Marvel Omnibus/Oversized Hardcover Discussion Part IV

[DrGregatron]

Oh ok, more than I thought.

It's too bad I find the DM covers so ugly, because it'd be very cool to own a huge collection of such limited books...

Same here when talking PHCs. I also prefer the look of the silver Masterworks vs. the limited edition marble variants.

[DrGregatron]

I used to unwrap every book when I got it, to ensure there wasn't anything wrong with it. But after awhile, with nothing ever wrong with omnibuses to date for me, I just stopped doing that. I guess my thoughts are if it's a "new" book, it might as well stay pristine until the day I read it. So it goes on my shelf in shrink until the time I'm ready to read it, then I unwrap it. I've got a lot of books lately, so I'd say probably about 1/4 of all my omnibuses still have shrink on them. But I'm not a collector, per se, but a reader, so the shrink WILL come off them eventually when I get around to reading them.

Either you're lucky or I'm not, because out of my 16 omniboo I've had 2 that I would have sent back due to defects. I also have a problem with a $75 OHC that I would have sent back too if it hadn't had sat in its wrapper for such a long time. New rule at my house is all Marvel books get opened and inspected for defects within 48 hours of delivery.

[Squallid Snake]

I've never had a bad amazon, CGN, B&N, intstocktrades, ect experience. OR a messed up book. Guess its good to be in New England.

[regomar]

I've never had a bad amazon, CGN, B&N, intstocktrades, ect experience. OR a messed up book. Guess its good to be in New England.

As I've stated in response to you making this declaration before, when I'm stateside, I live in New England (CT specifically) and I've gotten a quite a few poorly shipped and damaged books from Amazon.com. I consider you almost magnificently lucky.

[studioremark]

Either you're lucky or I'm not, because out of my 16 omniboo I've had 2 that I would have sent back due to defects. I also have a problem with a $75 OHC that I would have sent back too if it hadn't had sat in its wrapper for such a long time. New rule at my house is all Marvel books get opened and inspected for defects within 48 hours of delivery.

The recent Claremont/Lee "X-Men" Omnibus volume 1 had a well-publicized (at least on this board and the MMW board) printing error that seemed somewhat wide-spread involving a number of pages missing near the middle of the book. I checked my copy and it was fine, but it seemed like a number of people had to make returns. There are certainly niche collectors who will pay extra for a plastic sealed copy, but if you're looking to someday actually read the book, I'd suggest opening them and inspecting them as soon as you get them. Otherwise, you might get to reading it in two years, find a flaw and then not be able to exchange it due to the omnibus being out of print.

[Squallid Snake]

As I've stated in response to you making this declaration before, when I'm stateside, I live in New England (CT specifically) and I've gotten a quite a few poorly shipped and damaged books from Amazon.com. I consider you almost magnificently lucky.

Now, I have had a few crappy sellers on ebay and such, but those don't count.

One incident pissed me off above all others. Claimed it was new and it was out of the shrinkwrap and dust jacket was in good condition only. It was annihilation book 1. I knew 19.99 was too good to be true for that OOP book in new condition. But I negged him because I felt as though he put new condition just to get the sale.

[DrGregatron]

I've been reading Claremont/Byrne X-Men for the last week and I just read some Claremont /Sienkiewicz New Mutants tonight. I'm really wishing for some more early 80's X-Men Omniboo and a Claremont New Mutants Omnibus. Claremont was really at the top of his game back then and there wasn't this decompression you see today in comics. The plots seemed so rich and Claremont didn't have to write his stories by editorial edict in order to fit into some crossover or coordinate with a half dozen other b-list X-Titles. Back then Wolverine only starred in one regular title (not seven), and maybe I'm remembering this through rose colored glasses, but even the art was more consistently good. I sure hope we can get some Uncanny X-Men vol 2 & 3 and a nice New Mutants Omnibus before we get any more titles like Avengers The Crossing, Marvel Zomnibus, or The Stand. I want some classic material, not just some reprints of HCs I can find for $4 in the bargain bins at HalfPriceBooks (no offense HPB, I love you!).

[DonEMC]

Well, I don't want this to devolve into an economics debate, but I was referring to the collectors market and specifically the omnibus collectors market. My point is, just because it's a variant (OOP or 1st printing) does not automatically make it more valuable. Or course there are collectors (like yourself) that would pay a premium for them. And unless you have hard numbers to back up your statement "More people obviously WANT the harder-to-find variant covers than what people on here think." then it is your opinion. Just because someone prices a variant higher do not mean people are going to pay for it. I looked a long time for the DD omnis and found 0 price differential between the red and black and the regular comic covers. When I as looked for the ASM v1 omnis, I found 0 price differential between the variant covers. Some people may be willing to pay more, but it's not a hard and fast rule.

Seriously, have you tried finding a red and black Miller DD for anywhere close to what a regular cover sells for? Those are way more valuable and sales have shown that is true.
And my statement is TRUE. There are plenty more people than JUST US ON THIS THREAD that collects omnibuses and that means there are MORE THAN JUST US BUYING REGULAR COVERS AND VARIANTS. SOME of those variant covers are more sought-after, like the red and black DDs, the white Captain America, the Beta Ray Bill Thor, the modern Captain Britain ... (check sales to see that I AM RIGHT).

