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That time I spent $80 on a variant cover that wasn't even rare...
Last month I saw this cool looking variant cover for a new X-Men book at my local shop in Portland. The guy behind the counter was all hyping it up saying it was a low print run and would be worth something down the line. I dropped $80 on it because I got caught up in the moment and the art was pretty sweet. Got home and did some research... turns out it was a 1:25 variant, nothing special at all, and the same shop had like 10 copies online for $30. I felt like a total fool standing there with my receipt. Now I check the print run numbers and current market price on my phone before I buy anything above cover price. Has anyone else gotten burned by a hyped up variant they thought was a grail?
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henderson.kim17d ago
I actually read a Bleeding Cool article that said some shops are totally marking up 1:25 variants like they're 1:100s just to cash in on the hype, lol. Live and learn I guess, now I always check the print run before I pull out my wallet.
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UGH that stings but honestly I gotta push back a little. That 1:25 variant might not be "rare" in the grand scheme but if the art spoke to you and you were excited in the moment, is it really a total loss? I've overpaid for plenty of books that I still love looking at on my shelf, and the value of a cover you actually enjoy isn't always about the print run number. Plus Portland shops are notorious for marking stuff up based on the vibe of the room, not the actual market. You learned to check prices first which is smart, but don't beat yourself up over a purchase that made you happy for a minute. Some of my favorite books in my collection are ones I "overpaid" for but I'd still buy them again if I had the chance.
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