Kirk]

22 hours ago, FlyingDonut said:

That's very interesting. Why would they have done this? Outside of a straight cash grab, can't think of a reason.

BTW here's the Superman 75 newsstand.

Great find kenaran!   Those death of Superman comic books were all over the map as far as variations go.  I found a Deluxe Action 695 that had a newsstand sticker on it too.   I can only guess, but if I recall the demand was insatiable so maybe people just put stickers on them to sell them on the newsstands.

I can understand the newsstand sticker on the 2nd printing of Superman 75.   That is because the demand for that Superman 75 was off the charts, and thus I'm guessing some newsstand stickers were placed on top of the direct sales UPC of the 2nd print so that the demand from newsstands could be met too.    What I find perplexing is why they would put a newsstand sticker on the 4th print when they already made a newsstand version of the 4th print.   Could there have been an error on the 4th print bar code? 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Cpt Kirk

[kenaran]

FlyingDonut, thanks for the link.  I wish I had funds to get slabs!!!!  My copy of the platinum is one of the few slabs I own (9.2).  If it wasn't FCBC next weekend I would've just snagged a raw off ebay, probably still will.  Can't pass up the thrill of hunting in person during a sale though.

Carl Elvis, D'oh!!!  it figures the one week everything is upside down and I didn't scour ebay.  I have no regrets with the deal I made to get it, quite happy actually, looks like I'm not the only one who was chasing it.  Apologies if I influenced the price with this post, I was neither bidder nor seller. 

Thanks Cpt Kirk, I'm humbled that out of all the pro's looking for 25 years, that I'm the one who found those. 

Still remember walking to the LCS from High School and getting there right as they set them out.  No mark up or limit, I got 6 of the bagged ones, still have them.  Have to dig them up for a photo opp soon.

 

[Cpt Kirk]

I'm super impressed that you found the 4th print with newsstand sticker, kenaran!   That fact that there were two of them found in different places makes me think they really were distributed that way.    Regarding my Action 695 deluxe with sticker, I know there are two copies but I believe both were found in the same place.   I sometimes wonder if someone just placed a sticker on the 695 to re-sell it at a used book store after it was sold at a comic shop. If a few more pop up after time, then I will start to believe those stickers were made by the publisher.

[RockMyAmadeus]

On 4/28/2018 at 8:32 PM, FlyingDonut said:

That's very interesting. Why would they have done this? Outside of a straight cash grab, can't think of a reason.

BTW here's the Superman 75 newsstand.

They didn't. These would be Direct copies that were sold at book stores back in 1992, like Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks, who then added their UPC stickers to the books. They did this all the time. It's actually the reason why DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and other publishers went to the "UPC code within the Direct market" format in 1993...their book store Direct market retail clients were tired of stickering their books.

That's one of the reasons I don't recognize the 2nd print "newsstand" as a legitimate "variant." While, yes, DC did produce most of these copies, the fact is, it's not printed on the book, so has to be treated as a regular Direct version (which it is) with a sticker added. By the time the 4th print had come out, DC had "rediscovered" how to do later printing newsstands, and as we know, the 3rd and 4th printings both have UPC versions, which aren't terribly uncommon (unlike Bats #457 or Supes #50.) There wasn't a 5th printing, and, frankly, demand had been quite exhausted at that point. Superman #75, despite being the most demanded book in the story, was printed in enough numbers in those four printings to cover all the rest of the collector packs made later (which wasn't true for, say, MOS #18 or #19.)

It's not like the Spidey #184 All variant, because, aside from the sticker, it's actually printed differently from the regular (no Curtis seal, for example.)

So, unfortunately, this isn't an officially produced variant.

Edited April 30, 2018 by RockMyAmadeus
Delicious AND nutritious!

[Carl Elvis]

2 hours ago, kenaran said:

Carl Elvis, D'oh!!!  it figures the one week everything is upside down and I didn't scour ebay.  I have no regrets with the deal I made to get it, quite happy actually, looks like I'm not the only one who was chasing it.  Apologies if I influenced the price with this post, I was neither bidder nor seller. 

 

I wasn’t sure so I didn’t really go for it but I ended up finding another auction and pulled the trigger;

https://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.ebay.com/outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F253591040799

 

[divad]

A sticker is a sticker is a sticker . . .  No more, no less.

