So what do you think of this direct / newsstand thing? 7 7

[Ablation Steve]

Newsstand issues have really blown up lately for key books, pretty much only on 9.8s. A lot of people are just now realizing that newsstands are hard to get in high grades, whether they're from 1989 or 2014.

I have to admit I kinda saw this coming back around 1994. I had enough of a "collector's mentality" to realize that, once people had their long run of X-men or Spider-Man or whatever, that they'd get antsy and start to need to keep collecting, so they'd go after both covers. We'd seen it before with price variants, so it only made sense that "got all the spider-man heads" in the corner turns into "gotta have all the bar codes" in the corner. (You might ask, if I saw this coming, why didn't I snap up all the newsstands? Because whenever I invest in comics it always goes to . Anybody wanna buy five copies of Harbinger #18?)

Anyway, I'm curious about what everyone else thinks.

 

[Turnando]

I used to collect vintage action figures pretty seriously so I know variants are super important in that hobby.  I'm not as experienced with comic collecting, I'm a reader and comic history buff, but it seems to me that comic collectors don't get very excited by variants.

[Get Marwood & I]

4 hours ago, Ablation Steve said:

Newsstand issues have really blown up lately for key books, pretty much only on 9.8s. A lot of people are just now realizing that newsstands are hard to get in high grades, whether they're from 1989 or 2014.

I have to admit I kinda saw this coming back around 1994. I had enough of a "collector's mentality" to realize that, once people had their long run of X-men or Spider-Man or whatever, that they'd get antsy and start to need to keep collecting, so they'd go after both covers. We'd seen it before with price variants, so it only made sense that "got all the spider-man heads" in the corner turns into "gotta have all the bar codes" in the corner. (You might ask, if I saw this coming, why didn't I snap up all the newsstands? Because whenever I invest in comics it always goes to . Anybody wanna buy five copies of Harbinger #18?)

Anyway, I'm curious about what everyone else thinks.

 

There are lots of threads already on this subject Steve so don't be surprised if you get push back from some. Two things resonated with me in your post though - I did exactly as you said - went after all the ASM newsstands once I completed the DE set. It's the natural next step for the collector / completist as you say. Then, and this covers the second point I took from your post, I sold them all just before they 'took off' pricewise. In the main, pretty much every selling decision I have ever made in comics has turned to that word that the boards profanity filter removed from your post. So you're in good company mate 

(P.S. How much for the Harbingers?)

[theCapraAegagrus]

I couldn't care less about newsstand 'variants'.

[DavidTheDavid]

21 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

I couldn't care less about newsstand 'variants'.

Same. Also, price ‘variants’ and double covers. Zero collector’s interest to me.

[Jesse-Lee]

I actually just posted this comment last night on another thread (and I've made this comment before too):

My preference on copper books is toward the newsstands, because the closest "comic specialty shop" for me in the 80s was an hour and a half away (and I was still a few years away from being able to drive), so my only option was to buy off the rack at the local drug store and grocery store. So I like buying comics now that represent what I mostly would have had the chance to buy back then.

I think for now it boils down a lot to either personal preference or probably most likely opportunity - best copy for the price, regardless of newsstand or direct. Maybe at some point we'll see a real difference in actual cost/value but I don't know if we're there yet in most cases.

[Summydad1]

I also agree that newsstands do nothing for me. On the contrary I prefer direct editions from an aesthetic point of view. I am aware of the “data” showing the value of newsstand comics. Unless you are a completionist, the only reason you would care about newsstands is money. The bar code doesn’t add to the story. The bar code doesn’t add to the visual appeal. I have no problem with rarity. I collect rare variants. The reason I like rare variants is two fold. It has a different cover and is rare. Not just rare. 
 

I have read through a lot of the conversations on these boards about newsstands and felt like piping up. Anything I say is my opinion. If you like the look of bar codes, fine. If you like the rarity, fine. If you strictly buy/collect these for potential profit, fine. As what a lot of people here say, “collect what gives you pleasure.”

Lastly, I believe newsstands are a passing fad. A flavor of the month. I believe ten years from now if you have a 9.8 ASM 300 direct and a 9.8 ASM 300 newsstand most people won’t care about the difference. Just like it was ten years ago.

 

[90sChild]

I just see it as another opportunity to drive up prices by speculators.  You could make a case that books are harder to keep in good shape when they are sitting on a newsstand but frankly I'm not buying it, certainly not as recent as 80's and 90's.  It was well within the comic speculation bubble of the 90's where anyone and everyone had already been buying books to store away as investments.  

[Arkham]

I’m not currently fussed about newsstand vs direct. But, I found this article interesting: https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/newsstand-vs-direct-edition-comics/

Regarding moderns, I actually get a little dirty with DC, because I am a completion-ist. If there are modern books that I want to take a stab at collecting, it’s wallet-burning to see the number of variants and the mind-blowing pricing for things like black & white covers. Seriously feels like a really low effort money grab sometimes. 

