If Canadian Price Variats are so rare,why are they so cheap? 1 1

[badkneecollector93]

So i managed to come into possession of 5, good to very fine Canadian Price Variant comics. While I get they are re-issues, the American version of the same comics go for $80-hundreds of dollars depending on the comic. Yet the Canadian Price Variant ,in which enough for about the size of 70s California alone were made, go for less than $10 in many. Arent decent condition comics from runs that less than 2% are still in existence for, be worth more than a teenager allowance?  If they arent going to be worth anything, then why are we preserving them to begin with (especially those in the 1984-early 1986 window), outside of just a love for comic books (like i have, especially for captain america and spider-man since i would find those in bookstores and the lost and found at my dads theater)?

 

I hope i dont seem too catty,it just doesnt make much sense to me. My infinity gauntlet run (in Very fine condition), is worth 10x more than all of my Canadian price variants put together, despite more of the Infinity gauntlet having way more printed. 

[Artboy99]

2 hours ago, badkneecollector93 said:

So i managed to come into possession of 5, good to very fine Canadian Price Variant comics. While I get they are re-issues, the American version of the same comics go for $80-hundreds of dollars depending on the comic. Yet the Canadian Price Variant ,in which enough for about the size of 70s California alone were made, go for less than $10 in many. Arent decent condition comics from runs that less than 2% are still in existence for, be worth more than a teenager allowance?  If they arent going to be worth anything, then why are we preserving them to begin with (especially those in the 1984-early 1986 window), outside of just a love for comic books (like i have, especially for captain america and spider-man since i would find those in bookstores and the lost and found at my dads theater)?

 

I hope i dont seem too catty,it just doesnt make much sense to me. My infinity gauntlet run (in Very fine condition), is worth 10x more than all of my Canadian price variants put together, despite more of the Infinity gauntlet having way more printed. 

which books?

Some Canadian price variants go for more than the regular US printing: Thor 337 and Amazing Spider-man 252 to name a couple. Also they are not re-issues, they are printed with a different price on them for a different market.

[revat]

In most cases, the answer is supply vs demand

also, are they so rare?

also in the case of 98% of Cpv comics, the american versions are worth a buck or less or are so common they’re unbuyable.  In most comic book stores, if you put the Canadian comic of vf for $1 vs the american version for $1, I’d probably pick up up the cpv due to perceived rarity and novelty, and pass entirely on the normal version.

So in that sense, in 90%+ of cases, the cpv is worth more than the counterpart.  And in the highest grades it’s a different story too

But still supply vs demand.  Who wants what and why?

[FineCollector]

I asked in a Facebook group, and lots of people argued with me about how much they loved their CPV collection.  I couldn't find anyone who paid a premium to get them, though...

[greggy]

The real answer is that for most books, no one really cares if it's a Canadian Price Variant.

Also, in Canada, you can pretty well find them at any store or in any collection.  Some people or store just don't value that much unlesss it's a key such as ASM 238, 252, Thor 337 among others.  Even with that, issues such as the Thor 337 is relatively common so that's why it isn't really higher.

If you're talking about a random issue of DC Comics Presents, to be honest, most people don't care.

[William-James88]

9 hours ago, badkneecollector93 said:

So i managed to come into possession of 5, good to very fine Canadian Price Variant comics. While I get they are re-issues, the American version of the same comics go for $80-hundreds of dollars depending on the comic. Yet the Canadian Price Variant ,in which enough for about the size of 70s California alone were made, go for less than $10 in many. Arent decent condition comics from runs that less than 2% are still in existence for, be worth more than a teenager allowance?  If they arent going to be worth anything, then why are we preserving them to begin with (especially those in the 1984-early 1986 window), outside of just a love for comic books (like i have, especially for captain america and spider-man since i would find those in bookstores and the lost and found at my dads theater)?

 

I hope i dont seem too catty,it just doesnt make much sense to me. My infinity gauntlet run (in Very fine condition), is worth 10x more than all of my Canadian price variants put together, despite more of the Infinity gauntlet having way more printed. 

You are generalizing based on your books. I could do the same with mine which show that canadian variants are worth more.

You will have to show us the books you are talking about.

And fyi, it's not really the fact that they are canadian that make some books rare and interesting, it's the fact that some of them show a different price, and there is an interest for price variants.

Edited September 12, 2020 by William-James88

[badkneecollector93]

18 hours ago, Artboy99 said:

Also they are not re-issues, they are printed with a different price on them for a different market.

