Variant comics and the auto industry

[greg]

Many of us (myself included) have been against variants for a long time... but reluctantly collecting them anyway.

We gripe about the additional cost of an incentive variant, with the same guts as the regular edition.

Some of us even proclaim that all variants are just "money grabbing greed"... and only one version is needed.

It worked for 1960s Marvel, and it worked for DC for decades before that. Just one version.

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In Henry Ford´s 1923 autobiography "Henry Ford - My life and work" he quotes himself as saying "Any customer can have a car painted any color he wants so long as it is black.".

What changed?
Why don't we demand that all automobiles have the same color?
Why don't we demand that all automobiles have the same features?

Could it be that some of us have different tastes than others?
Could it be that some of us have different budgets than others?
Could it be that the company wouldn't survive if there was only one option?

An automobile has one (original) purpose... to get you from point A to point B.
Color doesn't matter. Features don't matter. All that matters is that you get from point A to point B.

A comic book has one (original) purpose... to be read.
Color doesn't matter. Features don't matter. All that matters is that you can read the comic.

Times. Have. Changed.

I like my comics and my automobiles to come in varieties, and I'll just buy the ones I like best.

The bottom line? Variety works.

[FormerReader]

I occasionally spend time on a couple mustang boards and your topic makes me think of something similar to the complaints about the number of variant's. I regularly hear complaints about the mustang not having an IRS. People will complain the mustang is no good because it has a solid axle and they won't buy it because of that (not that they were going to buy it anyways).

I know it is human nature, but why do we think a company is required to do exactly as we please? If you don't like a product don't buy it. Spend your money on something you do like. There are way too many bad things that happen in life to worry about Valiant putting out too many variants.

Sorry for the rant.

[MarrowMan]

Variation is fairly key in Art. Imagine if each artist that ever lived only did one painting? That would be pretty boring. From a purely Artistic perspective, different covers are nice, it gives the company a chance to showcase other artists or concepts. I prefer that to the "Gimmick" covers of days gone bye. When thinking about it from the financial perspective, I get that too (doesn't mean I have to like it) But I understand the need for them.

[caniac]

But changing the color of a car does not typically change the price

[BugsySig]

But changing the color of a car does not typically change the price

No, as long as you still ant one of the 5 or 6 they provide. And color can affect your insurance rates. Red (and now yellow) cars do recieve higher rates.

[kevinbastos]

I tend to agree - and disagree at the same time.

My complaint is that the sales seem 'over-inflated' with 'over-purchase.'

Do I love the comics? Yes. Will I pay more for the variants? For now. But I have already found myself getting a little frustrated, and seeking other items. My worry is that the production of these comics is supported by a tiny group of people. I want to see these comics sitting on the shelves put in others' hands. Eventually ALL of the copies are bought.

My worry is that they won't. No matter how good they are. And that many of us will slowly stop buying them.

If 700 people are buying the majority of comics, and we stop buying the variants, then it declines.

KB

[caniac]

But changing the color of a car does not typically change the price

No, as long as you still ant one of the 5 or 6 they provide. And color can affect your insurance rates. Red (and now yellow) cars do recieve higher rates.

Wow didn't know about yellow...crazy beans.

[tchalla8]

But changing the color of a car does not typically change the price

No, as long as you still ant one of the 5 or 6 they provide. And color can affect your insurance rates. Red (and now yellow) cars do recieve higher rates.

Wow didn't know about yellow...crazy beans.

anyone who would actually choose a yellow car deserves to have to pay more

[hulk181man]

But I need a car, I don't need comics.....wait a minute, what am I saying!!!

[etos45]

Like cars, comics also depreciate in value as soon as you drive them off the lot...

And they can be repainted if you decide you don't like the color better...

[jmatt]

My complaint is that the sales seem 'over-inflated' with 'over-purchase.'

More of a worry than a complaint, for me. I'm worried that the number of actual readers is being masked our fanboy collectorism.

[depluto]

An early Valiant variant ...

[cjv]

Many of us (myself included) have been against variants for a long time... but reluctantly collecting them anyway.

We gripe about the additional cost of an incentive variant, with the same guts as the regular edition.

Some of us even proclaim that all variants are just "money grabbing greed"... and only one version is needed.

It worked for 1960s Marvel, and it worked for DC for decades before that. Just one version.

----------------

In Henry Ford´s 1923 autobiography "Henry Ford - My life and work" he quotes himself as saying "Any customer can have a car painted any color he wants so long as it is black.".

