Ordering Variant Covers

[viggysmalls]

I'm not sure if this is where I should post this topic, but it seemed the most appropriate sub forum for it. If not, please blame it on my newbie status (obviously this is my first post to these forums).

I collected tons and tons of comics growing up. Only recently did I rekindle my love for them. And man oh man am I back in love. For whatever reason I always ignored variant covers until I snatched up the Cyclops Issue #2 Variant (http://grahamcrackers.com/images/harvey/cyclops2.jpg) the other day. Shortly thereafter, I found myself in a wormhole of googling variant covers for all the different series I read (Moon Knight, Magneto, Miracle Man, etc. etc.). I was amazed at all the different options out there, and kind of depressed I didn't even have a chance to buy them at my local retailer. Living in Kansas City, we don't get nearly as many of the variants as you guys do on the coasts. I'm not really sure why that is, but the shops here only get a few here and there. Since I want to keep my comic buying local to support the mom and pops, I had a few question when it comes to getting more variant options here in KC:

1. Do shops allow you to request the special order of variant covers if you get ahead of their order for upcoming comics?
2. If so, is there a site that catalogs and tracks all the upcoming variants before shops place their orders so I see what they look like and put in a specific request for the variant of my interest?

Feel free to tell me these questions make no sense and I'll try and clarify. Either way, thanks in advance for your guidance and wisdom.

[Blue Blazes]

many of the variants are limited, that means the shop has to order a certain amount of the regular issue to get 1 copy of the variant. you may see something like 10:1, 25:1, 50:1, 100:1, etc to describe a particular variant cover. so a 10:1, the shop will have to order at least 10 regular issues to get 1 variant. it seems shops will charge about the amount it takes to get a variant. so a 25:1 variant will likely be in the $25 range, so be aware of that as well. shops will likely order you a copy, but depending on the store you may have to "subscribe" to some books at the store, they will automatically pull issues youd like and personally i think if your a good customer that comes in consistently, the shop should treat you quite well. so it shouldnt be to hard to have variants you want pulled. this is what they likely do for some of teh variants. if a subscriber wants it, they get first chance, then it goes to teh shelf for anyone. a lot of times you need to be in on a wednesday afternoon to get some of them, but not always, it really depends on the book, artist, etc.

Diamond Distributors puts out a preview catalog for upcoming releases, from comics to toys, etc. thats your best bet to see most of the covers. or just keep an eye out here on CBR, they often have previews as well and discussions. http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/952

[Ozymandas]

My LCS typically charges along the lines of what Blue Blazes mentioned for the variants, but other factors like "first asked, first served" and "big $ spending regular customer" also come into play. Best to do is ask your retailer as soon as possible, and as soon as the variant release dates are, ah, released.

Also, very often a customer will ask for a variant of a book where my LCS simply wasn't planning to order enough copies of the book to meet the minimum. What he usually works out is something like: "I'll have to order 10 more issues than planned to get that book. YOU buy the extra 10 comics needed, you get the book. If you like, I'll keep your 10 copies on the shelf and if they sell, you pay me that much less." They may of may not charge an extra amount for the variant cover book itself, I'm not sure. But if the buyer ends up buying those 10 extra copies, he can always cut his losses on the secondary market.

[SpideyAZ]

Just ask the LCS shop owners and don't feel overly loyal to one shop. They all have different customer services views. Call around and ask.

Also, you can go the ebay route and look for retailers in your area; you still would be supporting the local community. Prepare to pay higher prices for the "hot" title or variant. If you wait for the excitement to pass, then you can find a better deal.

PS - Haggling, when done politely, is ok. Try to negotiate a deal on variants.

[John Keyt]

I not a huge fan of variant cover , Its still a 3.99 comic in my eyes . And when they have like 10 covers really . I have a lot of Iron man variants and never paid more than cover price . I waited to hype died down and found a lot in cheap bins Like v2 v3 v4 v5 have all the variant then when they changed numbers and renumber at 500 have almost all those then when they re launched the series marvel now I have only got a couple so far . Just can't believe any one would want to pay those silly prices .