Dark Con print set questions

propita · Post by **propita** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:13 pm

Quasi-repost from another thread:

Digging in the basement, I found a Valiant item that I've been told is refered to as a Dark Con print set. It is a large manilla envelope (really big, about 12" x 18"). Inside in a really nice plastic sleeve is a cert of authenticity for this item: Red Cross Print Set 14/100. From Dark Adventure Comics (Dark Adventure Con '92).

It's not from the first 10 sets, so it doesn't have some other goodies (autographs and such), but it does have 4 large prints of various Valiant characters/covers. The first is signed by Jeff Austin and Alan Webb (who?). Also included is a pristine copy of the 1992 Valiant marketing plan and a nice letter apologizing for the missing signed comic that Valiant didn't send on time to be included (I don't think it was ever sent). Finally, there's a boarded copy of the Dark Adventure Con '92 schedule with Valiant cover art.

It's all in perfect shape except the envelope is very cleanly opened so the contents can be seen. Any idea if it's worth anything at all?

I plan to keep most of our comics, but this makes me nervous to trust that it will stay in such good shape in storage. If hubby doesn't want to keep it, it would be available (I haven't checked with him yet).

Thanks in advance.

k_c_collectibles · Post by **k_c_collectibles** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:48 pm

I would like to purchase it from you as I do not have one for my collection, but I do not know what a fair offer is for it.

Any ideas guys?
Chris

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:06 pm

I think VK sold one quite a while back and I've seen one or two on ebay since then, but I honestly cannot remember what they sold for.

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:23 pm

$50 or so sounds about right for these.

The deluxe set, an edition of only 25, has all color prints and was sold with a list price of $300.

justin · Post by **justin** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:28 pm

One set recently sold for 70 bucks

-j

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 4:07 pm

i have a set of these as well along with the dark adventure con program and i'd say that $50 to $75 would be a fair offer.

my set didn't come signed, but i did get them signed by bob layton...is it possible that the two signatures on propita's set could be the con organizers?

i've never heard of either one of them.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:36 am

I think we determined in the past that the "Austin" guy is a local artist who did the coloring. I assume one of the prints, the signed one, has been colored?

The card apologizing is actually about a promised Layton signiture on one of the prints. Mine is scanned and is on the site in the Misc gallery here. The marketing plan was the "replacement". The Deluxe set did come with a HC #1 gold.

This set sounds ultra-complete and well cared for, and I think the top end of the range is in order - $75ish. Should be easy to sell here.

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:42 am

I had three 'regular' sets which included only three unsigned prints. I have a four-print autographed set left in my collection. It isn't colored, but each print is autographed. I've been told that there were 100 of these signed sets produced, but I don't know for sure. The three-print sets I had sold for $50 each. I have been offered $100 for my four-print autographed set.---Steve

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:28 pm

Sounds Right, Steve. I sold my non-deluxe set early on (so I'm working from memory), but the comment the seller made about the first 10 sets having something extra ran true to me. I wish I still had my CBGs where this offer was advertised.

So the colored print was only in the deluxe sets. If that's the case I have no idea who the signers are.

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:50 pm

this set sounds like at wasn't run very well.

if i'm reading everything correct, the 3 print set was the "regular" version (without laytons sigs)...the 4 print set was the colored version.

well the set i have is 4 prints (rai #9, unity, hard corps #1, and the dark adventure print), all 4 are signed by bob layton and i got the hard corps gold with the prints.

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:56 pm

cinlach@aol.com wrote:this set sounds like at wasn't run very well.

if i'm reading everything correct, the 3 print set was the "regular" version (without laytons sigs)...the 4 print set was the colored version.

well the set i have is 4 prints (rai #9, unity, hard corps #1, and the dark adventure print), all 4 are signed by bob layton and i got the hard corps gold with the prints.

My four-print set is like yours, but the Dark Con print is also signed by Terry Austin. I bought mine from a collector in Wisconsin, & didn't get a HC Gold with them. I don't know how many colored print sets there were.---Steve

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:04 pm

there were only supposed to be 25 colored sets, but after hearing what a cluster *SQUEE* this seems to have been i wonder if that number is correct.

they're still awesome prints and i'd need to be in dire straits to sell mine...with such a small amount made (125 total), i've always been surprised they haven't sold for much higher.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:08 pm

It was all very confusing, even at the time.

