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

[Phantom..]

I wonder if valiant are doing this to get people asking shops about valiant?
An unusual way to spread the valiant word on boards other than this, and to get retailers thinking about valiant?

Just a thought.

[kjjohanson]

I'm in London on vacation. Dropped in at Orbital Comics a few days ago and picked up Harbinger 7 (regular cover) and X-O. 2 days ago dropped in at Forbidden Planet and they had the Flamingo cover. I thought it was a 1:1 variant but I noticed the cover stock seemed a little thicker so I thought there might be a screw up and picked up 2 at cover. There were still 3 copies on the shelf.

[JonesyAZ]

I had a good sized stack of back issues.... and the harby #8s.

Well there is your problem, 'Veen You somehow went through a wormhole into the future and bought Harbinger #8, then upon returning to your own time-line...the books disappeared!



In all seriousness bro, I hope you locate your Flamingo Harby 7 covers

[greg]

Here's the story on Harbinger 7 Lupacchino Flamingo cover...

Retailers who ordered as many regular Harbinger #7 as they ordered of Harbinger #4 could order as many Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

Examples:

1) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 15 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
2) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 20 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
3) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 25 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to five copies of the Flamingo cover
(If they didn't use the Flamingo code, they would get all 25 copies as regular Harbinger #7.)
4) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 200 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to 180 copies of the Flamingo cover

So... there will be retailers with plenty of copies of the Flamingo cover, but there will also be lots of retailers with zero Flamingo, because their orders of Harbinger #7 are the same or they have dropped since Harbinger #4.

[Phoenix8008]

Here's the story on Harbinger 7 Lupacchino Flamingo cover...

Retailers who ordered as many regular Harbinger #7 as they ordered of Harbinger #4 could order as many Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

Examples:

1) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 15 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
2) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 20 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
3) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 25 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to five copies of the Flamingo cover
(If they didn't use the Flamingo code, they would get all 25 copies as regular Harbinger #7.)
4) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 200 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to 180 copies of the Flamingo cover

So... there will be retailers with plenty of copies of the Flamingo cover, but there will also be lots of retailers with zero Flamingo, because their orders of Harbinger #7 are the same or they have dropped since Harbinger #4.

I wonder how well this option was explained to the retailers at ordering time... sounds pretty esoteric to me.

[dhudson1]

Here's the story on Harbinger 7 Lupacchino Flamingo cover...

Retailers who ordered as many regular Harbinger #7 as they ordered of Harbinger #4 could order as many Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

Examples:

1) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 15 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
2) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 20 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
3) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 25 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to five copies of the Flamingo cover
(If they didn't use the Flamingo code, they would get all 25 copies as regular Harbinger #7.)
4) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 200 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to 180 copies of the Flamingo cover

So... there will be retailers with plenty of copies of the Flamingo cover, but there will also be lots of retailers with zero Flamingo, because their orders of Harbinger #7 are the same or they have dropped since Harbinger #4.

I wonder how well this option was explained to the retailers at ordering time... sounds pretty esoteric to me.

Might have been better if any copies over what they purchased over #4 was the Flamingo cover, can't expect many LCS to understand and follow through.

[greg]

Here's the story on Harbinger 7 Lupacchino Flamingo cover...

Retailers who ordered as many regular Harbinger #7 as they ordered of Harbinger #4 could order as many Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

Examples:

1) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 15 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
2) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 20 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
3) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 25 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to five copies of the Flamingo cover
(If they didn't use the Flamingo code, they would get all 25 copies as regular Harbinger #7.)
4) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 200 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to 180 copies of the Flamingo cover

So... there will be retailers with plenty of copies of the Flamingo cover, but there will also be lots of retailers with zero Flamingo, because their orders of Harbinger #7 are the same or they have dropped since Harbinger #4.

I wonder how well this option was explained to the retailers at ordering time... sounds pretty esoteric to me.

