What's going on with the Harbinger 7 flamingo cover?

[caxiotis]

My LCS got 50 regular covers and no Flamingos. I have no clue, I did not look at a DIAMOND order sheet that month. Does anyone know what this cover is supposed to be?

Everything I have read says it was a 50/50 variant

[ckb]

So this is a Diamond screw up again??? Very, very, disturbing.

[betterthanezra]

Wow had forgot about this variant it was supposed to be 50/50...



haven't seen this one yet...

-Brian

[drmirage]

According to IC, the Flamingo cover was not a 1:1 variant.

This was a variant that required a minimum purchase of the regular cover to exceed the quantity purchased of a specific previous issue.

If this was mis-distributred, there is no way of finding out until after the holidays.

Had I known this were a limited variant, I would have pre-ordered more.

[iggy101us]

If that's true, is there a max number of copies a store can get?

EDIT: Also I wonder if all the DCBS orders will be filled, if at all.

[SnotDrip]

What is difficult to comprehend is why there have been so many distribution issues of late (X-O 6, etc) and confusion in the market place. Variants and 50/50 covers are certainly not new but the net result is the consumers suffering.

[caxiotis]

According to IC, the Flamingo cover was not a 1:1 variant.

This was a variant that required a minimum purchase of the regular cover to exceed the quantity purchased of a specific previous issue.

If this was mis-distributred, there is no way of finding out until after the holidays.

Had I known this were a limited variant, I would have pre-ordered more.

I am really shocked that nobody here knew about this

[drmirage]

I always pre order all limited variants, but my only source to view these limited variants' product codes is to look at DCBS website. If it's not there, then I missed out. I've asked my LCS about this and they said there is no public information provided anywhere unless you have access to the Diamond Previews system.

Even Previews website does not provide this info. Previews catalog does not list the limited variants' product codes.

No one knows that this book is a limited variant. Even my LCS had the flamingo cover for cover price. Maybe there was a snafu somewhere. This book was solicited as a 1:1 variant.

VEI does not have an official solicitation page that provides info on the ratio for limited variants.

The only way to find out about incentives is to the Diamond online system that we (customers) do not have any access to unless someone goes through the LCS.

I guess we will find out later on what really happened.

For those who think this book is hard to find. Yes that is a fact, it maybe distributed as 1:20 or 1:25. (I doubt if it's a 1:50)

Lastly, all Valiant books have a print run of at least 1000 copies.

Merry Christmas!!!

The X-O Manowar #1 4th Print had the X-O QR as an incentive. No one here had that info because there was no announcements made. Someone needed to go to the Diamond system to get that.

Quite disturbing indeed.... And yes it

According to IC, the Flamingo cover was not a 1:1 variant.

This was a variant that required a minimum purchase of the regular cover to exceed the quantity purchased of a specific previous issue.

If this was mis-distributred, there is no way of finding out until after the holidays.

Had I known this were a limited variant, I would have pre-ordered more.

I am really shocked that nobody here knew about this

[skot]

I don't see why valiant can't list their upcoming distributions on their website. nothing crazy advance but the upcoming weeks books. with the related variants.
example....
a&a #9 regular cover (includes picture) pull box variant (includes picture) 1:25 (includes picture) 1:50 (includes picture) etc etc this would clear up a lot of this confusion. then if diamond screws it up at least we know what's intended. plus it's just plain good advertising. I don't understand why they don't do this in the first place.

[drmirage]

I have addressed that to VEI, the website does not provide that info. You will not see the ratios anywhere.

Even sites like CBR, Newsrama, Previews does not give that info. I got tired of asking about why is that.

The best way to get the info is through the LCS by entering all the product codes each month.

I don't see why valiant can't list their upcoming distributions on their website. nothing crazy advance but the upcoming weeks books. with the related variants.
example....
a&a #9 regular cover (includes picture) pull box variant (includes picture) 1:25 (includes picture) 1:50 (includes picture) etc etc this would clear up a lot of this confusion. then if diamond screws it up at least we know what's intended. plus it's just plain good advertising. I don't understand why they don't do this in the first place.

