Bragging rights - your best deal of late?

sckao · Post by **sckao** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:13 pm

A No-Prize was a concept originally pioneered by Stan Lee of Marvel Comics. If a fan found a mistake in continuity or mistake in a comic, they'd write in about it with a clever explanation. The Editor of the comic would publish the letter in the letters pages and/or then send them an empty envelope in the mail that had on the outside something to the effect, "Your No-Prize is enclosed!")

It was a joke on Marvel's cheapness back then.

From a Usenet FAQ:

2-1. What is a No-Prize?

A No-Prize is traditionally a fan's reward for getting a letter printed
in a Marvel comic that points out a mistake AND comes up with a clever
excuse for the mistake being there. Stan Lee would print the letter and
tell the letterhack he/she had won a No-Prize...which was nothing. Get
it? You get "no prize" for spotting an error? Ha ha ha! No wonder they
call him The Man.

Then people started writing in asking where their No-Prize was. Marvel
began sending empty envelopes that explained that the No-Prize was
inside. That way, you still get nothing, but you at least have an
envelope so you know you've received it. Opal Dragon provides us with a
picture of a No-Prize at <http://www.sigma.net/guardian/noprize.htm>.

These days, the only way you can get a No-Prize is through the Stan's
Soapbox column appearing in most Marvel comics. Stan Lee awards them to anyone whose letter he prints in the column, or to those who undertake
occasional challenges he throws out (like naming every mutant character
in Marvel history).

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:34 pm

Alright so atleast I was using it right even if I did not know where it came from...

Yeah no wonder he is "The Man"

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 1:44 pm

greg wrote:I saw that auction...
When someone lists "Harbinger #0, 7-9, etc."

There is a 99.99% chance that the Harbinger #0 will be blue.
(They don't even have Harbinger #1 - #6 that were necessary for #0 Pink!)

So...major congratulations on that one!
I'd say that issue was definitely RESCUED.

The things is that the auction only listed 1 Harbinger #0. When I opened the box there was 1 blue & 1 pink. So I think the seller would have known one might have been rare.

skiw · Post by **skiw** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 2:35 pm

lobo wrote:Yea you better sit back and relax R, and let me pick up your slack! You had a good run!
Between just the two of us, premium Valiants are a scarce sight indeed in E-town.

Sorry R, but not much else to do but visit comic stores with the Oilers out of the playoffs. I lucked out on this group as the dealer just had the books come in that morning. I agree that premiums are hard to come by locally - I cleaned out most of the stores 2 - 3 years ago.

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 8:47 pm

I just got 16 Hard Corps Golds for less than $30.00

I also have a deal in the works to buy @10 unsearched long boxes of Valiant from a store that closed about 3 years ago. I will be sure to let you guys know what I get if we agree on a price.

lobo · Post by **lobo** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 12:28 am

x-omatic wrote:I just got 16 Hard Corps Golds for less than $30.00

I also have a deal in the works to buy @10 unsearched long boxes of Valiant from a store that closed about 3 years ago. I will be sure to let you guys know what I get if we agree on a price.

Who the heck had 16 Hard Corps Golds?? Other than the Valiant demented maases on this board. And you know it wasn't one of us because none us would sell 16 golds for less than $30.....

cjv · Post by **cjv** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 7:45 am

It seems like there is a HARD Corp gold on Ebay that starts for $3 every other day.

Chris

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 2:48 pm

Hit a couple of LCS's the other day and for $9.00 picked up:

Harbinger 6 NM9.4
Magnus 8+9 W/cards NM
Rai 5 NM
Shadowman 2+3 NM

Not bad but I think I've pretty much gone through the local shops and have to expand my distance a little. I don't get the impression their are to many people looking at the Valiant titles at all here in Southern New Hampshire and Maine.

dino · Post by **dino** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 7:28 pm

Harbinger #0 pink Fine- $3.00
Harbinger #1 (with coupon) Fine $4.00
Magnus 0 5.00 #12 $6.00.
Rai 3 $5
Rai 4 $5
Solar 10 VG/F $2.50
Armorines 1 VVSS $6
Rai 21 VVSS $6
Secret Weapons 11 VVSS $6
Rai 9 VVSS $6
Ninjak Gold $6
X-O Manowar 1/2 Gold $25

graybola · Post by **graybola** » Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:21 pm

VERY NICE!!!!!

dino · Post by **dino** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:05 pm

Turok 2 Seeds of Evil T-Shirt (3189570473) $6

comxfan · Post by **comxfan** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:32 pm

Picked Rai 0-12 up from a newsgroup ad by a comic shop.
Total cost = $14 + shipping! All were NM, bagged and boarded.

