Appreciation post: That talk with a vintage collector who changed my mind about variant covers

Met a guy named Pete at a used book fair last Saturday. He told me variant covers are just marketing gimmicks that distract from the writing. Said he's been collecting since 1985 and never bought a single variant. It hit different because he showed me his beat-up copy of Watchmen #1. Made me realize I've been chasing covers instead of stories. Anyone else have a collector friend who made you rethink your habits?

3 comments

3 Comments

sagecooper1mo ago

Did Pete also happen to mention how variant covers are basically the comic industry's version of lottery tickets? I had a similar wake-up call from an old-timer named Frank at my LCS. He showed me his run of Claremont's X-Men, all beat up and well-read, and told me the real value is in the story, not the cover. It stung to realize I'd spent so much money on variants that I barely even looked at after I bought them. Now I focus on trades and runs I actually want to experience instead of just having a shiny copy sitting on a shelf. The hobby feels a lot lighter and way more fun now.

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riverdavis1mo ago

I get where you're coming from, but I still like variants for the art though.

the_sam1mo ago

Oh man, that Frank sounds like a real one! I totally get the lottery ticket comparison, I've got a box of "investment grade" variants from the New 52 era that are worth maybe two dollars combined. It's like I bought them thinking I was being clever and ended up just being a collector of cardboard that makes me laugh every time I open the drawer. @riverdavis is right that some variants are gorgeous art, but I've learned to just grab a print of the cover I like instead of paying triple for the floppy!