[skot]

that's my issue. I have to goto multiple shops to get all my covers. the smaller mom and pop shop I buy the reg issues. I have to goto the bigger store to buy the variants. the smaller store orders at least 20 issues but never gets a variant. I told them I want to buy from them but no one seems to understand how it works. super frustrating.

I have addressed that to VEI, the website does not provide that info. You will not see the ratios anywhere.

Even sites like CBR, Newsrama, Previews does not give that info. I got tired of asking about why is that.

The best way to get the info is through the LCS by entering all the product codes each month.

I don't see why valiant can't list their upcoming distributions on their website. nothing crazy advance but the upcoming weeks books. with the related variants.
example....
a&a #9 regular cover (includes picture) pull box variant (includes picture) 1:25 (includes picture) 1:50 (includes picture) etc etc this would clear up a lot of this confusion. then if diamond screws it up at least we know what's intended. plus it's just plain good advertising. I don't understand why they don't do this in the first place.

[cavemold]

So this is a Diamond screw up again??? Very, very, disturbing.

Yup diamonds sucks balls

[drmirage]

Alright guys. Here is what I received from my LCS. It's quite confusing, but maybe will clear out the confusion. I specifically asked what ratio is this variant. Here was the response.

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

This wasn't a ratio type variant. It was a variant that required retailers
to order more of the regular cover of issue #7 than they ordered of a
specific previous issue (#4 or 5 I believe but I don't have the specifics
available at the moment). Because of that system, the number of regular
covers needed to qualify varied from one retailer to another depending on
how deeply the ordered the original issue that the new incentive was based
on.

For some retailers who don't really stock Valiant but order copies for
subscribers, all they needed to do was order one extra copy and then they
could order the variant. For other retailers who stock Valiant deeply
and/or ordered extras on that previous issue to qualify for variants on
it, this variant was more costly as it required the purchases of even more
extra copies.

This most likely results in significantly different prices at different
stores since there is not a universal variant ratio.

I hope that helps to clarify things.

[cavemold]

Thats so *SQUEE* I guess it bumps up its value?

[betterthanezra]

Thanks for the clarification Dr.

It's still confusing as Hell.

My LCS has increased there order of Valiant since they have been out and they still didn't get this Flamingo cover

I do know that they at least printed 1000 copies of it so I'm patient

-Brian

[skot]

has any other cover been released under these circumstances?
I will dub this the "impossible" variant

[cavemold]

It will be in the trade I suppsoe

[drmirage]

Haha. I'll dub this as the 'puzzling' variant.

has any other cover been released under these circumstances?
I will dub this the "impossible" variant

[chriskay99]

Went back to my shop today and the Flamingo cover was still sitting there (along with the same 3 regular covers as last Thursday), so I picked it up. I normally don't care or pay attention to variant covers and didn't have a chance to ask the owner about that. All I know is my shop has been wildly inconsistent with the covers they get and what ends up in my file. Sometimes I get the pullbox one in my file, sometimes the pullbox is sitting on the shelf while the regular one is in my file. I dunno.

[Phoenix8008]

Went back to my shop today and the Flamingo cover was still sitting there (along with the same 3 regular covers as last Thursday), so I picked it up. I normally don't care or pay attention to variant covers and didn't have a chance to ask the owner about that. All I know is my shop has been wildly inconsistent with the covers they get and what ends up in my file. Sometimes I get the pullbox one in my file, sometimes the pullbox is sitting on the shelf while the regular one is in my file. I dunno.

Frak! Lucky you were able to get one at least. Especially at cover price. If only I had a local comic shop I could go check for this.

[drmirage]

If I am understanding this correctly, this is not a great strategy by VEI. (If this was their way of thinking)

The Flamingo Variants were given to those stores who increased their orders from a previous issue, so if the LCS orders more, they will get this as an incentive?? How about the people who pre-ordered this cover specifically over the reg cover?... It will mean that if your LCS didn't order more Harby reg cover then the shop will get 0 issues.