Take a look here: http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/va ... .asp?id=50

There are no dates on the correspondence there, but it was months and months until these actually got to the people who ordered them.

My deluxe set (#18) has all the prints colored, with the HC 1 Gold. The snug the book is in has a gold 'seal' at the top. This same seal was used to seal the manilla envelopes, and the seal was numbered.

You can also see that I have a COA for my regular set. I didn't have the COA and the set together, and forgot all about it when I sold the print set. So I was left with the COA.

The postcards and letter and whatnot went on forever. When the $300 set finally came I have to admit I was pretty pleased.

cinlach@aol.com wrote:this set sounds like at wasn't run very well.

if i'm reading everything correct, the 3 print set was the "regular" version (without laytons sigs)...the 4 print set was the colored version.

well the set i have is 4 prints (rai #9, unity, hard corps #1, and the dark adventure print), all 4 are signed by bob layton and i got the hard corps gold with the prints.

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 3:40 pm

i got mine at the con...there was no mailing or anything. i walked in and was given a set. i don't remember the particulars on how i got them...but i know they weren't mailed, i got them from the show because i got them signed.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:33 pm

cinlach@aol.com wrote:i got mine at the con...there was no mailing or anything. i walked in and was given a set. i don't remember the particulars on how i got them...but i know they weren't mailed, i got them from the show because i got them signed.

The prints were available at the show, I'm sure. Does your set come in a manilla envelope with a numbered seal? Does it have a letter, with a number, like the one on the page I linked?

If not, I think you have the convention giveaway, not one of the numbered sets. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

cinlach@aol.com · Post by **cinlach@aol.com** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:12 pm

mine is in the manilla envelope but no seal and no letter...so i guess mines the regular(?) version.

jesus christ, could those guys have made that any more difficult?

you have to have an abacus and a slide-rule to figure out the distribution on these things.

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:38 pm

I'm still confused as all Hell. Someone please help out the moron in the back row by answering these questions:

1) How many prints (total, whether colored or not) are in the /100 set?

2) Which print was colored in the /100 set? Is it the same one for each set?

3) Which print is signed in the /100 set? Who signed it?

Greg's misc page seems to say it was 4 prints, one colored and signed by the colorist. But VK seems to be saying it was 3 prints, none signed, and now he somehow has a set of 4 which are all signed. CKB seems to agree with VK, but I'm not sure what he's agreeing to.

Please just leave out anything having to do with the /25 deluxe set because I'm confused enough. Thanks?

propita · Post by **propita** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:23 pm

It sounds like there were an awful lot of different sets out there with different things in them.

My envelope has '14' on the gold seal, the CoA, and on the letter--which is similar though has some differences to the one on Dan's site (again, a terrific site). Basically, the differences are about what is included in the set and what is in the deluxe set.

No prints in this set are colored. Other than that, they are as shown on the link earlier int he thread. Oh, and no gold comic, but I have a HardCorps 1 Gold among my golds anyway, so...

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:38 pm

cinlach@aol.com wrote:mine is in the manilla envelope but no seal and no letter...so i guess mines the regular(?) version.

jesus christ, could those guys have made that any more difficult?

you have to have an abacus and a slide-rule to figure out the distribution on these things.

You got a set that was given out at the Dark Con itself. These are not the signed/numbered sets that were sold after. I believe people who walked in to the con just got some prints if they wanted them.

While these are assuredly the same prints, they are not part of the signed/numbered set offering that was solicited in CBG in 1992 or 3. Someone should really go back and find that advert...

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:39 pm

propita wrote:It sounds like there were an awful lot of different sets out there with different things in them.

My envelope has '14' on the gold seal, the CoA, and on the letter--which is similar though has some differences to the one on Dan's site (again, a terrific site). Basically, the differences are about what is included in the set and what is in the deluxe set.

No prints in this set are colored. Other than that, they are as shown on the link earlier int he thread. Oh, and no gold comic, but I have a HardCorps 1 Gold among my golds anyway, so...

