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

[theCapraAegagrus]

Everything you collect is dreck. Everything I collect is Gem Mint.

[Get Marwood & I]

3 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Everything you collect is dreck. Everything I collect is Gem Mint.

Spot on PooPiece, spot on 

[theCapraAegagrus]

7 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Spot on PooPiece, spot on 

Tread lightly, Steve...

[Get Marwood & I]

2 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

10 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Spot on PooPiece, spot on 

Tread lightly, Steve...

I will. You never know when there'll be a stray Piece of Poo about, PooPiece 

[silversurfer275]

for me newsstand before 2000 doesn't matter to me but the modern newsstand comics are definitely something I always try and get plus they are much harder to find 

[comicginger1789]

For me, I don't really care about newsstand vs direct edition. If I have the issue for my collection or run or whatever, great. If I happen to have doubles, I try to take the nicer copy (obviously) and keep it, choosing to sell the other. If I have two copies and one is newsstand and one is not, I apply this principle. If they are close in grade, I will keep the newsstand and sell the direct.

The same applies to price variants. At the end of the day, I would rather a VF/NM regular ole US price copy than a VG/FN Canadian price copy. And as I am not someone to hoard multiple copies or "variations" of an issue, I will sell them. The ONLY exception is a Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars #1 that I have in both US and Canadian price...both were $1 so I figured I will keep both.

As for other niche things (as they have popped up in convo here), I like double covers and price variants (from the 70s only) and inserts but I would not say I go out hunting and paying a premium for them. Basically, if I can get for the same price (or maybe a few bucks more), sure I will spend $10 on an otherwise $5 comic if it has something neat about it. But moreso, I acquire price variants and double covers and the like by accident whilst buying and keep some for the novelty of having a truly unique collection

[comicginger1789]

The thing I would like to know more about is the supposed "experts" saying that 50-80% of newsstand copies "did not survive". A recent video by a Youtuber and some info on a certain app have stated that for some 90s books, print runs of direct copies were around 1 million copies, with newsstands being anywhere from 20-30% of that, or say 250 000 copies give or take. How they come up with more than half being "lost, destroyed, damaged or just gone" is interesting. If I see some hard data, okay that makes sense. But some people speculating, thus driving up prices, concerns me. 

I get that it could very well be, I just don't know if it is truly that high. That being said, I do believe that very high grade newsstands are scarcer but I am still blown away at the prices people are willing to spend for a barcode. 

[comicginger1789]

1 hour ago, Get Marwood & I said:

To illustrate (for me):

FANTASTIC:

 

RUBBISH:

I will agree with this. I would much rather the former than the latter.

At the end of the day, can you really fault those who love the former (plus inserts, double cover, etc, etc.) or those who love the same issue with a million covers? There is a collector for everything. At the end of the day though, I think that it is WISER to put money towards things like MJ/National Diamond inserts, double covers, price variants and newsstand than it is variant covers. Generally, if you are investing (or even collecting with the hopes of recouping whence you "retire" or move on from your books), I think you will find more people willing to buy the first photo than the second. 

[Ablation Steve]

1 hour ago, Jesse-Lee said:

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.

I was in the same boat as a kid, the nearest real shop hours away. When I saw my first book with a Spidey in the corner, I was utterly confused.

Also, I can speak a little to the destruction of newsstands. Working at Waldenbooks in 1998, I'd strip the covers to send back for credit. After years of being obsessive about condition, it was kind of cathartic! 

[valiantman]

1 hour ago, Summydad1 said:

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.

I'll disagree on ALL points. 

Aesthetically, newsstand UPCs make books look like they actually "belong together" in a collection.  

Direct editions changed those boxes so often it looks like a couple belong together, and the other ones are just weirdos. 

[Summydad1]

8 minutes ago, valiantman said:

I'll disagree on ALL points. 

Aesthetically, newsstand UPCs make books look like they actually "belong together" in a collection.  

Direct editions changed those boxes so often it looks like a couple belong together, and the other ones are just weirdos. 

Haha. All good. To each their own. If everyone agreed with all my points then life would be boring.

I can agree that if you line them up the bar codes show more uniformity which can be construed by some as more aesthetically pleasing. In my mind I was considering just holding a single book.

We can have completely different views on everything comic related and still be friends. 

[comicginger1789]

I will disagree with people who think this is a passing fad.

