Big $$$ for incentive covers

[BobBretall]

You'll all hear some talk from John & I about incentive covers on the upcoming 2012 sales edition of the Mayo Report, but I wanted to throw this out there:

We have created our second (and third) ever ComicBookRealm.com exclusive variant covers! Both are for the popular Grimm Fairy Tales from Zenescope. For issue #82 (coming out at the beginning of February), we have a Regular Exclusive Cover (limited to 500), and we have a “Naughty” Exclusive Cover (limited to 100). In actuality there are only 450 Regular covers and 90 "Naughty" covers to sell as Zenescope keeps 10% for archiving/selling, etc.

What does this have to do with you? Well, as members I am pleased to announce that you will have first crack at each of the comics, AND you will have the lowest possible price out of non-members. I recently sold each of the covers on eBay for $30 for the 500, and $175 for the 100 (and another set is currently selling for $24.99 and $149.99 respectively). After Sunday, February 3rd, I am going to open up any unsold comics to wholesalers. Your pricing will remain in effect, however, orders are honored on a first-come, first-served basis.

To see the covers, see your special pricing, and to purchase please visit: http://comicbookrealm.com/d/cbr-exclusives (please note you will need to log in to see your pricing). You can purchase at the discounted price of $17.49 for the Regular cover and $124.99 for the "Naughty" cover. Non-members will pay at least $24.99 and $149.99 respectively.

I'm NOT throwing stones here. I'm genuinely fascinated that there is a sub-genre of the hobby that collects these incentive covers & is willing to pay from $20 to $150 for a comic that just has a different cover.

I've probably bought more variant/incentive covers than most people on the forum, I have 100s, but generally don't pay much of a mark-up for them. When I see something like the above, or go by the Zenescope booth at a con, it makes me realize that the company is (I assume) doing well for itself on capitalizing on this collecting sub-genre since they seem to have so many of these kind of variants. I see people buying them at the cons and paying handsomely for them.

Abysslord, you're much more active on ComicBookReal.com, I didn't want to post this over there as I really don't want to inadvertently offend them, but I'd love to read something written by some of these variant collectors on what drives their collecting and where/how they specialize (I assume they don't get ALL variant/incentive covers, this would cost $1000s per months).

[HassanT]

This seems bizzare to me as well.

I used to buy more variant covers, but when I did, I rarely paid big bucks for them. Generally, it was at cover price at the LCS I used to go to, but first come, first serve.

I recently purchased a couple of variants, but they were priced at $5 or $6. Not huge dollars.

[Perry]

I'm NOT throwing stones here. I'm genuinely fascinated that there is a sub-genre of the hobby that collects these incentive covers & is willing to pay from $20 to $150 for a comic that just has a different cover.

Totally agree, Bob. And like you I am also not berating or questioning the practice of anyone that does enjoy this aspect of collecting, we all have our vices, but I do find it ... well ... amazing.

(I do like that $150 cover, however. Just for the girl in the background) [/creepiness]

[BobBretall]

(I do like that $150 cover, however. Just for the girl in the background)

My inner cheesecake enthusiast agrees with you.

I'd probably collect more Zenescope books (as opposed to ZERO) if those covers were on a regular comic I could buy for $3.99 instead of them being on $$$ variants.

[Trev]

What's funny is that the $150 is actually pretty tame. $150 will buy a lot of porn or 'naughtier' books than this if that's what gets you going. $150 for a new book like this us A LOT of risk. You are almost certain to lose money and if you aren't buying it to eventually resell then why spend this much on a book?

To each his own I guess but I really don't get this one.

[BobBretall]

What's funny is that the $150 is actually pretty tame. $150 will buy a lot of porn or 'naughtier' books than this if that's what gets you going. $150 for a new book like this us A LOT of risk. You are almost certain to lose money and if you aren't buying it to eventually resell then why spend this much on a book?

I guess you could say the same for any collectible. I don't buy anything with an eye towards reselling it, so that never comes into the equation.

That's why I'd like to hear from people who collect this stuff. DO they buy it with an idea that it will hold it's value or go up in value (as an investment)? Do they just think it's cool & want to collect it? I don't know.

For my own part, when I get variant/incentive cover I just get it because I think it's a cool collectible, but admittedly have never spent any major $$ on one.

[Perry]

Another aspect I would like to know is how this habit of spending copious amounts of money on variants, is in relation to their other comic buying. In other words; are they also a collector of numerous other, regular cover titles and this is just one aspect they sporadically enjoy when something special catches their eye; or is the high dollar variant just limited to a select few titles and they buy the variants of a said title to fill the "entire cover run" of said title, or do they just buy the variants of many titles filling a desire JUST for collecting the variants?

EDIT - I mean for this comic ... CLICK, with, as of this posting, another day left of bidding time, you could almost buy this from mycomicshop.com-

[BobBretall]

EDIT - I mean for this comic ... CLICK, with, as of this posting, another day left of bidding time, you could almost buy this from mycomicshop.com-

This is a choice. But I have similar feeling about someone really needing (for instance) a hi-grade CGC'd version of a back issue when you can get a nice unslabbed VG/F copy for 1/10th the price.

I'm guessing some people don't want "old stuff" at all but consider recent variants to be highly collectible. I cannot fathom paying $560 for a variant cover of Saga, regardless of how much I like that series, but multiple people who have been bidding the auction up apparently have different feelings.

[Perry]

This is a choice. But I have similar feeling about someone really needing (for instance) a hi-grade CGC'd version of a back issue when you can get a nice unslabbed VG/F copy for 1/10th the price.

Preach it, brother. Amen.

I'm guessing some people don't want "old stuff" at all but consider recent variants to be highly collectible. I cannot fathom paying $560 for a variant cover of Saga, regardless of how much I like that series, but multiple people who have been bidding the auction up apparently have different feelings.

