X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

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X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by nycjadie »

Any info on what the print run might be now that orders are in? My LCS had a conversation with someone at Valiant and said they had 10 commitments. We all know it will be much higher than that. Less than 100? 100-200?

If it's less than 75, I suspect everyone will want one.

If it's less than 100, I suspect this will be a very coveted collectible a la Divinity 1 1:40 and Savage 1 1:50.

If it's less than 200, many will want one and it will be difficult to get, but most people who want one will be able to get one if they wait long enough (at least those who want one at that price point). More like a very expensive gold book, or a Shadowman 5 Grampa.

More than 200, and I suspect that it will be perceived as rare, but not rare enough to get people flocking to the auctions to pay out the nose.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by JCP »

I was thinking between 100-250, but probably closer to the 100 based on the comments on this board. A lot of interest at first seemed to wane a bit. A lot of discussion hinted that $1000 might be just too pricey to charge for this book and many declined to pursue it before the deadline.
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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by nycjadie »

JCP wrote:I was thinking between 100-250, but probably closer to the 100 based on the comments on this board. A lot of interest at first seemed to wane a bit. A lot of discussion hinted that $1000 might be just too pricey to charge for this book and many declined to pursue it before the deadline.
I think it might be more than 100, but less than 200. That's my guess. Call it 150-ish;)

I agree, the speculation that it will be a $1K book turned many off to it.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by greg »

I think it will be interesting to see what impact it has on the other Valiant "rares".

For example, what would a X-O #1 limited to 150 and extremely well-protected since the first moment of its existence selling for $1,000 do books like Bloodshot #0 Platinum, which has unknown print run, unknown distribution, and only about 25 copies known to exist after 20+ years? Is Bloodshot #0 Platinum suddenly a "bargain" at $3,000?

What about the Unity Golden Ticket books? Only 5 made, each different, so each is unique, but all are official Valiant products from 2013? How much more "importance" is on those books compared to a 2017 X-O #1 with 150 copies?

Even a book like Eternal Warrior #27 VVSS probably hasn't had more than 50 copies found since 1994, even though the certificate says there could be up to 999. There might only be 50 for all we know.

I don't know what to expect on the X-O #1. I don't have a plan to get one at this point, but if there are 100+, I don't think it will be impossible in the future (5 or 10 years from now). It just may cost more than whatever most people are paying on the front end and they may not come up for sale very often.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by TheeBaldMoose »

I tell ya what, I know I will have my popcorn ready when the first one is auctioned on Ebay :popcorn:
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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by greg »

TheeBaldMoose wrote:I tell ya what, I know I will have my popcorn ready when the first one is auctioned on Ebay :popcorn:
Yeah, I'll eat popcorn too. :popcorn: I won't be bidding until the fifth one is auctioned. :lol:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by nonplayer »

I'm completely passing on it. But I am looking forward to seeing a cgc'd copy just to see how they do caseing a metal cover. And I'd expect each one to grade high "10.0" because of the un districtible metal cover.
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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by unityshadowman »

nonplayer wrote:I'm completely passing on it. But I am looking forward to seeing a cgc'd copy just to see how they do caseing a metal cover. And I'd expect each one to grade high "10.0" because of the un districtible metal cover.
I'm passing as well. As a Valiant Completionist, this is where I'm drawing the line and just won't go further. Why encourage/reward bad behavior? ;)

Not being a Debbie-Downer, when the industry crashes again, I'm sure we'll look back and reflect on the emergence of the "1:500" and "1:1000" variants as we reflect on the 90's special covers and speculative driven print runs as the sign of the times. "Remember when....?" "Yeah, Skip....we remember..." Not to beat a dead horse, but the frequency and escalation is just souring. Oh well, all the power to 'em. I also cut my monthly pull list to sub-levels, and I'm one of those long-time DCBS subscribers that probably has a special corner in their warehouse for the business I give them.
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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by 777Peralta »

I hope the market crashes then I can buy up all the stuff I want :)

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by OhioValiantNut »

TheeBaldMoose wrote:I tell ya what, I know I will have my popcorn ready when the first one is auctioned on Ebay :popcorn:
Same here ... I really wanted to buy the $500 deal, but I decided to use that money for new tires. #adulting facepalm

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by StarBrand »

Vehicle expenses... bane of comic collectors.
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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by jmatt »

nycjadie wrote:Any info on what the print run might be now that orders are in? My LCS had a conversation with someone at Valiant and said they had 10 commitments.
Well, that would explain my LCS getting a call from Atom! pushing the promo. I'm glad he did because I may now get one.

Two worries:

1) That like the Unity #1 hologram cover, they'll print more than orders dictate and the rules will change and rarity will go out the window. Early purchasers paid a hundred or more for that cover, only to see them being sold on Ebay for thirty bucks a month later.

B) That the shops who qualify do so knowing they will be returning 400 of the 500 ordered copies. The sales figures will be stupendous... but what will it really mean for company revenue and true readership figures?

I agree that it can only help to have a lot more product on the shelf. But it almost seems like juicing the numbers. Great for PR and industry media coverage but will it actually increase long term readership? :hope:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by jmatt »

StarBrand wrote:Vehicle expenses... bane of comic collectors.
Now if only we could invent a car that used twenty-five cent longboxes as a fuel source... we'd be rich!

"Exxon-Midtown announced today that they have located another fifty million boxes of twenty-five cent crude in an abandoned comic warehouse complex in Texas. Early samples indicate that the source has been fermenting since 1993.