I think it is an evolution of the collecting mentality...and while I am not gung ho caring about it, I think there are enough who are. Granted, the pendulum may be swinging far in that direction but I don't think it will settle back down to where it was 10-15 years ago with no one caring. It will settle somewhere in between with enough people caring to make newsstands more valuable but maybe the market for a $2000 9.8 ASM #299 will be slightly softer, thats all. 

[silversurfer275]

2 minutes ago, comicginger1789 said:

I will disagree with people who think this is a passing fad.

I think it is an evolution of the collecting mentality...and while I am not gung ho caring about it, I think there are enough who are. Granted, the pendulum may be swinging far in that direction but I don't think it will settle back down to where it was 10-15 years ago with no one caring. It will settle somewhere in between with enough people caring to make newsstands more valuable but maybe the market for a $2000 9.8 ASM #299 will be slightly softer, thats all. 

wait a 9.8 299 newsstand sold for 2000?

[valiantman]

12 minutes ago, Garbage Time said:

39 minutes ago, valiantman said:

 

Aesthetically, newsstand UPCs make books look like they actually "belong together" in a collection.  

 

What a dumb reason to collect comics 

What an appropriate user name. 

[comicginger1789]

3 minutes ago, silversufer27 said:

wait a 9.8 299 newsstand sold for 2000?

$1910 technically

So if anyone is hoarding pristine raw newsstand copies...now might be the time to ride the money train! Like I said, I think this may be extreme and the pendulum could swing back to a more reasonable amount but ya neverrrr know

Edited October 7, 2020 by comicginger1789

[Get Marwood & I]

54 minutes ago, comicginger1789 said:

I will agree with this. I would much rather the former than the latter.

At the end of the day, can you really fault those who love the former (plus inserts, double cover, etc, etc.) or those who love the same issue with a million covers? There is a collector for everything. At the end of the day though, I think that it is WISER to put money towards things like MJ/National Diamond inserts, double covers, price variants and newsstand than it is variant covers. Generally, if you are investing (or even collecting with the hopes of recouping whence you "retire" or move on from your books), I think you will find more people willing to buy the first photo than the second. 

Let me be clear, as I often post flippantly and sometimes that clouds what I actually believe. I would be the last person to criticise anyone for their collecting habits. Everyone can like or dislike what they want - it's no ones business but theirs. I actually bought all 40 ASM v3 number one variants so I can hardly criticise those that also did or those who are now trying to retrospectively. What I learned over time is that I was buying them just to 'have it all' as a completist - I didn't actually like many of the covers. And then the financial side started to bite and I felt like Marvel was just pumping them out as a cash cow. If you're rich, with unlimited time and space, great - make it a thousand variants for every issue! But it just wasn't sustainable for me and I began to resent it.

Back in the day, variants of all descriptions tended to have a reason for their existence. Nowadays it's a straight forward money making process. If they limited things a bit - the odd quality cover or special issue, that would work for me and I may well still be collecting. The ASM #666 variants would have been a great historic one off and I managed all but one of the 143 issues. But every issue having multiple printings? Come on.

So I think everyone can and should do and collect as they please. I know what I collect and why, and what I don't. If others like it too, great - that's why I'm here, to share knowledge and the fun of researching and collecting. Those that just post 'newsstands suck' messages and slag off every comment in their favour as an attempt to 'pimp them up' though I find really tedious.

 

[silversurfer275]

1 minute ago, comicginger1789 said:

$1910 technically

god damn  didnt a 9.6 sell for like 180 recently

[comicginger1789]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Those that just post 'newsstands suck' messages and slag off every comment in their favour as an attempt to 'pimp them up' though I find really tedious.

 

Agree

 

[valiantman]

4 minutes ago, Garbage Time said:

5 minutes ago, valiantman said:

What an appropriate user name. 

Low hanging fruit 

Just wondering, since you joined the board 3 hours ago, how many of the previous discussions on newsstand books from this board you're familiar with? 

The "barcodes are ugly" argument is about 15 years old on this particular forum, and doesn't actually make any sense... so the graphic is just a quick answer to an old argument.

Edited October 7, 2020 by valiantman

[theCapraAegagrus]

1 minute ago, valiantman said:

Just wondering, since you joined the board 3 hours ago, how many of the previous discussions on newsstand books from this board you're familiar with? 

The "barcodes are ugly" argument is about 15 years old, and doesn't actually make any sense... so the graphic is just a quick answer to an old argument.

*cough*Stu*cough*