[Kaim]

I'm sure there are collectors out there on the hunt for Omni variants, but I think they're a pretty rare breed. It's a small group of cover hunting fans within the small group of omni-buying fans within the small group that reads comics. It's a niche of a niche of a niche market.

[kodave]

I'm sure there are collectors out there on the hunt for Omni variants, but I think they're a pretty rare breed. It's a small group of cover hunting fans within the small group of omni-buying fans within the small group that reads comics. It's a niche of a niche of a niche market.

But I think the point that is trying to be made is that variant covers on Omnibus books (which receive a lower print count) once the book is out of print, command higher prices on the market due to basic supply and demand. And it may be only a small subset of a niche group that hunts out the variant covers, but that doesn't change the fact they're paying more on the secondary market. It's the exact same thing with single issue variant covers. Its only a small subset of comic collectors buying those variants, but they're paying more for them.

That's in contrast to this idea that first edition Omnibus books are worth more than subsequent printings. The vast majority of the time there is no different in terms of content between a first printing and a fourth printing of an Omnibus. Later printings may go from glued to sewn binding which would actually make first editions worth less in the eyes of a hardcore collector, though I doubt there is any different in the market price between glued and sewn editions for books that have been bound both ways.

Of course, if subsequent printings have errors not contained in the first printing and this becomes widely known, the first print may become more valuable.

Or in the case of the New X-Men Omnibus, that first printing MAY retain a higher value in the long run because it has a different dust jacket than the re-print, despite the glued binding. But prices on that book have already crashed down. I think only time will tell what the aftermarket value of that first edition will be once the re-print is fully out there filling up the demand in the market. Another example would be the B&N Edition unofficial-Omnibus of Ultimate Spider-Man, because that has a different cover/dust jacket. But these two last exceptions have more to do with the fact that the covers/dust jackets are different than the fact that they are first printings. These first printings just might essentially become the equivalent of variant editions assuming the re-prints have larger print runs.

TLDNR: Variant covers/different covers can fetch higher values much like their single issue counterparts; first edition Omnibus books not so much

[Squallid Snake]

I'm sure there are collectors out there on the hunt for Omni variants, but I think they're a pretty rare breed. It's a small group of cover hunting fans within the small group of omni-buying fans within the small group that reads comics. It's a niche of a niche of a niche market.

This is exactly what I think.

Omni is niche enough by itself.

[DonEMC]

Variant covers are printed in much smaller amounts. That means that once those copies are gone, there is always going to be a collector somewhere who feels his collection is incomplete because he or she doesn't own that variant edition, regardless of it being single copies or reprint tomes as large as omnibuses. Remember this: there are plenty of collectors out there with large sums of cash, who WILL pay higher prices to own the pieces they need to complete their collection.
Check eBay completed auctions to see that I'm right when I say these covers DO sell for more.

On another subject: I am confused at how Marvel prices its Premiere Classics line of HCs. I go into BAM and find Nick Fury vs SHIELD for $40 and the equally-as-large Elektra Assassin for $25, while the much-smaller West Coast Avengers MPC is priced at $35. Most of the WCA HCs have been priced higher, but sit that beside of Elektra Assassin and see there is more than a quarter-inch of thickness difference between the two books!

[DonEMC]

Same here when talking PHCs. I also prefer the look of the silver Masterworks vs. the limited edition marble variants.

For many years, I stuck with the limited edition marble variants as the ONLY Masterworks I'd own. But, nowadays, I'm more partial to the look of the silver covers.
Honestly, knowing that the Masterworks have small print runs, I can't imagine the silver covers are that much less rare than the "limited edition" marble variants. The thing with the marble editions is that we actually get the number of copies on the back cover, whereas they don't tell us if the number of silver editions has a higher or lower print run.

[philby82]

Hey guys, was hoping to pick your brains regarding a reading order for a stack of OHC's i've got waiting to tackle.

I just finished the messiah trilogy and x-force ohc's and loved it so now i'm going back to tackle the initiative - dark reign - secret invasion - seige stuff.

I have read all of civil war and i have the following ohc's to tackle:

New Avengers 1 - 7 (some of this was covered in civil war)
Mighty Avengers all 3 of em
Dark Avengers (doesnt have issues 7 and 8?)
Siege
Invincible Iron Man 1 and 2

I also have the Ellis Thunderbolts ultimate collection.

I also have the Thor omni and the Gillen ult collection

EDIT: and the 3 captain america omnis if they are applicable

Can anyone help me out with a reading order pls? And anything else i need to pick up to be able to read through without too many major plot holes?

Cheers

Phil

[JetLi97]

Seriously, have you tried finding a red and black Miller DD for anywhere close to what a regular cover sells for? Those are way more valuable and sales have shown that is true.
And my statement is TRUE. There are plenty more people than JUST US ON THIS THREAD that collects omnibuses and that means there are MORE THAN JUST US BUYING REGULAR COVERS AND VARIANTS. SOME of those variant covers are more sought-after, like the red and black DDs, the white Captain America, the Beta Ray Bill Thor, the modern Captain Britain ... (check sales to see that I AM RIGHT).

Well, I have no interest is debating this with you because you obviously didn't read my post. I'm not disagreeing with you that some variants are more sought after and command a higher price, I'm just saying just because there is a variant does not automatically make is so. And you can make your point without shouting OK?