Among my focuses, I like collecting Joker covers - so I’ll usually just pick the book that has the cover I like the most, sometimes that’s a variant, and steer clear of trying to get them all. 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Arkham

[Get Marwood & I]

I think it's fantastic that there are different types of the same comic out there to research and collect. I love comics full stop and delight in all their variations, quirks and nuances. If every comic ever made was its own only version, that would make collecting 1,000 times less interesting for me. Personally, I think the person that doesn't thrill to the discovery of a National Diamond Sales lingerie insert, swoon to the touch of a pence copy, drool over a double cover, delight over a production error, salivate over a near impossible to find newsstand and palpitate over a price variant just doesn't understand comics. Or collecting even. 

Just my view though, you don't have to share it 

[WoWitHurts]

I am in the process of working on my ASM 200-300 newsie/direct run. I am looking for a NM or better run. I won't break the bank for them but when buying slabbed all things being equal I gravitate to the newsies only because that was the majority of my original purchases. Some peoples mindset is they have to have the best most unique collection. whether that means in grade, rarity or whatever. 

[WoWitHurts]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I think it's fantastic that there are different types of the same comic out there to research and collect. I love comics full stop and delight in all their variations, quirks and nuances. If every comic ever was it's own only version, that would make collecting 1,000 times less interesting for me. Personally, I think the person that doesn't thrill to the discovery of a National Diamond Sales lingerie insert, swoon to the touch of a pence copy, drool over a double cover, delight over a production error, salivate over a near impossible to find newsstand and palpitate over a price variant just doesn't understand comics. Or collecting even. 

Just my view though, you don't have to share it 

Well said.

[Get Marwood & I]

Just now, WoWitHurts said:

Well said.

Thanks. And to be clear, 95% of the 'variant' books that I personally seek have near zero collector interest and value. It doesn't matter if a comic is pricey or not. The market determines that. The important thing is the comic. 

I make one exception to my argument - the 'manufactured' variants, i.e. the modern approach of printing 100 often completely rubbish covers for a new number one issue just to make money. I think they suck.  

[WoWitHurts]

5 minutes ago, Arkham said:

I’m not currently fussed about newsstand vs direct. But, I found this article interesting: https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/newsstand-vs-direct-edition-comics/

Regarding moderns, I actually get a little dirty with DC, because I am a completion-ist. If there are modern books that I want to take a stab at collecting, it’s wallet-burning to see the number of variants and the mind-blowing pricing for things like black & white covers. Seriously feels like a really low effort money grab sometimes. 

Among my focuses, I like collecting Joker covers - so I’ll usually just pick the book that has the cover I like the most, sometimes that’s a variant, and steer clear of trying to get them all. 

I was an ASM completist but Marvel just broke me. I think with Volume 3 #1 with 40 variant covers I came to my senses and realized I was being taken advantage of. I sold all of my variants which was about 90% complete to a top 3 registry collector of ASM. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

8 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I think it's fantastic that there are different types of the same comic out there to research and collect. I love comics full stop and delight in all their variations, quirks and nuances. If every comic ever made was its own only version, that would make collecting 1,000 times less interesting for me. Personally, I think the person that doesn't thrill to the discovery of a National Diamond Sales lingerie insert, swoon to the touch of a pence copy, drool over a double cover, delight over a production error, salivate over a near impossible to find newsstand and palpitate over a price variant just doesn't understand comics. Or collecting even. 

Just my view though, you don't have to share it 

[Get Marwood & I]

9 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I think it's fantastic that there are different types of the same comic out there to research and collect. I love comics full stop and delight in all their variations, quirks and nuances. If every comic ever made was its own only version, that would make collecting 1,000 times less interesting for me. Personally, I think the person that doesn't thrill to the discovery of a National Diamond Sales lingerie insert, swoon to the touch of a pence copy, drool over a double cover, delight over a production error, salivate over a near impossible to find newsstand and palpitate over a price variant just doesn't understand comics. Or collecting even.

To illustrate (for me):

FANTASTIC:

 

RUBBISH:

[Get Marwood & I]

16 minutes ago, WoWitHurts said:

I was an ASM completist but Marvel just broke me. I think with Volume 3 #1 with 40 variant covers I came to my senses and realized I was being taken advantage of.

Ha! See my post above 

Quote

I sold all of my variants which was about 90% complete to a top 3 registry collector of ASM. 

Me too. I sold my ASM #667 for £500 and thought I was a master seller. I was a master something, I'll tell you that for nothing! (I won't charge you).

[Get Marwood & I]

Here's a post about newsstands from me which has nothing to do with money - just the pure interest in what exists - sitting lonely in a thread about newsstands and money:

Discussing newsstands and their relative scarcity does not have to be anything about profiteering. It's silly people like Mile High who take the information, apply some dumb price ratio multiplier to them, and then artificially try to create value that are the problem. 

Did anyone say there was a problem here? Probably not. 

I'll get my coat.

[srezvan]

20 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

To illustrate (for me):

FANTASTIC:

 

RUBBISH:

I was just thinking to myself,  "ugh, another newsstand thread. I don't care." Then I saw the X-Men stickers on these and want them. I don't see info on those readily available. What are they? Now I need to find them.

[Get Marwood & I]

4 minutes ago, srezvan said:

I was just thinking to myself,  "ugh, another newsstand thread. I don't care." Then I saw the X-Men stickers on these and want them. I don't see info on those readily available. What are they? Now I need to find them.

You should read some of my threads Srezvan. All for the pure love of comics 

There are four of these ASM #387s - two Directs and two Newsstands, each with different back cover / ad configurations (I made the stickers):