[Cpt Kirk]

6 hours ago, Carl Elvis said:

I wasn’t sure so I didn’t really go for it but I ended up finding another auction and pulled the trigger;

https://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.ebay.com/outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F253591040799

 

Nice!  You just bought the 4th copy that I'm aware of.  

[Cpt Kirk]

8 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

They didn't. These would be Direct copies that were sold at book stores back in 1992, like Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks, who then added their UPC stickers to the books. They did this all the time. It's actually the reason why DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and other publishers went to the "UPC code within the Direct market" format in 1993...their book store Direct market retail clients were tired of stickering their books.

That's one of the reasons I don't recognize the 2nd print "newsstand" as a legitimate "variant." While, yes, DC did produce most of these copies, the fact is, it's not printed on the book, so has to be treated as a regular Direct version (which it is) with a sticker added. By the time the 4th print had come out, DC had "rediscovered" how to do later printing newsstands, and as we know, the 3rd and 4th printings both have UPC versions, which aren't terribly uncommon (unlike Bats #457 or Supes #50.) There wasn't a 5th printing, and, frankly, demand had been quite exhausted at that point. Superman #75, despite being the most demanded book in the story, was printed in enough numbers in those four printings to cover all the rest of the collector packs made later (which wasn't true for, say, MOS #18 or #19.)

It's not like the Spidey #184 All variant, because, aside from the sticker, it's actually printed differently from the regular (no Curtis seal, for example.)

So, unfortunately, this isn't an officially produced variant.

Great analysis.   I have now seen four copies of this Superman 75 2nd print with a newsstand sticker, and each of the stickers is identical.   And I have a feeling we can find more.  I'm thinking that the publisher placed these stickers on the Superman 75 2nd print since all stickers are identical in appearance and placement.  I'm not sure I would call it a variant, but if I was looking for a complete set of all the different versions on Superman 75, I would place this stickered copy on my want list.

I've seen examples where others besides the publisher must have placed stickers on comic books, though.  I now have 4 different versions of stickers that were placed on the error bar code of Action 759.   Each of the stickers is correcting the error number "10" on the originally printed bar code of the newsstand version and replacing it with the correct number "11".

 

As Divad put it, a sticker is a sticker.  But heck, I'm collecting them anyway!

Edited April 30, 2018 by Cpt Kirk

[kenaran]

That IS some great info!!!  I remember seeing stickers at Waldenbooks of the era, particularly LODK.  I wasn't anywhere near any other chain bookstores, so can't chime in there.  Those stickers have been on there a LONG time, the adhesive is just starting to bleed though on the one I kept, and I'm good with it!!!  I seen pictures of stickered DCU's, but there are people far more in the know on those than me.

Just checked my ebay account, those two Sup 75's were actually 2 months apart.  Both from small name, but bigger volume sellers (>1000 comic book listings).  There were two states and roughly 600 miles between them.  I did ask after the first sale if he had any info, and he just said they were part of a collection that came in.  Pretty much the answer I expected, but I did feel the need to ask.

[mysterio]

10 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

They didn't. These would be Direct copies that were sold at book stores back in 1992, like Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks, who then added their UPC stickers to the books. They did this all the time. It's actually the reason why DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and other publishers went to the "UPC code within the Direct market" format in 1993...their book store Direct market retail clients were tired of stickering their books.

That's one of the reasons I don't recognize the 2nd print "newsstand" as a legitimate "variant." While, yes, DC did produce most of these copies, the fact is, it's not printed on the book, so has to be treated as a regular Direct version (which it is) with a sticker added. By the time the 4th print had come out, DC had "rediscovered" how to do later printing newsstands, and as we know, the 3rd and 4th printings both have UPC versions, which aren't terribly uncommon (unlike Bats #457 or Supes #50.) There wasn't a 5th printing, and, frankly, demand had been quite exhausted at that point. Superman #75, despite being the most demanded book in the story, was printed in enough numbers in those four printings to cover all the rest of the collector packs made later (which wasn't true for, say, MOS #18 or #19.)

It's not like the Spidey #184 All variant, because, aside from the sticker, it's actually printed differently from the regular (no Curtis seal, for example.)

So, unfortunately, this isn't an officially produced variant.

Thank you for the analysis. I will stop looking for newsie 1st and 2nd prints!

[Carl Elvis]

4 hours ago, Cpt Kirk said:

Nice!  You just bought the 4th copy that I'm aware of.  

Wow, I didn’t realize they were that uncommon, and then for 2 to pop up on eBay at the same time! 

I’ll keep an eye out for more.