Very true.

[abysslord]

Abysslord, you're much more active on ComicBookReal.com, I didn't want to post this over there as I really don't want to inadvertently offend them, but I'd love to read something written by some of these variant collectors on what drives their collecting and where/how they specialize (I assume they don't get ALL variant/incentive covers, this would cost $1000s per months).

I don't think you'd offend anybody but I understand where you're coming from. Dough boy, the admin, had his story of collecting all 143 variants of Amazing Spider-man #666 told on Bleeding Cool and a number of people were insulting him and saying he's stupid, what a waste of money ..... when the same could be said of anyone buying a comic book But he, as well as most of the people over there, can step outside and say stuff like 'yeah it's dumb but I like it'.

As far as spending lots of money on a variant cover, I liken it to spending lots of money on an original art page. You're basically spending money on a piece of art you really want. When you think of it like that, it makes more sense to me at least. Sure one is unique and the other may have hundreds or thousands of copies, but still .... it's not really about the book anymore.

I know a lot of guys here buy statues and I wouldn't want one for free ... heck, I don't even care about original art. If I received one I would immediately try to resell it. So as it's been said here, it's just a matter of opinion on what you like to spend money on.

Now as far as 'are they buying for investment' ... I can't speak for some of them but I know a few don't. A few are like me in that they want to own every cover for Amazing Spider-man. I paid $250 for the 1:200 cover of #700 not because it will be worth a lot in the future but because I wanted it for my collection.

Side note: That cover actually started selling for $1000+ a week or so after it came out, but it's since dropped down to it's probable stable price of $400-500. So technically you can make a lot of money on these if you play your cards right, more so than flipping an Image #1 within weeks.

I'd like to see some stats on how many variants have held value ... John, care to take up that task somehow?

It seems from just my viewing of ASM comics, the variants haven't really gone down from what you could have paid for them initially. Some blow up to outrageous prices, like #667 Del'Otto variant [$500-700], while others have slowly been crawling back to reality [Barack variant is now $50ish, I think it went for $100 or so a few years ago]. So actually collecting these may not hurt you as an investment, but it's certainly the same as any other book as far as predicting which ones blow up quickly.

Another aspect I would like to know is how this habit of spending copious amounts of money on variants, is in relation to their other comic buying.

For myself I get about 100 titles a month, thanks to Bob .... long story short, his post of all his titles a few years back got me researching and I found out there are a lot of good books out there! The only variants I get are ASM ....er, Superior Spider-man. Sometimes I'll get both cover A and B of Hack/Slash if the art is cool, but in general one cover per book is good enough for me.

[boshuda]

Another aspect I would like to know is how this habit of spending copious amounts of money on variants, is in relation to their other comic buying. In other words; are they also a collector of numerous other, regular cover titles and this is just one aspect they sporadically enjoy when something special catches their eye; or is the high dollar variant just limited to a select few titles and they buy the variants of a said title to fill the "entire cover run" of said title, or do they just buy the variants of many titles filling a desire JUST for collecting the variants?

EDIT - I mean for this comic ... CLICK, with, as of this posting, another day left of bidding time, you could almost buy this from mycomicshop.com-

I don't buy variant covers. I read my comics, so what's on the cover is no more important than what's inside. And if the cover artist is much better than the interior artist I will actually put a comic back. Having written that, I would rather buy the variant Saga than the classic FF comic. The reason being that I have an emotional connection to Saga, but not the FF comic. Although I would purchase original art well before buying either of those. I can read the FF story in reprint form somewhere for way, way less than the original. But that piece of original art is one of a kind. Once I own it no one else can own it.

[torchsong]

I don't buy variants, but I'd be lying if I said there was never a time or two I wasn't tempted. Even in the current Marvel Now batch there's been a few I've been interested in ponying up the dough.

At the end of the day, though, I'm like boshuda - I'd rather spend less and get the "regular" book, which frees up more dough to buy a couple more books. Particularly when so many of those books are pretty on the outside and all but nonexistant on the inside in terms of storytelling and artwork.

And, as abysslord stated, it comes down to what we like. I love getting original sketches in my book, other people love sketchcards, prints were a huge seller at this weekend's Amazing Arizona convention, and yes, there's a few freaks out there who'll buy these things called comic books.

[JohnMayo]

I'd like to see some stats on how many variants have held value ... John, care to take up that task somehow?

I have zero interest in tracking the value of incentive covers.

That having been said, if the data needed to do so happened to fall into my lap, I'd probably be willing to crunch the numbers and chart it. But I'm not about to start scrapping various websites trying to get a consensus on the value of incentive covers and then track how that changes over time.

[boshuda]

I'd like to see some stats on how many variants have held value ... John, care to take up that task somehow?

I have zero interest in tracking the value of incentive covers.

That having been said, if the data needed to do so happened to fall into my lap, I'd probably be willing to crunch the numbers and chart it. But I'm not about to start scrapping various websites trying to get a consensus on the value of incentive covers and then track how that changes over time.

It looks like http://comicbookrealm.com/, the site that was originally cited as selling the variant, tracks those values.

[Gilgabob]

I think there are people who have that collector mentality when it comes to things that are only available in limited quantities. As soon as you make something 1 of whatever, you will automatically gain the attention of people who like the thrill of the chase and the chance to be one of the few to own that item. It puts you into an exclusive club, so to speak.

I really don't have a problem with variants. If producing variants keeps publishers publishing and helps comic shop owners keep the lights on then more power to them.

I would have a problem if let's say the regular issue of something I am collecting was sold out but the retailer DID have a variant available for 4X the price, then yeah, I would have an issue with that.

The fact is that while we all have a common interest in comics, we are all, at the same time, very different in the ways we enjoy the hobby.