Might have been better if any copies over what they purchased over #4 was the Flamingo cover, can't expect many LCS to understand and follow through.

I'm trying to confirm that it required using the Flamingo cover code.
Also trying to confirm that the regular cover was required up to the Harbinger #4 amount.

It's possible (but seems unlikely) that if you ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4, you were allowed to order 20 copies of Harbinger #7 Flamingo --- no regular copies required.
I don't think so, but I'm double-checking...

[400yrs]

They love their logistical nightmares. That is for sure.

[kevinbastos]

Grumble. This is the same kind of garbage that Marvel has pulled over the last couple of years.

That hasn't made them SUPER-loved by retailers.

AHEM!

AHEM!

[ckb]

Thanks for tracking (and continuing to track) that down Greg.

I think the premise of VEI's idea was a worthy one but it had no chance of actually working in the real world - too complex and too many apathetic retailers.

[Phoenix8008]

I know that the variant covers are supposed to be money makers for the LCS's to balance out the loss of ordering more issues than they might normally be able to sell, but this kind of mess seems to illustrate that the variant madness is out of hand a bit. It comes down to the fact that their focus just needs to be on the stories. I think it is... mostly. But after 8 months I really feel that they should be cutting back on the number of variants, especially if they are weirdly set up like this one was. Keep the occasional 1:25 or 1:50. Keep the pullbox covers. But just focus on the stories now and let the company grow. SNAFU's like this can only add negatives to the growing audience. They should leave well enough alone and tell the great stories that they are doing.

[iggy101us]

DCBS order still unfilled. Hopefully DCBS gets their copies eventually, like the X-O #6 CD variant.

[GGSAE]

That ordering system is *SQUEE* retarded. Just keep it simple, christ.

[David_Cody]

I just picked it up @ cover at my favourite ABQ LCS today. Had no idea it was considered "rare".

[drmirage]

What Greg had said is accurate. That is the same explanation the LCS has given me. I'm labeling this as the "confusing" variant.

Is this something new and confusing that VEI developed. Absolutely not. Variants based on orders for previous issues are not new or unusual. This has been done for several years. Marvel in particular as done hundreds of these.

The Harbinger #7 Flamingo Cover isn'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) 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.

With the Harbinger sales #'s declining 10% month by month to November (from what we have seen). Its more than likely there will be less Harbinger #7 Flamingo Covers.

That being said, Valiant Prints no less than 1,000 copies. So there's a MINIMUM of 1,000 copies of this book.

[kevinbastos]

Marvel in particular as done hundreds of these.

This, in particular, is its problem.

Over the last two years, DC has gone a new direction (finally!), created new ideas, written acclaimed stories, and gotten the industry buzzing.

Marvel's revelation lately is as many possible incantations of variant options as possible. My LCS operator in particular holds nothing back in his disdain for Marvel.

These kinds of tactics benefit shops that haven't been supporting Valiant - or shops that have increased orders from the previous months. Neither of which help out 'long supporters.'

For example, my LCS has been ordering the number of copies to obtain the variants. 20, 50, or 125.

Now, He needs to order MORE than that to just get another variant. He doesn't sell all of the copies he had ordered in the past, so now he needs to decide if he's going to order more to get the variants I've asked for.

Meanwhile, Joe's crumb fest comic shop ordered one copy last month. This month, he can order twenty copies of the Flamingo, and one of the regular.

My LCS gets upset with Valiant - even though he has supported from the beginning.

I don't like this trend.

[greg]

Here's the story on Harbinger 7 Lupacchino Flamingo cover...

Retailers who ordered as many regular Harbinger #7 as they ordered of Harbinger #4 could order as many Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

Examples:

1) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 15 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
2) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 20 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero copies of the Flamingo cover
3) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 25 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to five copies of the Flamingo cover
(If they didn't use the Flamingo code, they would get all 25 copies as regular Harbinger #7.)
4) Retailer ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4 and 200 copies of Harbinger #7 = zero to 180 copies of the Flamingo cover

So... there will be retailers with plenty of copies of the Flamingo cover, but there will also be lots of retailers with zero Flamingo, because their orders of Harbinger #7 are the same or they have dropped since Harbinger #4.