What changed?
Why don't we demand that all automobiles have the same color?
Why don't we demand that all automobiles have the same features?

Could it be that some of us have different tastes than others?
Could it be that some of us have different budgets than others?
Could it be that the company wouldn't survive if there was only one option?

An automobile has one (original) purpose... to get you from point A to point B.
Color doesn't matter. Features don't matter. All that matters is that you get from point A to point B.

A comic book has one (original) purpose... to be read.
Color doesn't matter. Features don't matter. All that matters is that you can read the comic.

Times. Have. Changed.

I like my comics and my automobiles to come in varieties, and I'll just buy the ones I like best.

The bottom line? Variety works.

The difference is that you pay the same for a Green Honda Accord DX or a Red Honda Accord DX.

You pay more or less for different models with different "guts". But the same model, with a different color outside, costs the same.

Not so with the same variant that has a different cover. One costs more than the other. The pullbox model variant is a great analogy to your example. But the 1:20, 1:25, 1:50, or 1:100 variants aren't.

Now, if the variant with a different cover ALSO came with a unique story (only found in the variant) or something like that, that might be a different story entirely. The variant could be the "deluxe" model of the car, while the regular (or pullbox) could be the regular version.

In fact, Dino, if you are reading this, how would it be to include something "extra" with the variants? Something so that if you buy a 1:100 comic, you aren't simply getting the same comic at the regular edition but a different exterior? Would that inflate costs too much? Or maybe if it came with something additional like a promo comic (Shadowman black?) that was included, although not part of the actual printing.

Chris

[depluto]

They don't need to put anything extra in since people pay jacked-up prices just for the different cover and perceived scarcity. I'm not judging, just saying.

[cjv]

They don't need to put anything extra in since people pay jacked-up prices just for the different cover and perceived scarcity. I'm not judging, just saying.

I agree,they don't "need" to, but it doesn't mean that can't.

The didn't need to offer gold books for promotional effort.

The didn't need to offer pullbox variants for the same price as the regular issues.

It would be something that differentiates Valiant from the rest. And it would be something that add value to an item beyond perceived scarcity.

Heck, even if the variants had a promo code (on the cover? back cover?) for a free digital version or something like that!

Chris

[tarheelmarine]

If you don't like a product don't buy it. Spend your money on something you do like. There are way too many bad things that happen in life to worry about Valiant putting out too many variants.

Well said. Too many guys get the "completist" bug and then complain about the variants. I am glad they brought the Gold program back. I like how Valiant rewards panel attendees with variant books. While not everyone can make it to a convention, the tweet program they have reaches out to those fans. My favorite book in my new Valiant collection is the XO Aja variant that I got from the HeroesCon panel. I think VEI has done a terrific job reaching out to fans with the variants, and I hope they keep it up.

[FormerReader]

If you don't like a product don't buy it. Spend your money on something you do like. There are way too many bad things that happen in life to worry about Valiant putting out too many variants.

Well said. Too many guys get the "completist" bug and then complain about the variants. I am glad they brought the Gold program back. I like how Valiant rewards panel attendees with variant books. While not everyone can make it to a convention, the tweet program they have reaches out to those fans. My favorite book in my new Valiant collection is the XO Aja variant that I got from the HeroesCon panel. I think VEI has done a terrific job reaching out to fans with the variants, and I hope they keep it up.

Semper Fi!

[GGSAE]

Greg, I brought up the car analogy previously in a different context, so will rehash it here....the obvious difference with choice on cars is that's it's customized, so you can pick and pull one option from A) B) or C) to make X). If you can't decide on a car, do you go out and buy 3 different models? A red, green and purple with polka dots?

My analogy I used was when GM with their wide lineup of subsidiaries pushed out over 90 different models in the past. Instead of having three cars that are almost exactly the same (and of mediocre quality), chevy cavalier/pontiac sunfire/other random low-end car, take all those resources and direct it into one model to make a better product instead of three average ones. This is my concern, is that it's coming off as gimicky...And another point of analogy to auto-manufacturers, when you come out with a special sale (employee pricing), and then you have that pricing all the time, it sort of loses the appeal. The X-0 Gold is the employee pricing, it's just another variant, dressed up in a certain way...

[greg]

Greg, I brought up the car analogy previously in a different context, so will rehash it here....the obvious difference with choice on cars is that's it's customized, so you can pick and pull one option from A) B) or C) to make X). If you can't decide on a car, do you go out and buy 3 different models? A red, green and purple with polka dots?

