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Newsstand/Direct Edition Variants? Got 'em!2518

COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
I'm blown away by how fast CBCS did a 180 on this issue after one thread discussed it.
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If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
Wouldn't you think that all this planning and subsequent roll out was in the pipeline before a few days ago?
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It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious. GAC private msg quote post Address this user
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?
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If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAC
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?

Yes, but in catering to a niche market, they make a few people happy and make a few extra bucks in the process. I would say that the biggest deciding factor in doing it was that the cgc wasn't.
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It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious. GAC private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrWatson
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAC
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?

Yes, but in catering to a niche market, they make a few people happy and make a few extra bucks in the process. I would say that the biggest deciding factor in doing it was that the cgc wasn't.


Makes sense, thank you!!
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Collector DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAC
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?


Maybe.

Educated people? Sure.

Everyone? No.

As Stephen Bagley said on facebook: they put the title and issue number on the label, and those are obvious too, aren't they?

But the real value of this will be the eventual census. You can't "see" the books in a census.

And I don't believe for a second that the Batman #12 newsstand thread had anything to do with this decision.
Post 31 IP   flag post
It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious. GAC private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocBrown
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAC
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?


Maybe.

Educated people? Sure.

Everyone? No.

As Stephen Bagley said on facebook: they put the title and issue number on the label, and those are obvious too, aren't they?

But the real value of this will be the eventual census. You can't "see" the books in a census.

And I don't believe for a second that the Batman #12 newsstand thread had anything to do with this decision.


And the census is where this will have value. That, I can see as being a big deal.
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
The way Steve worded his explanation a week ago about why CBCS didn't do it did not make it sound like this was in the pipeline. If this was in the pipeline I would have expected Steve's usual answer of "soon."
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If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user

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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user

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COLLECTOR JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user
I like this. Hopefully they can create a census that will show a true rarity. My only concern is what about all the books graded to this point will they just kind of through them in with the direct market or is the census so far out they are just going to start counting now.
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COLLECTOR JLS_Comics private msg quote post Address this user
How would a book like this be designated now? It is DM (Direct Sales) vs Newsstand (Direct Sales is absent from the bar code) but also a price variant




Post 37 IP   flag post
If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthLego


Sho' nuff, brah.
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
@ DarthLego - adding a couple of words to the label may not have been such a difficult inclusion, especially if the label information is computerized and all it requires is a check mark in the software, in order to have the label "auto-add" the new description.

CBCS may have discovered that there is no cost association to adding it, but also realized it is something the customer wants.

IMO.
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
@ JLS_Comics - not only a price variant....but also has a style variant in the title & background color variant.
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Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAC
Pardon my ignorance on this topic but I don't understand why this a big deal. Can't you tell by looking at the UPC code or Spidey head or Cap head etc and determine if it's Newsstand or Direct Editions?


What about this one? I know for a fact that this was a direct market book, I purchased it new from Bedrock City.
Also note the lack of Capital City's "triple c" in the number box.

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COLLECTOR JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user
@The_Curmudgeon That's interesting a quick ebay search shows only barcode issues.
Post 42 IP   flag post
Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Or maybe this one? Direct box on back, but has the "triple c."

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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZosoRocks
@ JLS_Comics - not only a price variant....but also has a style variant in the title & background color variant.

Just noticed that the barcode numbering is also different. That is related to the price, but clearly a different set-up.
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Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Or these? Doctor Strange was direct market only at the time, so Marvel printed the DS/GR Special for distribution on the newsstands for the GR readers that wanted the rest of the story from GR #12. Note the UPC on the direct version and the direct box on the newsstand.




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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Curmudgeon
Or these? Doctor Strange was direct market only at the time, so Marvel printed the DS/GR Special for distribution on the newsstands for the GR readers that wanted the rest of the story from GR #12. Note the UPC on the direct version and the direct box on the newsstand.






Interesting.....good info...you can clearly see that the cover picture is the same, but the title and issue numbers are not.

Talk about maxing out possible sales!!
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Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZosoRocks
Interesting.....good info...you can clearly see that the cover picture is the same, but the title and issue numbers are not.

Talk about maxing out possible sales!!


I give kudos to Marvel for printing the DS/GR Special, it shows that somebody actually did care about their readers at that time.
If I had no LCS, only newsstands, and were an avid GR reader, I would be upset at not getting the rest of the story from GR #12.
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Good job y'all for showing exactly why this was never done before. It's a hornets nest and a nightmare to research all these quirky books that don't fit the norm. CBCS has their work cut out.
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COLLECTOR JLS_Comics private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthLego
Good job y'all for showing exactly why this was never done before. It's a hornets nest and a nightmare to research all these quirky books that don't fit the norm. CBCS has their work cut out.


I believe the extra legwork up front will pay dividends in the long run as it will not only set them ahead of competitors but will also give people needing info on these differences a reputable place to go to research and track the data (talking long term here)

It's a very smart move on CBCS's part
Post 49 IP   flag post
Collector DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user
It's not too bad. There are only a handful...maybe about a dozen, probably not more than 30...that are "weird" books.

The "CCC" symbol stands for "Curtis Circulation Company", for those wondering, not Capital City. Capital City was a Direct market distributor; Curtis Circulation Co. has distributed newsstand comics for decades, and has been affiliated at times with Marvel. (It's a muddy history, but that's the gist.)

In 1990-ish, Marvel (or Quebecor, who was printing their "offset" books, like the Moon Knight #25 above, or Alpha Flight, for example) made an error and put UPC codes on these books that didn't need them, since they weren't distributed at the newsstand....

...OR...

...it was an internal experiment to see if these "Direct market only" books should return to the newsstands.

In any event, if there is no Direct AND newsstand version, it's safe to say that these anomalies will be classified as Direct market versions. They're known, and CBCS is doubtless aware of them.
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Collector ZosoRocks private msg quote post Address this user
@DocBrown - thanks for sharing your expertise on the many topics you've commented upon. You continue to "learn me".

;o)
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Collector DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by JLS_Comics
How would a book like this be designated now? It is DM (Direct Sales) vs Newsstand (Direct Sales is absent from the bar code) but also a price variant






The price difference is common for newsstands of the last 20+ years (going back to 1996!)

It's not a price variant; it's just that the Direct edition and the newsstand edition were priced at different prices. For it to be a "price variant", you'd have to have two versions of the same edition, like two Directs, or two newsstands, priced differently (and these do exist.)
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Collector DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Curmudgeon
Or maybe this one? Direct box on back, but has the "triple c."


This was only Direct; there's no newsstand version of this...almost certainly.

When they reprinted X-Force #1, whoever set the printing used the newsstand plate for the front cover.

The Curtis symbol erroneously appears on some Direct books from the era...in fact, there are even some books that have BOTH the UK price AND the Curtis symbol overprinted on it!
Post 53 IP   flag post
Collector DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZosoRocks
@ JLS_Comics - not only a price variant....but also has a style variant in the title & background color variant.


Yeah, that cover had a complete redesign in between!
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COLLECTOR JLS_Comics private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DocBrown

It's not a price variant; it's just that the Direct edition and the newsstand edition were priced at different prices. For it to be a "price variant", you'd have to have two versions of the same edition, like two Directs, or two newsstands, priced differently (and these do exist.)


That does make sense. I typically refer to them as price variants to identify a difference between the cover images (and letters, words, etc.) Nevertheless, it further piques my interest as to how this particular issue's label will be notated
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