Price Guide

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

Hi there,
This thread might be for Greg, or anyone else who knows. Was looking for prices for The Valiant, and noticed it not listed in the price guide? Also, no Q&W Must Die, or Ivar, Timewalker. Not sure about anything else, but those latest releases don't seem to be a part of the guide?

Will it be updated soon? Or does anyone else know another resource that prices VEI monthlies?
thanks!

[ValiantCentral]

I'm sure Greg will comment but he and I have discussed sharing data from his and mine (see signature) to create a unified version. I have been working on and off to get his pricing data translated over to my database and any missing prices will be filled in once that is completed. I expect I'll have a code update to release within a couple of weeks, just been pretty busy with work.

[DirtbagSailor]

Nice!

It's a BIG job for just one person to keep such a thig updated.

[ValiantCentral]

Nice!

It's a BIG job for just one person to keep such a thig updated.

Adding new books is very simple once I have the information, and I have been in touch with some folks at Valiant who have been very cooperative in helping fill in some gaps in terms of cover art and solicitations and I'm working with their marketing team to add creator bios and the such. Ben and Greg have been great helps in procuring cover art as well.

Once the code base is more complete, I'd love to have people helping update book info but that will be a little bit further down the line.

[All-Comic]

Nice!

It's a BIG job for just one person to keep such a thig updated.

Adding new books is very simple once I have the information, and I have been in touch with some folks at Valiant who have been very cooperative in helping fill in some gaps in terms of cover art and solicitations and I'm working with their marketing team to add creator bios and the such. Ben and Greg have been great helps in procuring cover art as well.

Once the code base is more complete, I'd love to have people helping update book info but that will be a little bit further down the line.

And all that work and team work with Valiant is paying off. It rocks, Martin

[greg]

Haven't updated anything in forever.

To be fair (to myself), I had a database of 1,200 comics for 12 years... so I can really only handle 100 books a year.

[Bone-A-Fach-ee]

Haven't updated anything in forever.

To be fair (to myself), I had a database of 1,200 comics for 12 years... so I can really only handle 100 books a year.

What a slacker!

[nscc]

Haven't updated anything in forever.

To be fair (to myself), I had a database of 1,200 comics for 12 years... so I can really only handle 100 books a year.

So that's why Dinesh says VEI will do about 100 books/year...

[lorddunlow]

Haven't updated anything in forever.

To be fair (to myself), I had a database of 1,200 comics for 12 years... so I can really only handle 100 books a year.

So that's why Dinesh says VEI will do about 100 books/year...

It wouldn't surprise me if that was the reason

[nycjadie]

With variants, that would be 15,000 covers per year.

[greg]

Haven't updated anything in forever.

To be fair (to myself), I had a database of 1,200 comics for 12 years... so I can really only handle 100 books a year.

What a slacker!

To answer your question, the prices for VEI books tend to start around the ratio for the incentives.
1:20 tend to start at $20, 1:50 might be $50 at first.

Over time, the prices seem to fall to around half of the ratio... most 1:20 books from early VEI can be found for around $10.

The exceptions occur when a book just doesn't come up for sale often enough.
If there are only a couple of sales of a 1:50 book when it is brand new, then no sales for several weeks, the next copy might bring $75.

We're too early in the VEI "history" to know what the long-term results will be, but generally speaking,
each issue with many variants will probably see the "toughest" variant settle into a stable price,
while all the other variants for the same book will likely be in lower demand and perhaps
even the other incentives (1:10 or 1:20) will sell for under $5 if they come up often enough.

A complete Valiant set (1991-1996) for those six years would be around 800 books, including variants.
90% or more of those books can still be found for around $1 each, even though it has been 20 years.
Much higher print runs, most publishers of that time frame have $1 books, etc.

A complete VEI set --- just 2.5 years --- is already 750 books, including variants.
At this pace, six years will be 1,800 books. Will collectors try to get a physical copy of every story? If so, will they want every variant?

It is a little "unsettling" to see VEI books sell for around $1 each, since they started at $3.99 very recently, but it is happening for some.
Groups of VEI books (usually regular editions) might sell for $20 for 20 books right now, or 15 for $15, etc.

Because the print runs for Valiant are much lower today, it won't take as much demand for VEI books to retain value as back issues.
But, if there is always an available copy of most issues, there won't be "pent up demand" for those issues.

What needs to happen for Valiant back issues would be that SOMETHING about them would create "pent up demand".
It could be that 1:50 book that never comes up for sale.
It could be that a first appearance is sought after.
It could be both.
It could be something else... whatever moves the markets for other publishers should apply.

At any rate, I do have plans for the price guide --- both old Valiant and new Valiant --- but like most of my "free time" plans lately... I haven't had any free time.

[nycjadie]

That is an amazing and accurate short summary of the world of Valiant issues today. I wholeheartedly agree.

[ValiantCentral]

See, I told you Greg would have the answer We'll see the number grow a bit faster than that though. I have 969 books listed so far and I still haven't added all the FCBD variants. I'd say 1000 is a pretty safe assumption. So that's 400-500 different covers per year, kind of shows where the industry has moved since the 90s.

[greg]

See, I told you Greg would have the answer We'll see the number grow a bit faster than that though. I have 969 books listed so far and I still haven't added all the FCBD variants. I'd say 1000 is a pretty safe assumption. So that's 400-500 different covers per year, kind of shows where the industry has moved since the 90s.

Good point --- my list at 750 isn't complete, but I wasn't including any books that aren't published yet in the count because I said "the first 2.5 years". If we include anything 2015, it's a little after that point.

[ValiantCentral]

See, I told you Greg would have the answer We'll see the number grow a bit faster than that though. I have 969 books listed so far and I still haven't added all the FCBD variants. I'd say 1000 is a pretty safe assumption. So that's 400-500 different covers per year, kind of shows where the industry has moved since the 90s.

Good point --- my list at 750 isn't complete, but I wasn't including any books that aren't published yet in the count because I said "the first 2.5 years". If we include anything 2015, it's a little after that point.

don't worry Greg, I was just pulling your chain lol

[greg]

See, I told you Greg would have the answer We'll see the number grow a bit faster than that though. I have 969 books listed so far and I still haven't added all the FCBD variants. I'd say 1000 is a pretty safe assumption. So that's 400-500 different covers per year, kind of shows where the industry has moved since the 90s.

Good point --- my list at 750 isn't complete, but I wasn't including any books that aren't published yet in the count because I said "the first 2.5 years". If we include anything 2015, it's a little after that point.

don't worry Greg, I was just pulling your chain lol

Actually, it is probably an important fact... when does VEI Valiant have more comics (if you were filling longboxes with one of each) than original Valiant?

We're probably right at that point now.

[magnusr]

Actually, it is probably an important fact... when does VEI Valiant have more comics (if you were filling longboxes with one of each) than original Valiant?

We're probably right at that point now.

Good call. I have 20 magazine folders for the original universe and 21 for VEI. However, I have used more bags and boards for VEI, which probably corresponds to at least one folder.

/Magnus