An Exxon-Midtown spokesperson had this to say: 'We're calling this fuel bonanza the Turok Field. These comics have been compressed by the sedimentary layers of millions upon millions of later comics weighing down upon them, compressing them into the affordable fuel source we all use each and every day.'

Exxon-Midtown shares are up 4% on the announcement."

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by OhioValiantNut »

jmatt wrote:
StarBrand wrote:Vehicle expenses... bane of comic collectors.
Now if only we could invent a car that used twenty-five cent longboxes as a fuel source... we'd be rich!

"Exxon-Midtown announced today that they have located another fifty million boxes of twenty-five cent crude in an abandoned comic warehouse complex in Texas. Early samples indicate that the source has been fermenting since 1993.

An Exxon-Midtown spokesperson had this to say: 'We're calling this fuel bonanza the Turok Field. These comics have been compressed by the sedimentary layers of millions upon millions of later comics weighing down upon them, compressing them into the affordable fuel source we all use each and every day.'

Exxon-Midtown shares are up 4% on the announcement."
:funnypost:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by mkb28 »

jmatt wrote:
StarBrand wrote:Vehicle expenses... bane of comic collectors.
Now if only we could invent a car that used twenty-five cent longboxes as a fuel source... we'd be rich!

"Exxon-Midtown announced today that they have located another fifty million boxes of twenty-five cent crude in an abandoned comic warehouse complex in Texas. Early samples indicate that the source has been fermenting since 1993.

An Exxon-Midtown spokesperson had this to say: 'We're calling this fuel bonanza the Turok Field. These comics have been compressed by the sedimentary layers of millions upon millions of later comics weighing down upon them, compressing them into the affordable fuel source we all use each and every day.'

Exxon-Midtown shares are up 4% on the announcement."
I just bought 100 shares! :lol:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by nonplayer »

StarBrand wrote:Vehicle expenses... bane of comic collectors.
And crossbow hunting
I Miss the good old days.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by drmirage »

Like any other book, VEI can always print however many copies they need / want for their own distribution. Won't be surprised if there's 500 copies printed.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by raiden »

Is there any further info on how this variant will be produced? From the photos, it looks like the art is printed directly on metal instead of paper/cardstock. It also looks like you can actually see the brushed metal effect through the art. I'm curious to know if the front and back cover are metal. If so, do you literally have to bend the book open to read it? Is the cover attached to the interior pages with staples? Or is the metal cover attached on top of cardstock on the front cover only? :hm:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by mrwoogieman »

Not sure if the rumor that CGC won't grade it is true or not, but that's a concern as well.

Is there a first appearance in these pages that will fuel demand, or is just the relaunch of a flagship character that is the attraction? Seems hard to sustain back issue interest if all it is is issue 1 of volume 2....
:hm:

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by Sunlight on Snow »

raiden wrote:Is there any further info on how this variant will be produced? From the photos, it looks like the art is printed directly on metal instead of paper/cardstock. It also looks like you can actually see the brushed metal effect through the art. I'm curious to know if the front and back cover are metal. If so, do you literally have to bend the book open to read it? Is the cover attached to the interior pages with staples? Or is the metal cover attached on top of cardstock on the front cover only? :hm:
Don't you think someone who's getting this variant cover is also buying a regular cover?

Perhaps the brushed metal variant will be like Valiant's premium format books with an additional layer of thin brushed metal applied onto the (thicker) cardboard material? The metal wrapping won't be as thin as the ones they use for cars but still thin enough so that the comic book and cover will be as flexible as possible.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by raiden »

mrwoogieman wrote:Not sure if the rumor that CGC won't grade it is true or not, but that's a concern as well.

Is there a first appearance in these pages that will fuel demand, or is just the relaunch of a flagship character that is the attraction? Seems hard to sustain back issue interest if all it is is issue 1 of volume 2....
I hadn't heard that about CGC. While I imagine that spine ticks aren't much of a concern, there's probably more vulnerability to surface scratches.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by raiden »

Sunlight on Snow wrote:Don't you think someone who's getting this variant cover is also buying a regular cover?

Perhaps the brushed metal variant will be like Valiant's premium format books with an additional layer of thin brushed metal applied onto the (thicker) cardboard material? The metal wrapping won't be as thin as the ones they use for cars but still thin enough so that the comic book and cover will be as flexible as possible.
I suppose it was never meant to be the most practical thing ever. But I was wondering more about how it's actually being produced than being able to actually read it.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by mkb28 »

raiden wrote:Is there any further info on how this variant will be produced? From the photos, it looks like the art is printed directly on metal instead of paper/cardstock. It also looks like you can actually see the brushed metal effect through the art. I'm curious to know if the front and back cover are metal. If so, do you literally have to bend the book open to read it? Is the cover attached to the interior pages with staples? Or is the metal cover attached on top of cardstock on the front cover only? :hm:
I don't think it has staples and my guess is two screws on the side! :lol: Probably need an Allen wrench to open it. :?

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by jmatt »

I'm guessing that this will be the most fragile cover, ever, in the sense that it will have no 'give' whatsoever. Paper bounces back. Metal foil of some sort, not so much. Ever kept a sheet of aluminum foil perfectly flat and unmarred in any way by manipulation? Of course, I assume these will be more stout, but still... metal foil is totally unforgiving.

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Re: X-O 1 1:500 Print Run Speculation

Post by nycjadie »

Agreed. One whoopsie, and that will be one serious color breaking defect. :lol:


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