Authority #1 variant covers mixup

[MichikoS]

The first regular issue of the new Authority title has a Gene Ha cover. In addition, there are two variants by Arthur Adams -- one is a sketch variant, the other a finished color cover.

The sketch variant was to ship 1-in-50, and the finished color cover was to ship 1-in-10.

Strangely, it was impossible to find a copy of the 1-in-10 color variant the first week the title was released, whereas the sketch variant seemed to be all over the place.

Moreover, when they listed them at all, online dealers were pricing the 1-in-10 color cover higher than the 1-in-50 sketch. Mile High still doesn't have the color variant cover listed at all. Lone Star has all three covers, but their pricing is not consistent with the ratios on the variants.

I asked Lone Star's customer service about the snafu with Authority #1 variant covers, and here's what they told me:

Apparently, there was a shipping error (at the printer? at Diamond?) and the 1-in-50 sketch covers were shipped to retailers IN PLACE of the 1-in-10 color covers.

This was "corrected" the following week, and the color Adams incentive cover was shipped to retailers a week late.

This does beg the question of how so many supposedly rarer 1-in-50 copies were available to ship in the first place, doesn't it?

Lone Star is currently selling the 1-in-50 sketch for $10, the 1-in-10 color cover for $20, presumably reflecting the actual market value of each at this time.

I suspect that the "1-in-50" ratio will prove to be bogus for the sketch cover, since so many of them were shipped as 1-in-10 incentives. There had to have been enough printed to cover the initial shipment.

Anyone else have any information on this situation?

[hex111]

Not sure what else to add to that... I picked up the sketch variant for like $7 at my LCS...

oh, and I think Gen 13 suffered the same problem with their variants... the sketch cover was still at my LCS for like $7 or $10, but he said he didn't order enough to get the color variant...

[rilokyle]

oh, and I think Gen 13 suffered the same problem with their variants... the sketch cover was still at my LCS for like $7 or $10, but he said he didn't order enough to get the color variant...

Yeah I couldn't find that J. Scott Cambell color variant anywhere (couldn't find the sketch variant either for that matter). Hmmmm I guess these color variants are going to increase in value now.

[unkiedev]

It was a lousy book anyway. A nice, full color Arthur Adams drawing full of action and excitement would'a made this turn shine all the duller.