That retailer would have to order 25 copies of the standard cover to qualify for a single copy of the special cover. For example, let’s say a new comic came out and the publisher is offering one Incentive Variant cover at a 1:25 (one in twenty-five) ratio. The catch is that they have to order a specific number of the standard issue before getting the variant. Publishers incentivize local comic shops (LCS) by providing them a special limited cover with new/different artwork at a low cost. Incentive Variants (briefly mentioned above) were not created for the collector in mind per se. Incentive Variants Spider-Gwen #1 (2015) – Adam Hughes
For popular titles, like Batman, the year will greatly help narrow down the results. For the first search, don’t include the year as it will deliver more results as some sellers may eliminate that it in their title. SDCC = San Diego Comic Con, NYCC = New York Comic Con, ECCC = Emerald City Comic Con (Seattle). Try using the convention abbreviations in the search first, ie. To find the Convention Variant you’re looking for on eBay, make sure you know the convention and year that it was sold. Keep in mind, that if they sell out or are limited, these pre-orders have a strong likelihood of being canceled.
Also, Convention Variants are always pre-sold by multiple eBay sellers (attendees who anticipate getting copies).
They might be able to pick you up a copy or bring back extra copies to sell in their store. Depending on where the convention is, ask if your local comic shop (LCS) plans on attending. Typically, San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con tend to have the most popular exclusives. Yup, you guessed it: you can find Convention Variants at… conventions. For example, a limited convention variant sold at the San Diego Comic Con 2018 will usually show as SDCC 2018 or SDCC ‘18. The best way to identify a Convention Variant is by finding the logo and year of the specific convention it was sold at on the front or back cover of the comic book. Typically, though, you can expect Convention Variants to sit somewhere between a print run of 500 to 1,000 copies. The number of copies printed by the publisher can vary greatly, ranging from a prized single issue to well into the thousands. The Superior Spider-Man #1 (2013) – GranovĪs the name suggests, Convention Variants are sold or distributed at comic book conventions with a very low number of copies printed (aka: print run). Well-Known Variants Convention Variants Duck Tales #1 (2011) – SDCC Exclusive Retailer Roundtable Program (RRP) VariantsĬategory 2: Lesser Known / Niche Variants:Įven with these sixteen key categories, please be aware that there are still even more types of comic variants out there, but this list should cover about 90% of what you’ll find.So to help you wade through all the noise, we at COVRPRICE have taken the top sixteen types of variants and have broken them down into the following two categories: Category 1: Well-Known Variants Today, the variety of comic variants is pretty staggering. “The variant” changed over the years as the industry fluctuated and evolved. Sales shot up, so publishers began introducing more comic variants, adding new gimmicks each year to stand out on crowded shelves and grab few extra dollars from collectors and fans. Obviously, this was a price grab by DC to convince collectors to buy not just one, but two copies of MAN OF STEEL, and guess what, it worked… really, really well. Before We Start: A Brief History of Variantsįirst, let’s get into a super quick history of “the variant.” The first modern marketed variant was John Byrne’s MAN OF STEEL #1 in 1986. Of course, you could always check out COVRPRICE’s curated Top Variants List and jump right on in. We’ve also added helpful P ro Tips from our team of seasoned comic collectors to help you find them for your collection. But to many seasoned comic collectors, the mere mention of the term can kick-start passionate discussions ranging from whether or not they benefit or damage the industry to “what can actually be considered a variant?” We won’t even try to tackle the former here, but as to the latter, this article will surely help.īelow we’ve included descriptions and histories to sixteen different categories of variants. So what is a “variant?” By strict definition, a variant is a form or version of something that differs in some respect from a standard. With their low print runs, amazing artwork, and elevated degree of geeky-know-how needed to find them, variants are a huge draw for collectors hunting for the hardest to find books. The most beloved and hated subcategories of comic book collecting.