Sorry, i read the first series date on some of the sale sites. My bad

But it is books like ASM #19 (MJ in a spider man outfit), ASM #257(MJ reveals she knew Peter was Spidey), ASM #259 (Mary Jane Watson's backstory, american Versions in worse quality than mine are going for $40-$60, yet i found the Canadian version for less than $15). Spectacular Spider Man #110, and Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider Ham #3. Nothing uber rare like an Amazing Fantasy or ASM #252 (i did find a 252 from the same seller as my 257, but it looked like it had been pulled out of a sewer and stomped on by small children every day since its was printed, and thus not worth keeping or framing). I do wonder if people not knowing how to price them also tanks the value, as people will always buy the cheaper option, and make them easier for someone who needs anything for it,to move it faster. 

12 hours ago, William-James88 said:

And fyi, it's not really the fact that they are canadian that make some books rare and interesting, it's the fact that some of them show a different price, and there is an interest for price variants.

Mine are all the books that have the higher cover price than the American version (due to the exchange rates being different than earlier in the 80s),mostly the 75c or 95c versions. yet they arent worth near as much as the American version in 80% of the cases of my 5. I get ASM #19 isnt worth much to anyone outside of MJ fans, but when a 4.4 American version goes for higher than my 6.5 Canadian Version,it seems like the whole price variant thing is just a big myth (if that makes sense?). The only book i have that is worth more than its American verison is Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham (which has gained interest since Spider-Ham was in the Into the Spider-verse Movie). That one is worth almost 3x as much as an American version in the same quality (i did manage to get mine for dirt cheap becuase the person who had it, didnt even  know CPV existed and just assumed it was an American version)

 

17 hours ago, revat said:

 Who wants what and why?

I'll admit that I dont mind picking them up for cheaper than the American Version (although less were produced for the Canadian Market when the Variant occurred,  and stores could return the unsold ones, whereas comic stores cant (hence the difference between the ones with the spider man logo and the ones with barcodes),  but weren't as big of a distributor as newsstands until about mid 1986).
It is still estimated that less than 5% of the newstand versions even exist any more due to things like improper handling at the store, and parents getting them for kids who didn't care for them (i have an Action Comics from December 1946 that i got for practically dirt cheap because a kid wrote their name on the front cover. I didn't really care as an Original Action Comics from Dec. 1946 is almost always worth framing for the simple fact it survived from 1946). I just dont know if me, as a huge Spiderman fan, should frame the CPVs or keep them in their dark, dry drawer until the demand shoots up.

[Artboy99]

Depends.

Some of those Canadian price variants may never be worth more. My opinion is they would already be worth more if they were gong to be. The one caveat to that is in the example of the Spider-Ham who appeared in the Spider-Verse film increased the interest. Interest and demand in them may increase in the future; I just think it is unlikely.

Frame comics to display? I have done that myself, there was a time I had Amazing Spider-man 1-20 framed up and displayed in the main hallway of the apartment I lived in at the time. Looked cool!

You could frame a quality print of the book instead and then keep the books in a cool dry place to preserve them better for future selling.

[BuscemasAvengers]

19 hours ago, William-James88 said:

You are generalizing based on your books. I could do the same with mine which show that canadian variants are worth more.

You will have to show us the books you are talking about.

And fyi, it's not really the fact that they are canadian that make some books rare and interesting, it's the fact that some of them show a different price, and there is an interest for price variants.

Also, the number of CPV issues printed were far less (a fact often forgotten for CPVs, but embellished when the value of APVs are assessed).

 

[bb8]

All those books you mentioned are fairly cheap in mid-to-higher grade. Are yours graded 9.8's or something?

[Lazyboy]

On 9/12/2020 at 4:48 AM, badkneecollector93 said:

So i managed to come into possession of 5, good to very fine Canadian Price Variant comics. While I get they are re-issues, the American version of the same comics go for $80-hundreds of dollars depending on the comic. Yet the Canadian Price Variant ,in which enough for about the size of 70s California alone were made, go for less than $10 in many. Arent decent condition comics from runs that less than 2% are still in existence for, be worth more than a teenager allowance?  If they arent going to be worth anything, then why are we preserving them to begin with (especially those in the 1984-early 1986 window), outside of just a love for comic books (like i have, especially for captain america and spider-man since i would find those in bookstores and the lost and found at my dads theater)?

 

I hope i dont seem too catty,it just doesnt make much sense to me. My infinity gauntlet run (in Very fine condition), is worth 10x more than all of my Canadian price variants put together, despite more of the Infinity gauntlet having way more printed. 

1. They are not price variants, they are Canadian Newsstand editions. They have the same Canadian price as all copies (check the indicia) but, for some unknown reason, publishers decided that only the Direct editions could have multiple prices on the covers.

2. Supply and demand both matter. Always. Low supply doesn't matter if demand is even lower. Infinity Gauntlet has far more demand than (any copy of) most issues that have CNs.

3. The numbers people throw around for these (like the "2%" you posted) are completely useless fabrications with nothing to support them.

4.