I would really like to see a scan of this letter to compare to the others.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:53 pm

The "set of 4 that are all signed" appears to be a convention giveaway that the convention go-er had signed himself. This is not the 'official' signed numbered sets that were solicited in CBG. VK will have to tell us if the all-signed-no-color set of 4 he has is numbered with a COA. I would guess not, and it would be a walk-in set that someone had signed personally at the con. Cinlach appears to have the same thing.

It is my belief that the non-deluxe sets had 4 prints and one was colored and signed. But it may have just been the first 10/100 that had a color print, or none at all. I had one, and I just plain can't remember. Now we have the seller who started this thread, who says none of the 4 prints in her set are colored. This is certainly set 14/100, since she has the COA and numbered seal.

I think we have to assume the other sets VK is talking about with three prints are incomplete.

As far as I'm concerned, you need 4 prints, an evenvelope with a numbered seal, a COA, and Dark Con program and a Marketing plan to have a complete 'sendaway' set. Add color to all 4 prints and a HC #1 gold with a gold seal to get the deluxe set. I won't even go into the signitures, since they were so fouled up.

mrwoogieman wrote:I'm still confused as all Hell. Someone please help out the moron in the back row by answering these questions:

1) How many prints (total, whether colored or not) are in the /100 set?

2) Which print was colored in the /100 set? Is it the same one for each set?

3) Which print is signed in the /100 set? Who signed it?

Greg's misc page seems to say it was 4 prints, one colored and signed by the colorist. But VK seems to be saying it was 3 prints, none signed, and now he somehow has a set of 4 which are all signed. CKB seems to agree with VK, but I'm not sure what he's agreeing to.

Please just leave out anything having to do with the /25 deluxe set because I'm confused enough. Thanks?

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 7:58 am

ckb wrote:The "set of 4 that are all signed" appears to be a convention giveaway that the convention go-er had signed himself. This is not the 'official' signed numbered sets that were solicited in CBG. VK will have to tell us if the all-signed-no-color set of 4 he has is numbered with a COA. I would guess not, and it would be a walk-in set that someone had signed personally at the con. Cinlach appears to have the same thing.

It is my belief that the non-deluxe sets had 4 prints and one was colored and signed. But it may have just been the first 10/100 that had a color print, or none at all. I had one, and I just plain can't remember. Now we have the seller who started this thread, who says none of the 4 prints in her set are colored. This is certainly set 14/100, since she has the COA and numbered seal.

I think we have to assume the other sets VK is talking about with three prints are incomplete.

As far as I'm concerned, you need 4 prints, an evenvelope with a numbered seal, a COA, and Dark Con program and a Marketing plan to have a complete 'sendaway' set. Add color to all 4 prints and a HC #1 gold with a gold seal to get the deluxe set. I won't even go into the signitures, since they were so fouled up.

mrwoogieman wrote:I'm still confused as all Hell. Someone please help out the moron in the back row by answering these questions:

1) How many prints (total, whether colored or not) are in the /100 set?

2) Which print was colored in the /100 set? Is it the same one for each set?

3) Which print is signed in the /100 set? Who signed it?

Greg's misc page seems to say it was 4 prints, one colored and signed by the colorist. But VK seems to be saying it was 3 prints, none signed, and now he somehow has a set of 4 which are all signed. CKB seems to agree with VK, but I'm not sure what he's agreeing to.

Please just leave out anything having to do with the /25 deluxe set because I'm confused enough. Thanks?

Thanks for taking the time to break it down for me Chris!

propita · Post by **propita** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:15 am

ckb wrote: I would really like to see a scan of this letter to compare to the others.

If I can ever figure out the damn scanner, I will. Never loaded the software and looking for the disc.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:17 am

propita wrote:
ckb wrote: I would really like to see a scan of this letter to compare to the others.
If I can ever figure out the damn scanner, I will. Never loaded the software and looking for the disc.

Don't ya hate when that happens?

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 12:57 pm

I was led to believe, by the person I bought my prints off of, that he got the prints at the Convention. He said that the 3-print unsigned sets were $10 each, & the 4-print signed set sold for $25. They all came in long plastic sleeves, with no COAs or sealed envelopes.

There was no mention of numbered or colored deluxe sets, or anything about the ad that was run in CBG.

This might be a good question for Bob Layton. With all the trouble that was involved, I'm sure he will remember these prints.---Steve