I no longer shop online. I do not check these stores regularly, or at all. I don’t read any articles about store variants. I speak from experience. This debate was about misleading print runs. If a shop is being open about the print run, then they don’t qualify for this debate.
If a shop is honest in their advertising, I would feel better about purchasing from them. If they are not honest, buyer beware.
The point has been made. Do what you want. No skin off of my back. All the information you need is out there. Use it wisely.
I guess I’m just confused as how you can be so against these store variants if you don’t actually keep up with them? Wouldn’t it just be easier to leave it alone?
Until someone can actually provide actual evidence of a store being deceitful about their offerings I don’t know that there is a reason to be up in arms about it.
Yes we did, I actually did the design of the cover. I sketched it up on my iPad while at Baltimore comic con. It’s not art but I am the cover designer.
Did i get paid, not a lot. It was more of a break even kind of thing. Did we make a profit? A little bit I still drive a Kia.
Would love to do another exclusive but the market is saturated and really haven’t seen a title that I wanted to do one with in a while. Last one was solar flare for Baltimore comic con and that did ok but not enough to make me run out and do another one
Love the enthusiasm and support though!!
Hey now Kias are good cars! My wife drives a Kia, don’t hate! 
It wasn’t always that way. When I first got back into comics 5-6 years ago, I was taken with ‘store exclusives’, as they weren’t around when I collected 30 years ago, and they definitely has some eye appeal to an untrained eye. I have since purged all my store variants from my collection, and trust me when I say that they don’t have very good returns. I’ve been through the wringer as far as online shops are concerned. I have been more vocal recently as I have seen the store variants talked about a lot here on CHU, and people talking about, and posting links to stores that use the deceptive advertising, ‘limited to’. So, here I am with my public service announcement.
Yes it would be easier to say nothing. But, the truth isn’t always the easiest way. I’m a man of my convictions, for better or worse.
I did not see the words ‘print’ or ‘run’ in there. That could be construed as misleading. Mind you, that is a step in the right direction. And that is new, or newer, to me. I have not seen that before on any site. Perhaps some stores are finally realizing that being honest is the right way to go.
Perhaps all my railing is finally paying off. I simply want people to be informed about the hobby. If the retailers provide that info, then perhaps I will no longer need to.
1/2 the store variants being published these days are done so in a collaborative manner. Store X gets 500, store Y gets 1000 and etc etc. so in this sense, the verbage “limited to “ is correct.
In the stores defense, it is not on them to be diligent on what and who is selling the comic. Only that they need to sell the copys they have. The common collectors who are buying this do not care about print runs. That is only the flipper that it matters to. In that instance it is the flippers responsibility to do his/her due diligence and to research which shops are carrying that particular cover.
Further more, ur arguments that shops such as midtown or TFAW should disclose print runs goes against the terms and conditions set by both the publishers and the Distributor. Again, this only concerns flippers who make up a small portion of the comic community. The vast majority of readers dont care
A more accurate way if saying ‘limited to’ is to say ‘printed’ or ‘print run’. That is the established term for the industry/hobby. More accurate is more honest.
I think you are wholly wrong on that accord. Collectors very much care about print runs. Readers don’t care about print runs. Readers also don’t buy $20 store variants.
A shared exclusive is “limited to” xxx amount to that store a person is shopping at. That is completely honest advertising
Agree to disagree.
Fans of store XXX dont care what the print run is. They are there for the art of the cover or for the artist and the expwrience they get from shopping at that store.
Comic collectors and enthusiasts yes, use print run but “limited to” is the generic marketing term used for collectibles.
Also one could argue that since all the interiors are the same and it’s just the cover that is different, claiming a print run means that’s the print run across all covers, not just the exclusives. Since it’s just a cover that’s differing for the store exclusive, using “limited to” seems more suitable actually since this particular issue and cover is “limited to XXXXX” or whatever amount was created but the interiors span across multiple covers.
I disagree to this statement as well.
Readers who enjoy the art will shell out money for exclusives if they feel they need it.
I think its Ignorant to believe that we can lump people into one category or another and use that for an argument. There are far to many examples of flippers who read or collect or enjoy the industry in all forms. I personally enjoy some of the covers that come out and buy them simply for the art and the read. (On the bases that i am not buying to flip). Example for me would be Frankies comics upcoming Batman cover by momoko. I will buy that for the art because i truely enjoy it.
Well, this thread got derailed fast. Let get back on SIKTC
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I was about to say the same thing but here you go, I drew up a quick flow chart that explains why I think it’s perfectly fine for retailers with exclusives to use “limited to” instead of “print run” since for me, claiming a print run means all the issues, not just the cover has changed.
Print runs are broken down into open order covers, ratios and then store exclusives (if any of that issue)… and yes, store exclusives qualify for the ratio incentives.
Hopefully that makes sense… this is how I view the terminology of print run. We really do need a comics association to make some damn standards… I vote @D-Rog to run it… cause he’s apparently got my vote for everything.
I think if retailers who do exclusives are to use the term “print run”, they need to throw in “cover” somewhere since that’s the only thing that’s changed from their book to all others. Maybe “exclusive cover print run” would suffice?
Ur right.
Im enjoying the series so far. Glad i bought in at the very begining. I have a ton of issues 1-8 in long boxes that i was saving. At current prices i figure if i list each at a qty of 5 (so not to flood the market) i should make a decent profit.
Ratios and nycc exclusives i wil sell later.
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I’m trying to nab a few of the issues I’ve missed, which is, well, most of them. Let me know if you’re interested in moving any.
Send me a pm
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No shade thrown. I have a 2017 Sportage and my wife drives a Sorento. We live in a very well to do area in between Washington and Baltimore. One of my sons friends said to him, my dad drives a BMW what does your dad drive. He comes home and asks me. I told him to tell his friend “I don’t know what my dad drives but it has a three letter name too”. And just leave it at that.
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I am working on getting a Jeep Gladiator though.