Old Diamond/Previews codes - listed online? 0

[Schmakt]

Does anyone know of a website that shows the original Diamond order code for comics from the past?

The Image site has a "Diamond code" value, but it doesn't look anything like the current codes I see in DCBS or previewsworld (e.g. "SPAWN0001" for Spawn #1 vs "JUN190014" for Spawn #300)

Thank you!

[valiantman]

Give me an example of a code you're wanting to see, and I'll look around. 

[Schmakt]

well I'd love to confirm if "SPAWN0001" is actually the code that was used so I can know if the Image site is a good resource...

I'm trying to find some kind of fairly unique identifier that I can assign to my books that has some relevance outside of my own data.  I know it won't matter pre-1982 (or whenever Diamond started assigning codes), but I figured it was a pretty good place to start for tracking at least Moderns... if I can find a place to lookup the old codes...

(and assuming that codes aren't recycled... I guess I was already assuming that, but I'm not 100% sure)

[valiantman]

I don't think the Diamond database (available online) works that far back, but SPAWN0001 is unlikely to have been a Diamond code.  They have used a three letter month (based on ordering, not release) as far back as I have seen.  Spawn #1 was likely MAR92#####.  (March 1992 ordering)

I'll keep looking.

Edited May 15, 2020 by valiantman

[valiantman]

I don't see any obvious product codes in Previews from 1992, though... here are two random pages from January 1992 (from an Ebay auction):

[EmpyreDave]

I found a Previews #25 from January 91. I’ll look for the early 1992 ones, if I have any.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16, 2020 by EmpyreDave

[Schmakt]

thanks guys!

I don't know much at all about the Diamond history... that "Spawn" code definitely looked wrong, but I didn't realize they just didn't have codes back then...

Any idea what year that started?

Or maybe the better question is whether or not I should even be trying to record the Diamond codes as an identifier...

If I'd done that previously though it sure would have made it a lot easier to import all the data from my old DCBS orders! (kicking myself...)

[valiantman]

That Previews order form from January 1991 has an item number beside each book -  Cerebus #144 is item #204 and JAN91 would probably be applied, so it's possible Cerebus #144 was JAN91204.

We'd need to see the Spawn #1 listing on the March 1992 order form to get the MAR92### (or maybe four digits MAR92####) for Spawn #1.