My analogy I used was when GM with their wide lineup of subsidiaries pushed out over 90 different models in the past. Instead of having three cars that are almost exactly the same (and of mediocre quality), chevy cavalier/pontiac sunfire/other random low-end car, take all those resources and direct it into one model to make a better product instead of three average ones. This is my concern, is that it's coming off as gimicky...And another point of analogy to auto-manufacturers, when you come out with a special sale (employee pricing), and then you have that pricing all the time, it sort of loses the appeal. The X-0 Gold is the employee pricing, it's just another variant, dressed up in a certain way...

I get all that, but the bottom line is that we all want a car... we don't all want the same car... but we DO all want to get from point A to point B.

If the comic publisher gave us exactly ONE option on a comic, they'd be like Ford with one car, the black Model T.

The analogies could continue indefinitely...
A restaurant could put ONE item on the menu and just try to do it extremely well. Would it work?
A clothing manufacturer could put ONE style of shirt into stores. Would it work?

Look at the Valiant books released so far... do we all agree which cover should have been used (if they had used only one)?
If the books were $3.99... and there was only one version per issue... which one?
I bought X-O Manowar #1 pullbox. Someone else loves the Ribic cover.
The Aja probably would have been very popular if it was $3.99.
The QR cover was a new idea... people might have liked that one.

Companies survive by providing what a customer wants to buy.
Sure, they can tell a customer it's "this one or nothing"... but that customer WILL consider the competitor's products.

Without variety, companies aren't doing themselves any favors.

[kevinbastos]

Although I hate the variants, I agree with Greg.

Do I want all of the variants? Sure. Will I buy all of them? Perhaps.

I don't want to invest all of my spare money into comics - and duplicates. But I am making the choice to do so. And perhaps I will get burned out - eventually - and switch to not buying all of the variants. Perhaps I will throw up my hands and stop buying them all together. I don't know. I am not to either place yet.

Plenty of options exist for both. But I'd prefer a company that publishes with many variants to one that doesn't publish anymore.

That was Dark Key's plan - to satisfy us. And it failed.

Were the books also worse? Yeah. Some of them were painfully bad. But I bought them. All. And they still stopped.

[FormerReader]

This is my concern, is that it's coming off as gimicky...And another point of analogy to auto-manufacturers, when you come out with a special sale (employee pricing), and then you have that pricing all the time, it sort of loses the appeal. The X-0 Gold is the employee pricing, it's just another variant, dressed up in a certain way...

I can see this. Some people on the CGC boards have complained about Valiant killing the collectibility of the variants since they have so many and having seen the December releases it is not slowing down. My response is that as long as the quality of the content of the regular issues stays strong, I don't see a problem with the variants. Yes people may quit picking them up over time, but in the meantime it is making Valiant money, which is then used to pay the great talent they have put together to put out the regular issues.

[etos45]

I get all that, but the bottom line is that we all want a car... we don't all want the same car... but we DO all want to get from point A to point B.

If the comic publisher gave us exactly ONE option on a comic, they'd be like Ford with one car, the black Model T.

The analogies could continue indefinitely...
A restaurant could put ONE item on the menu and just try to do it extremely well. Would it work?
A clothing manufacturer could put ONE style of shirt into stores. Would it work?

I don't think your analogy holds in this context. It's not like you go into a comic store and there are only copies of X-O #1. You have a variety. For Valiant (Or Ford), you have X-O, Harbinger, A&A, and Bloodshot. Don't like Valiant? There's DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, etc. The way you make it sound is that the insides of the car are all going to be the Ford Model T, but they give you "variety" by putting different bodies on it. That's what a variant is, same stuff inside just a flashier body.

I get why variants exist, but it isn't to give the fans variety. It's to boost sales numbers. Either because the retailer orders more to get the variant that he knows he can sell for more or because the collector sees two covers on the shelves and decides his collection needs both. I bet (especially with the cover price variants) there are very few who are picking and choosing or who would have passed up the title altogether just because it only had one cover.

I'm not going to try to argue if Valiant should have so many variants, because that will just lead to the same circular arguments from other threads. However, let's at least be honest about why they're there. It's business and numbers. Obviously enough people are buying them right now, because Valiant keeps making them. So if it's keeping them going, more power to them.

[Dr. Solar]

Are you saying that all of the covers should be "blackout" variants like the Pullbox Shadowman #1 cover?

[etos45]

Are you saying that all of the covers should be "blackout" variants like the Pullbox Shadowman #1 cover?

That would be the coolest. gimmick. ever. Nothing but black covers for all titles for a year.