12 hours ago, badkneecollector93 said:

ASM #259 (Mary Jane Watson's backstory, american Versions in worse quality than mine are going for $40-$60

What?  ASM #259 doesn't sell for anywhere near that much unless it's in a 9.4(+) slab. You can buy high grade (raw) copies for $10.

You apparently have a lot to learn about both the market and comic book history.

 

[Lazyboy]

6 hours ago, BuscemasAvengers said:

Also, the number of CPV issues printed were far less (a fact often forgotten for CPVs, but embellished when the value of APVs are assessed).

 

All the graphics you posted are garbage, just like the site they came from.

But at least one of them is (very slightly) better than the original, which implied even lower distribution. Hucksterism for the win!

[BuscemasAvengers]

17 minutes ago, Lazyboy said:

All the graphics you posted are garbage, just like the site they came from.

But at least one of them is (very slightly) better than the original, which implied even lower distribution. Hucksterism for the win!

 

So the individuals who were responsible for the data (some of them members of our own community, and some from your own province, by the way) are presenting false data? Do tell, Mr. Lazyboy ... that's quite an accusation.

@Red_Hood

@The_Investor

[Lazyboy]

11 minutes ago, BuscemasAvengers said:

So the individuals who were responsible for the data (some of them members of our own community, and some from your own province, by the way) are presenting false data? Do tell, Mr. Lazyboy ... that's quite an accusation.

@Red_Hood

@The_Investor

Data? Data? There is no data there, just numbers pulled out of an orifice which doesn't get sunlight.

And don't bring Paul into this. I've talked about this a bit with him in person.

[BuscemasAvengers]

1 minute ago, Lazyboy said:

Data? Data? There is no data there, just numbers pulled out of an orifice which doesn't get sunlight.

And don't bring Paul into this. I've talked about this a bit with him in person.

Geesh! Relax! Someone has a nerve gushing ... would be nice if those responsible could assist in clarifying.  

[wormboy]

In my experience, aside from the keys mentioned, it's all about the grade on Canadian priced books.

I buy high grade Canadian copies for runs that I've already finished, just to give me another reason/excuse to collect more copies of that title. Most are few and far between in high grade IMO.

If people are just trying to complete a run, they might chose American over Canadian, just for uniformity sake.

So it's really just a tiny sliver of the total Market (like me) who care about (and bid on) odd books like variants, double covers, Mark Jewelers, etc.

I just paid about double GPA for a Canadian CGC 9.4 White copy of Wolverine LS #3 because I've been looking for one for years to complete my Wolverine LS (all American direct <1-4> all American newsstand <1-4> and all Canadian newsstand <2-4> versions) set.

As far as these books being called variants - that battle was fought (remember Joe Collector?), and has ended, with CGC now noting 'Canadian Price Variant' on the label (previously noted on labels as 'Canadian Edition').

[Lazyboy]

9 minutes ago, wormboy said:

all Canadian newsstand <2-4>

Doesn't that drive you crazy?

12 minutes ago, wormboy said:

As far as these books being called variants - that battle was fought (remember Joe Collector?), and has ended, with CGC now noting 'Canadian Price Variant' on the label (previously noted on labels as 'Canadian Edition').

They are variants, technically (just like the regular/U.S. Newsstands). But CGC is still just a grading company, not the official arbiters of the hobby (not even close).

[wormboy]

4 minutes ago, Lazyboy said:

Doesn't that drive you crazy?

They are variants, technically (just like the regular/U.S. Newsstands). But CGC is still just a grading company, not the official arbiters of the hobby (not even close).

Yes it does drive me insane  I’ve even thought of making my own Canadian ‘replica’ of #1 with the 75 cent price haha.

True.

[theCapraAegagrus]

It's a niche inside a niche inside a niche.

[comicginger1789]

43 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

It's a niche inside a niche inside a niche.

Yup

If people don't like the fact that Canadian Price variants are not all worth more automatically, don't buy them. There are collectors that have to have them and pay more for them on key issues. They are rarer, absolutely. But rarity does not make a comic worth more automatically. If you think it should, well I've got a one-of-a-kind pair of socks with unique holes in them that I am pretty sure are the only ones on the planet. I'll sell them to you for $100.

Anyways, for me personally, I don't care. If I find them, cool...neat! And if I don't, I don't. Attempting to monetize these seems silly to me because, while there are less of them, there are still A LOT of them. You want rarer? How about pence copies from the sixties and seventies. Smaller market, population and amount of printings there. Oh but you dont like how it's not the same currency? Picky picky aren't we! (Hey I am in the same boat lol)

End of the day, if you take 100 collectors and ask them to pick a book to finish their run of whatever, they pick the American versions. You need those 4-5 guys/gals who just have to have the CPV and want to pay more for it in order for them to be more valuable.