Online Print-Run Resources?

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:41 am

vc.com has spoiled me. Are there any online resources out there with print run info for non-Valiant comics? I'm actually a little amazed Overstreet doesn't have something like that available.

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 10:05 pm

(bump)

And incidentally, where does Greg get his numbers from?

Yey! Rai tpb (blue) is back at 5,000 copies. Happy day!

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:08 am

I know the VVSS numbers come from the certificates themselves. Alot of the other print runs come from Diamond Distribution or numbers found inside the books from what I understand. A few are questionable because I don't think we know for sure but Greg has the list pretty accurate IMHO

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 1:45 pm

I'd still love to know if anyone knows of any such resources?

anyone?

greg · Post by **greg** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:28 pm

The Standard Catalog of Comic Books (SCCB) - 2nd Edition
by Krause Publications contains the most comprehensive details of
Diamond Distributors and Capital City Distribution numbers.
There are also circulation statement numbers for older books.

For Valiant, you can use the Capital City numbers printed
in the SCCB combined with the fact that Capital City was
about 20%-25% of the market at the time.
A simple calculation gets you to a good estimate of the print runs.

(Capital City's marketshare varies from publisher to publisher,
but those numbers are very helpful in understanding print runs.)

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:35 pm

Thanks, Greg!

And, forgive me for my ignorance, how long have Diamond Distributors and Capital City been the comic middle-men? Essentially, how far back do these figures go?

I'd also love a resource that would document self-distributed independent titles. Essentially, this whole question originally sprang up in my mind when I was wondering what the print run for Albedo 3 and 4 was (I know 2 was 2000).

Thanks again

greg · Post by **greg** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:47 pm

Diamond started in 1982, Capital City in 1985...

Capital City numbers are in the book from mid-1985 to mid-1995,
but the numbers in the SCCB for Diamond don't start until late-1996.

The numbers aren't available for every issue on every title, though,
only the "top 300 sellers" for the months in those timeframes.

Most small independents didn't make the "top sellers" lists, so you'd have to
find the lowest number for the month and just think "less than X,000".

dino · Post by **dino** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:50 pm

greg wrote:The Standard Catalog of Comic Books (SCCB) - 2nd Edition
by Krause Publications contains the most comprehensive details of
Diamond Distributors and Capital City Distribution numbers.
There are also circulation statement numbers for older books.

For Valiant, you can use the Capital City numbers printed
in the SCCB combined with the fact that Capital City was
about 20%-25% of the market at the time.
A simple calculation gets you to a good estimate of the print runs.

(Capital City's marketshare varies from publisher to publisher,
but those numbers are very helpful in understanding print runs.)

Are the numbers on the site from the capital city numbers or diamond or a combo?

greg · Post by **greg** » Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:34 pm

dino wrote:Are the numbers on the site from the capital city numbers or diamond or a combo?

The Valiant numbers on this site are a combination of Capital City numbers
from the SCCB and the Diamond numbers which used to be available
on newsgroups in the 1993-1996 timeframe.

I had compiled/estimated a lot of the old newsgroup data before the
2nd edition of the SCCB was printed, so I used the SCCB as a "second source"
of information for the print runs when I analyzed it last year.
Luckily, I didn't have to make many corrections... and I believe
that the "double-check" confirms that most numbers on the site are correct.