This strategy also lessens the sales # of Harbinger because if shops ordered 50/50 copies, the shop may get less sales per title if the orders were equal amount like the previous month.

It's really quite confusing. I wonder who thought about this idea and how come two months since preorders were due, it was never brought up by anyone here. Hmmm.

IMO, hardly anyone will buy these 1:1 ratio variants for over cover price if the were solicited for cover price from the start. (Except a few that already bought from eBay for $15 each)

Begun this Harbinger War has indeed. Now it's also become to a Variant Ordering War too.

The shops who ordered more Harby #7 this month than their previous months orders will have the most Flamingo Variants. It's quite funny. It's like VEI threw us another curveball with this incentive. Now the big vendors like Midtown / DCBS will not be able to fulfill their orders and most of us will have to hunt for these at smaller shops who ordered more or pay need to pay 2-4x cover price for this variant. (since they cannot find it). I think it's crazy.

I've never heard of this type of incentive before... As if LineWide variants were confusing enough. Can anyone explain the benefit of this incentive. I think since Harby 7 did not have any limited variant incentive, it does not help in selling more copies of this issue. It will only benefit small shops who increased their orders which will be very very few stores since each month the sales #s per Valiant title goes down by an avg of 10% which means orders are most likely less.

If this plan is what VEIs strategy in the future 1:1 variants, there's gonna be many unsold books at the LCS because stores will not order more if the do not need to.

I was able to get my hands on 1 copy from my LCS. My pull list is 1 copy per each cover VEI realeases. The store only received 1 copy and I was charged cover price.

[caxiotis]

I was able to get my hands on 1 copy from my LCS. My pull list is 1 copy per each cover VEI realeases. The store only received 1 copy and I was charged cover price.

I think the biggest disservice here is that most LCS' don't know that they have a rarer variant. If you met all of the requirements, the LCS should reap the benefits.

Also, people who bought the variant don't know they even have a rarer variant. I guarantee these will pop on eBay for cover, just because nobody knows what the got.

You would think this information would be important to retailers so that they could maximize their profits, and consumers because we like have rare things with value.

[Dallow Spicer1]

I don't think this cover was 1:1 ratio with the regular cover as it was not an option for me to order online with my usual retailer, I did check this in advance. I was able to get a copy of the Flamingo cover for slightly above normal price.

[drmirage]

The Flamingo cover has a thicker cover stock. I think this is the first non limited thicker cover stock book from VEI.

We know that atleast 1000 copies are printed, but how can a earned print run be determined on an incentive like this....

[hawkeyeps]

If that's really what happened with this variant that's very convoluted and definetly a bad idea, how can they expect retailers to stay on top of all this with all the books and different variant covers?

Pullbox, 1:20, 1:50 is complicated enough.

Now we have various line wide whatever, 1:25, supposed to be 1:50 that's every where, Pullbox (maybe) that many can't find.

I call shenanigans on the whole mess.

I think a good thing would be pullbox for special issues, 1:20s regularly and and maybe 2 1:150 line wides every month.

That way a shop that ordered 20 of each title would be eligible for all the 1:20s and both of the 1:50s, they would have 7 variants for buying 100 books. A smaller shop that may only order 10 of each title would still be eligible for 1 1:50 every month, they would get one book for buying 50 but it would be a good one and they would choose from the 2 available. Send them out bagged and borded as they did with Shadowman 1:50s.

The end, do that exact same thing every month instead of changing everything up all the time. That way the retailers would get to know the deal with Valiant pretty quick and it wouldn't be such a chore to figure out all these crazy ever changing rules.

With regards to this particular issue, I searched all over prior to it coming out to find out what the deal was, couldn't find out any where. The issue is out now and it's still ambiguos.

I think K.I.S.S is a good motto here.