Accurate DC Whitman list?? 3 3

[telerites]

27 minutes ago, Brock said:

Have you got a list? That could help...

In general, although I buy them whenever I see them, most Whitmans are not especially valuable unless in very high grade. I think this will change, so I’m definitely scooping up what I can, but there are a lot of sellers whose prices are getting ahead of the market.

I think the Green Lantern, Flash and Batman issues are harder to find than the Superman, Action, DC Comics Presents or Brave and Bold issues, with the rest in the middle, but that’s a huge over generalization.

I scanned them yesterday and after looking through them, they are lower grade than I thought - mid grade average.  I don't know if it is okay to post them all so I will put the scans in a spoiler if someone wants to look.

And I am sure it is most likely in this thread but some have the strikethrough UPC code while most have the Superman logo there.  Is there a difference in rarity in these?

Spoiler

 

Edited September 19, 2020 by telerites

[Drkegg]

Hello all, longtime collector, first time forum poster. So I have been trying to dig up information on DC Whitman variants and this thread has been very helpful. One lingering question I have is - has anyone been able to figure out print run numbers for the DC Whitman variants? I can try and dig out old Overstreet where Don wrote his article, but wasn't sure if there is something online to look or track these print runs. Any help is much appreciated!

[Brock]

Welcome to the Boards!

I’m not aware of any print run information, but this board is definitely the place to ask! Maybe @Warlord or @OtherEric have some thoughts?

FWIW, my general sense is that Whitman print runs were large, but survival rates are generally low. Surviving copies in very high grade (about 8.5 and above) are extremely rare.

There are, however, a few - including the so-called “Big 8” - that apparently had quite small print runs. Chief among these is probably DC Comics Presents #22, which seems to have about 30 extant copies.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Brock

[Warlord]

23 hours ago, Brock said:

Welcome to the Boards!

I’m not aware of any print run information, but this board is definitely the place to ask! Maybe @Warlord or @OtherEric have some thoughts?

FWIW, my general sense is that Whitman print runs were large, but survival rates are generally low. Surviving copies in very high grade (about 8.5 and above) are extremely rare.

There are, however, a few - including the so-called “Big 8” - that apparently had quite small print runs. Chief among these is probably DC Comics Presents #22, which seems to have about 30 extant copies.

Nope, not a clue as to print runs, I don't think I've seen any facts or speculation in terms of numbers.   The theory that the 8 very rare DCW issues may have been distributed only in Canada and therefore had a correspondingly smaller distribution than others distributed in both US+Canada is all that I would venture.   In general, as Brock suggest, a lot of them are plentiful but are still clearly not as common as the normal versions.  And yes, unless you buy them in an unopened 3-pack they are tough to find in HG.

Edited November 23, 2020 by Warlord

[OtherEric]

I'm miles from being an expert, either.  The only suggestion I might have is trying to contact somebody who worked at DC at the time... I think it was Paul Levitz who confirmed that the books were printed at the same time as the regular run, maybe he remembers, at least roughly.

I suspect, but do no know for certain, that the "Big 8" all had identical print runs since they came from the same month and were presumably distributed together; but as far as I know nobody has found any of the Big 8 still in an unopened pack.  My guess is that the DCP #22 had the same print run as the others; but because the Whitman "W" wasn't in the DC logo, people didn't spot them for a long time and still don't notice them.  Then again, there are STILL people who trash the Whitman copies as worthless reprints.

[PeterPark]

All my personal anecdotal evidence says the Big 8 are Canadian release only. I know nothing about how that was carried out, although prepacks are assumed. Every time an issue I found had a store stamp, it was from Canada. I know one I found was from Saskatchewan. But in addition to that, every original owner copy I have purchased has been from Canada. I haven't heard any credible American source that found them distributed in the USA.

I have a store near me with a 10 cent box. To discourage someone buying the whole lot for resale or spec, they write on all the covers with sharpies. I have seen several DC Whitmans in this box at times. Makes you wish you got to give them a once-over at a buck each just to save them. I also found an Uncanny X-Men 297 pressman in the 10 cent box...what a shame...

[OtherEric]

17 minutes ago, PeterPark said:

All my personal anecdotal evidence says the Big 8 are Canadian release only. I know nothing about how that was carried out, although prepacks are assumed. Every time an issue I found had a store stamp, it was from Canada. I know one I found was from Saskatchewan. But in addition to that, every original owner copy I have purchased has been from Canada. I haven't heard any credible American source that found them distributed in the USA.

I have a store near me with a 10 cent box. To discourage someone buying the whole lot for resale or spec, they write on all the covers with sharpies. I have seen several DC Whitmans in this box at times. Makes you wish you got to give them a once-over at a buck each just to save them. I also found an Uncanny X-Men 297 pressman in the 10 cent box...what a shame...

There was a store in my area that did that back in the 80's and 90's; although I think it was actually either a quarter or 40 cents box.  I have books I'm glad to have despite the sharpie, though:

[southern cross]

Picked this book up today at my lcs 50c box. Have no idea what these are worth but anyway I didn't have this JLA issue at all. Bonus it's a whitman 👍

[Drkegg]

Thanks all, you seem to confirm what I found while searching...nothing really on this topic! It is odd regarding these books since I am more of a Marvel and PCH guy, but got interested in some of these Whitman variants and these kind of piqued my interest.