Solar Hardcover... not so rare?

greg · Post by **greg** » Mon May 17, 2004 3:36 pm

Ok, guys...

In an effort to keep the information on this site as accurate as possible,
I've made a few changes in the past five years. (Has it been 5 years? Wow!)

Anyway, I've had the approximate print run for Solar Alpha & Omega Hardcover
as about 2,000 copies for a long time now...
and I'm pretty sure that it's more like 5,000 to 10,000 copies.
(Probably closer to 10,000.)

However, I'm also sure that there was some source that provided
me with the "2,000 copies" number...
but now I don't know who/where I got that info years ago.

Does anyone know of any "official source" that can give a reason that
2,000 copies is the appropriate number? Mentioned in an interview?
Anyone?

By the way... how does everyone feel "personally" about the idea that
their Solar hardcover might be one of 10,000 instead of one of 2,000?

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Mon May 17, 2004 3:52 pm

greg wrote: By the way... how does everyone feel "personally" about the idea that
their Solar hardcover might be one of 10,000 instead of one of 2,000?

Sucky. But I'd rather know the facts then pretend.

Snakemann · Post by **Snakemann** » Mon May 17, 2004 4:06 pm

It does appear for sale too often to be only 2,000.
I have often wondered where this number came from myself.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Mon May 17, 2004 4:10 pm

I'm not overly concerned with how many were made, I'd more like to know how many are still sealed/unread.

BloodOfHeroes · Post by **BloodOfHeroes** » Mon May 17, 2004 4:17 pm

ckb wrote:I'm not overly concerned with how many were made, I'd more like to know how many are still sealed/unread.

I have one that's sealed and unread (unless Zeph's dogs have x-ray vision). It was even inserted upside down, making it some kinda variant, no?

I'll trade it for cool Bloodshot swag.

BoH

pd071 · Post by **pd071** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:52 am

What was it sealed in? Whats the seal like? I dont know if mine is original, or has been resealed. Got it for $13 at a local shop...

BloodOfHeroes · Post by **BloodOfHeroes** » Tue May 18, 2004 5:58 am

pd071 wrote:What was it sealed in?

Lucite.

Nah...a vacuum-packed inner chamber which houses the hardcover in its cardboard slipcase. All nestled in 2 halves of hard plastic; a neoprene gasket to get the airtight seal. This rests lovingly in a beautiful mahogany box with the MOTA (radiation) logo carved into the lid. 2 brass hasps keep it latched. $13 ain't a bad price if it's all intact. Some less-than-honest dealers actually shrink-wrapped (shrunk-wrap?) the book in the cardboard slipcase and try to pass it off that way. I hope you didn't get taken...

BoH

Rai-fan · Post by **Rai-fan** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:02 am

If anyone has a run of the old "Overstreet Updates" (or maybe it was Overstreet "Fan"), I'd check there for info. I remember reading in one of the "market reports" at the height of the Valiant boom a dealer predicting that the soon-to-be-released super-limited hardcover Solar book was going to be _the_ Valiant piece to own. I think he mentioned how they were to be allocated.

I never saw one in the stores; bought mine off Ebay in 2000.

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:08 am

I know the comic store I worked at during that time only got 2 copies out of 10-15 ordered. I still have mine to this day. I know many other stores at the time had been shorted as well. Also I never saw one for sale on the shelf. I think the ones found today were simple stashed away in dealer collections and such. I would say the print run is still less than 5000. It is a know book and people are learning Valiant is seeinghigher prices on Ebay. The Hardcover was the only one produced (besides the Mario one) and it collects one of the best stories Valiant ever put out.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:16 am

I remember the article vaguely from the overstreet monthly or quarterly book, I will have to check when I get home tonight, although it may take a while to pinpoint something in the dealer reports.

I bought my issue on ebay for $12 in VF shape I would say as the outer dustcover was worn a little. I would buy a sealed one if I saw it reasonably priced, although one just sold on ebay for $44 yesterday. I have never seen a copy in any of the comic shops I have been in and I always check the sections for this book or a Magnus/Predator trade thinking one may have just gotten lost in the shuffle.

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:44 am

I bought two off the shelf at a local comic store about two years ago. They were there from 10 years before the whole time (dusty too!).

Rai-fan · Post by **Rai-fan** » Tue May 18, 2004 1:12 pm

My guess is it's not very rare in the grand scheme of things. Of course, I don't think Harbinger 0 (pink)'s that rare either.

Even if there were only 2,000 printed, the lack of demand now means they're readily available if sought.

This is the same principle put forth by one of the Overstreet advisors back in the day who posited Rai 3 & 4 weren't rare, just expensive. They guided around $70 at the time. His contention was if he offered $150 per, he could own 50 copies of each within a week.

He also used it to highlight how undervalued Sgt. Rock's Prized Battle Tales # 1 was. It guided around $50 at the time, with Harbinger 1 at $80. He then gave a standing offer of a Harbinger-for-Sgt. Rock trade for all takers. Check the relative values nowadays.

So I'm rambling, but I maintain if one were to to offer 2x Greggy prices, you could scare up 20-30 Solar hardcovers fairly easily. Now the last 3 Quantum & Woody trades or Magnus-Predator? Maybe not...

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Tue May 18, 2004 4:14 pm

I tend to look at the scarcity in relation to how many of us Valiant fans are out there actually looking for these books.

I'd be surprised if the total number world wide is greater than 1,000.

Of course that number can and will grow so long as the mass media finds reasons to continue mentioning the books and Ebay doesn't go out of business. They can keep ignoring Valiants for another 10 years far as I'm concerned.

It seems to me the only books that are seriously scarce (not every person looking can own one) are the VVSS's and Diamond Limiteds and maybe PvM tpb.

The way I look at it, we can all own multiple copies of everything not uber rare so long as we can either find it first at a shop for cheap or get lucky and win a quality auction on ebay. The latter is going to cost us alot more especially since, by in large, we're bidding against each other.

Consequently, if you're on a limited budget owning ONE or two of the rare Valiants will be enough while the deep pocket ebayers will continue living in an alternate universe where they own whatever they want and rarity/quantity doesn't matter.

Of course I'm no expert and these are just my oppinions. I love my collection and try seeking out the books that mean something to me, if they're rare... great, if not... great!... they're cheaper.

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Solar Hardcover... not so rare?

Solar Hardcover... not so rare?

Re: Solar Hardcover... not so rare?

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