Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, marvel, star wars

The Comics Economics Of Star Wars #1

Published Fri, 19 Dec 2014 12:00:30 -0600

Last updated Fri, 19 Dec 2014 12:00:31 -0600

Larry Docherty of Larry's Comics, New England, has been talking about his store's policy regarding ordering the Marvel relaunch of Star Wars and why, despite ordering thousands, he chose not to take the Marvel retailer Exclusive cover deal…

This is, naturally one store owner's opinion, from the gut. Which, as Stephen Colbert taught us, is the only organ worth listening to.

My shop ordered 2,000+ Star Wars #1's.

The one million+ print run has me a bit paranoid, so I just reviewed my order.My cost roughly $4,500
The edge I'm getting is the incentive variants that the shops emptying their bank accounts for shop variants are going to, for the most part, miss.

My gut:

STAR WARS #1 BLANK Variant (no worries here, these will sell eternally in my show stock at $5-$10 depending on guest list. Money in the bank )

STAR WARS #1 CHRISTOPHER ACTION FIGURE Variant. (should sell great at cover price for a month then I can't see it not being an infrequent seller in the $10 range.)

STAR WARS #1 CHRISTOPHER HUMOROUS PARTY Variant. (Humorous cover, will be lucky to sell at cover price. Meh.)

STAR WARS #1 1:20 PICHELLI Variant (Dead weight. Meh. Loss.)

STAR WARS #1 YOUNG Variant (I'm easily going to sell 50-100 at cover price. My customers adore SY.)

STAR WARS #1 ROSS SKETCH 1:500 Variant (If my 3 copies are nm, I'll get $400 ea. I have existing customers.)

STAR WARS #1 ROSS 1:50 Variant (I'm going to get $40 x 30 easily on this book. This is the most requested in my shop.)

STAR WARS #1 QUESADA 1:300 SKETCH VARIANT (struggle to get 5 X $100 for this mediocre cover.)

STAR WARS #1 QUESADA 1:100 color variant (honestly lucky to get 15 x $10. meh)

STAR WARS #1 MOVIE Variant (dead weight. loss)

STAR WARS #1 1:25 MCLEOD Variant (dead weight loss, I do not have a single copy on preorder)

STAR WARS #1 CASSADAY 1:25 TEASER Variant (another stink bomb. Loss.)

STAR WARS #1 CAMPBELL CONNECTING VAR A (ca$h money. NO problem moving 50 at cover price then 50+ $10+)

STAR WARS #1 regular 1st print cover. (1,500 copies will sell forever. Some at cover price, some at a dollar. Some at $10. This book will NEVER not sell.It's money in the bank.)

I feel "ok" with my order. I'm glad that I did not go for the shop variant. (I was VERY close to pulling that trigger.)

It will be a year long grind, but there is ca$h to be made here for shops, but little meat on the bone for speculators.

(screening & signature series opportunities do abound for collectors though )There will be 5,000 "collectors" in for a penny, in for a pound on these. They will build sets.
Let's see how it plays out.