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What does it mean when a comic book says direct edition?

What does it mean when a comic book says direct edition?

Comic companies would sell comics to general retailers. These retailers would then sell the comics to customers. They would sell comics to local comic shops at a discount, but in exchange for the discount these shops would not be able to return inventory that they didn’t sell. This is the direct edition model.

Are direct or newsstand comics more valuable?

Even as early as 1982, the survivorship disparity seems to overwhelm the original distribution disparity, making high grade newsstand copies more rare than high grade direct edition copies.

How do you know if a comic book is valuable?

The easiest way to determine if your comics fall into the “good” category is by looking at the cover price. Almost all comic books have the retail cover price at the time of publication on the cover. The valuable ones will have 10c, 12c, 15c, 20c, or 25c on the cover.

Are comics with barcodes worth anything?

Believe it or not, if you have a good quality copy of that book WITH a barcode, it’s actually WORTH MORE because it is considered rare to find good-quality copies of Newsstand Edition comics. That “rule” really only applies to key issues of books, for the most part. Ultimately, it depends on the buyer.

What is direct edition?

Direct Edition is the opposite of Newsstand Edition. Basically, direct editions are the ones that go to comic book stores while the newsstand editions were the ones that went to, say, grocery stores or convenience stores. The vast majority of the time, there’s not a difference in value.

How do you read a comic barcode?

The first 3 numbers 001 indicate the issue number. The fourth number indicates the cover; a 1 is the regular cover. If it was a 2 or 3 it would mean this issue has a variant cover. The fifth and final number tells you the printing, with 1 meaning the issue is a first printing.

Why do some comics have barcodes?

THE ANSWER: Only the comic books from this era with barcodes on them were returnable; to distinguish returnable newsstand copies from non-returnable direct edition copies, Marvel placed Spider-Man or other logos on direct edition comics of this era, so that they could refuse refund to direct edition copies and accept …

How can you tell what edition a comic book is?

What do you mean by direct edition comics?

I draw. Direct Edition comics are comics which are sold exclusively through the Direct Sales market, which is now the dominant way of distributing comic books in the United States. It means the comics won’t be found in places like convenience stores and Wal-Marts.

What does direct edition mean and does it hurt the value?

Direct Edition doesn’t hurt the value of a book, most modern comics are Direct Edition. I think it just has to do with where the comic is sold. If it is sold at a Local Comic shop versus if it’s bought directly from marvel or a book store, and I don’t think it really impacts the value .

Where can I find the price of a comic book?

One option you have is to purchase an Overstreet Comic Book Price guide. This is considered the “Bible” of Comic book collectors. It lists every comic with prices for 6 of the major grades. See our grading guide for grade examples.

Which is the best comic book value guide?

What is the Best Book for Comic Values? In order to find out more about the comics that you own, a superb reference is the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide by Robert M. Overstreet, available in bookstores. Heritage also sells an electronic version that you can read on your computer for just $29.99.