[RockMyAmadeus]

5 hours ago, Cpt Kirk said:

I'm thinking that the publisher placed these stickers on the Superman 75 2nd print since all stickers are identical in appearance and placement.  I'm not sure I would call it a variant, but if I was looking for a complete set of all the different versions on Superman 75, I would place this stickered copy on my want list.

I agree, for the most part. I think it's pretty well accepted that the Superman #75 2nd print "newsstands" were an effort by DC, and that most (I won't say all; who knows what all is out there) of those were publisher stickers. I'm sure there are instances of a company like Waldenbooks stickering Direct 2nd prints, too, we just haven't seen them, or they don't exist anymore.

And publishers have "stickered" books before when they've made mistakes..the wrong month code in the Action #759 you point out above is a good example. Same with the Eternal Warriors #1 with the "Oops" price sticker.

My conclusion about the #75th 4th print "stickers" is just based on logic: DC had "rediscovered" how to print newsstand reprints (which they had forgotten to do for the 2nd print), and had printed newsstand 3rds and 4ths. So, as someone else mentioned earlier, it doesn't make too much sense that they would then do the stickers again when they were perfectly capable of printing UPC codes on the books directly. BUT...I have no statement from the publisher on this, so it's entirely possible that DC printed newsstand 4ths AND stickered some direct 4ths. I don't think it's at all likely, but it's certainly possible.

It was a wacky, undocumented time.

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by RockMyAmadeus

[Cpt Kirk]

32 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

I agree, for the most part. I think it's pretty well accepted that the Superman #75 2nd print "newsstands" were an effort by DC, and that most (I won't say all; who knows what all is out there) of those were publisher stickers. I'm sure there are instances of a company like Waldenbooks stickering Direct 2nd prints, too, we just haven't seen them, or they don't exist anymore.

And publishers have "stickered" books before when they've made mistakes..the wrong month code in the Action #759 you point out above is a good example. Same with the Eternal Warriors #1 with the "Oops" price sticker.

My conclusion about the #75th 4th print "stickers" is just based on logic: DC had "rediscovered" how to print newsstand reprints (which they had forgotten to do for the 2nd print), and had printed newsstand 3rds and 4ths. So, as someone else mentioned earlier, it doesn't make too much sense that they would then do the stickers again when they were perfectly capable of printing UPC codes on the books directly. BUT...I have no statement from the publisher on this, so it's entirely possible that DC printed newsstand 4ths AND stickered some direct 4ths. I don't think it's at all likely, but it's certainly possible.

It was a wacky, undocumented time.

 

For sure, brother!   

One of  my favorite "stickered" comic books was Detective 802.   On that newsstand issue, they printed the comic book with part of the bar code actually missing.   By a small miracle, I found an un-stickered newsstand version of TEC 802.  I will post some photos later.

 

 

 

 

[Cpt Kirk]

Here's the photo of Detective 802 (one with sticker, and the other with sticker pulled off).  Note how part of the bar code is missing on the original printing of this newsstand issue.

As mentioned earlier, I also found a copy of the defective bar-coded copy that never got a sticker placed onto it (so that copy somehow got away from the printer without being corrected with a sticker...  but I would think if that if you placed that un-stickered comic book under a bar code reader, it would not be readable)

Edited May 1, 2018 by Cpt Kirk

[Philflound]

Though some UPC stickers may be legit from the publisher, I also have seen many retail stores slap their own stickers on comics, graphic novels, and TPBs. Even if 2 copies showed up in different parts of the country, to me that means absolutely nothing since people move all the time, or sell stuff across the world, let alone across the country. I'm not saying this is not a valid item, but I put my doubts at times and would not put any stock into it. If you like it and want it, then sure buy it for yourself. Collecting is always about the collector's desire.

[RockMyAmadeus]

1 hour ago, Philflound said:

Though some UPC stickers may be legit from the publisher, I also have seen many retail stores slap their own stickers on comics, graphic novels, and TPBs. Even if 2 copies showed up in different parts of the country, to me that means absolutely nothing since people move all the time, or sell stuff across the world, let alone across the country. I'm not saying this is not a valid item, but I put my doubts at times and would not put any stock into it. If you like it and want it, then sure buy it for yourself. Collecting is always about the collector's desire.

Agreed.

[Cpt Kirk]

For whatever it is worth, the stickers on Superman 75 2nd printing and 4th printing were both placed over a direct sales UPC box.