I wonder how well this option was explained to the retailers at ordering time... sounds pretty esoteric to me.

Might have been better if any copies over what they purchased over #4 was the Flamingo cover, can't expect many LCS to understand and follow through.

I'm trying to confirm that it required using the Flamingo cover code.
Also trying to confirm that the regular cover was required up to the Harbinger #4 amount.

It's possible (but seems unlikely) that if you ordered 20 copies of Harbinger #4, you were allowed to order 20 copies of Harbinger #7 Flamingo --- no regular copies required.
I don't think so, but I'm double-checking...

Confirmed that the Harbinger #7 Flamingo cover was available for as many issues as ordered above the quantity of Harbinger #4.

So, all of the numbered examples above are accurate.

Additionally, it would be possible (but not sure how likely) for a retailer to have ordered only 1 copy of Harbinger #4, so they could get 1 copy of Harbinger #7 regular, and as many copies of Harbinger #7 Flamingo as they wanted.

[greg]

Here is the wording of the solicitation (October 2012 Previews, Retailer Order Form):

(from the retailer incentives section)

OCT12 1236
HARBINGER #7
Retailers who match or exceed
their orders of Harbinger #4
[any comb.]) with orders for
Harbinger #7 regular cover
may order all they want of the
Lupacchino variant.

(from the publisher listings)

OCT12 1236 E ____HARBINGER (ONGOING) #7 INCV LUPACCHINO cover..........$3.99
(NOTE: Retailers who match or exceed their orders of Harbinger #4 [any comb.] with orders for Harbinger #7 reg.
cover may order all they want of this variant.)

[drmirage]

During the solicitations in Oct. Did anyone know this? No announcements were made.

The good news is VEI doesn't have this type of solicitations in this months catalog. I checked with my LCS twice.

[Phoenix8008]

During the solicitations in Oct. Did anyone know this? No announcements were made.

The good news is VEI doesn't have this type of solicitations in this months catalog. I checked with my LCS twice.

Hopefully they'll never do it again. The other variants are plenty for us to try and keep up with. I can't even afford to get any of the 1:20/1:25/1:50/etc variants. I feel I'm doing pretty good to buy all the pullbox variants. That's extra money going to Valiant just because I want to support them as much as possible. I may have to stop that when they get more titles coming out if they don't slow down the variant madness. I kind of assumed that they would ease up after issue 5 or so for each of them. So much for that idea.

[GGSAE]

I think this mess is completely unnecessary. Any retailer paying attention to the valiant variants will see the more recent variants (due to less distribution) have been selling for greater amounts than the first issues (aside from the crazy first 2-3 wks during the launch). That's enough incentive right there.

[jmatt]

There wasn't a Flamingo cover when I picked up the issue a few weeks back, and there were none on the shelves yesterday. But when I checked my pullbox, my LCS had one waiting for me that he labeled as 1:20, marked for $8 and sold to me at $6 with my discount.

I keep telling him he can put all those other variants up on the wall because I really have no intention of spending $20 each on the variants that are piling up in my bag. I made an exception for Mingo cuz she's hot and it was cheap - but if he had it marked at $15 it would still be sitting there. I am so over the variant thing.

[GGSAE]

If you hold out long enough, you'll probably get those variants cheaper!

[MarkRoseHFX]

I don't blame Valiant for at least trying something new. They were probably hoping they'd at least be easier to find than the 1:20's . I know around here I haven't even seen a 1:20 since Harby #3.

[schnuth]

I haven't had any trouble having my variant orders filled by DCBS. This issue is still unfulfilled. Luckily I was able to find an affordable copy though. The whole situation with this issue has been bizarre.