Made my day!

dave · Post by **dave** » Tue Apr 27, 2004 8:18 am

sweeeeeeeet- totally!

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Thu Apr 29, 2004 3:53 pm

saw an auction which had a Visitor vs. Valiant Universe #1 newsstand edition among a bunch of other Valiant common issues and I won them for $5.49 shipped. It took a long time to get the books, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the Visitor vs. Valiant Universe #1 Newsstand included, but it also included Destroyer #0 Newsstand edition and Visitor #1 newsstand edition (not a variant, but still nice to have)

sonikgti · Post by **sonikgti** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:50 am

8 VF/NM Unity O Red's in a bunch of regular Unity 0's (20 lot)...20 cents each...

10 Solar #60's NM 20 cents each...

thought I'd throw in a couple of mine too....

lobo · Post by **lobo** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 1:21 pm

sonikgti wrote:8 VF/NM Unity O Red's in a bunch of regular Unity 0's (20 lot)...20 cents each...

10 Solar #60's NM 20 cents each...

thought I'd throw in a couple of mine too....

Crap.... Where did find that?

Valiant21 · Post by **Valiant21** » Sat May 01, 2004 11:43 am

Alpha & Omega HC for $10

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Sat May 01, 2004 2:45 pm

Alpha & Omega HC for $10

good deal, was it sealed or open?

One of the saddest Valiant finds I've had was at last year's Wizard World Chicago where I discovered the Alpha & Omega hardcover book for cheap, but the slipcase looked like it had gone through a battle, the thing was basically shredded. I had to pass on that. I guess we can cross at least one copy of that book off the print run available!

cjv · Post by **cjv** » Sat May 01, 2004 4:32 pm

*plug* Hey, if anyone wants a deal to post on here, I am selling 176 Valiant comics for less than $.40 each! See my post on the buy/sell forum! *plug*

Chris

myron · Post by **myron** » Sun May 02, 2004 7:48 am

bunch of commons
harb 41
magnus 64
Knights of Broadway 1-3 (ok, not valiant but not easy to find)
X-O v2 1

total of 54 comics...$15

the place had NO pre-unity and next to nothing past birthquake...but at least what they had was all bagged and boarded

Valiant21 · Post by **Valiant21** » Sun May 02, 2004 1:48 pm

Brother J wrote:
Alpha & Omega HC for $10
good deal, was it sealed or open?

One of the saddest Valiant finds I've had was at last year's Wizard World Chicago where I discovered the Alpha & Omega hardcover book for cheap, but the slipcase looked like it had gone through a battle, the thing was basically shredded. I had to pass on that. I guess we can cross at least one copy of that book off the print run available!

It actually was in the original bag which was ripped and pretty badly discolored. The book and slipcover were perfect though. I put them in a Mylar bag.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Fri May 07, 2004 4:39 pm

I may just have scored 25 copies of Harb #1, NM with coupon, for $8 each, and 25 X-O Manowar #1, NM, $3 each. Maybe. I'll let you know when they're in my hands, if they're really NM, and if the Harbs have coupons. We'll see.

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Sun May 16, 2004 4:22 am

magnusr wrote:

I have often heard people say that if you insure a package then the gorillas are brought out.[/quote]

"Hysterical Laughter" lol, Magnusr. Sounds like an urban legend or something...

I'm envisioning a matrix type scenario where the action of purchasing insurance triggers a signal for the Mr. Smith Gorillas to decend on our packages like valkeries and proceed to stomp the chit out of our comics... absolute EVIL!

My wife asked me what was so funny since I was chuckling pretty loud... she didn't get it... haha oh well.
Struck me funny.

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Sun May 16, 2004 9:17 am

this may have been mentioned in one of the previous 220 posts...lol
where do you guys typically find stuff like this?
is it at a local comic shop, flea market, mini-convention or bigger con?
i'm really hoping i can find some of the gold's i need in june at herocon up in charlotte.
the best deal i've heard of lately was not my purchase but a buddy.
he got showcase #4 (the first silver age flash and the first silver age comic) for $15 at an antique mall. he had it graded and sold it for almost $1000 on ebay.
not a bad profit margin.

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Sun May 16, 2004 2:49 pm

Harbinger #0, 1-26 & HardCORPS 1-16 for $18.00

ValiantFans.com Board - Since 2004

Bragging rights - your best deal of late?

Rai 0 - 12