This is way too late, but it would be nice to at least identify what the comic is at the very least. Place an option box in the properties of the comic for either Newstand or Direct. I think that would be very nice and have it available for viewing in the catalog view and the reports.

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I guess I'm in the minority on CCL, but not in the industry. Already, there are many comics that sell for a higher price depending on whether it is newstand or direct market. This isn't a problem with just modern books. It goes all the way back to the 70's.

Also, CCL allows price variants (Canadian vs US, $.30 vs $.35, etc.)? How is that any different. On price variants, one will sell for more than the other because one variant is more rare. There is no difference in the book other than a couple digits difference on the price tag.

There is just as much visible difference (probably more actually) between direct and newstand variants.

Finally, you will have to allow at least some newstand/direct variants. Sometimes they have different covers, with the same price. So why not allow all of them if that is what people want to collect? People aren't going to come here and contribute to the database on items they don't care about. The people who contribute to newstand/direct variant dB entries will be the ones who collect and care about those variants. Why turn them away?

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I don't think most people know the history of newstand vs direct. Many, many issues have excatly what you describe, art on a direct edition that isn't on a newstand edition (or sometimes vice versa).

You every see a 70's Marvel or DC with a black line diagonal through the bar code? Well that is a direct market. The newsstand had a bar code with no line through it.

Then publishers had the idea that if they were crossing out the bar code anyway, why not put a picture of Spidey or Superman in the box. And they started doing that, and there you get tons of examples of direct market copies that have art newsstand copies don't have, and thus are more desirable to some.

Then, people who bought from the newsstand started complaining that direct market readers were getting extra art that they weren't getting, so occasionally a publisher would put a head sketch in a box beside the price on a newsstand copy, and the direct copy would have the CCA logo there instead. Then you have examples of newsstand copies with art the direct copies don't have, thus more desirable.

Then comic shops started having bar code systems just like newsstand outlets and they needed the bar code too. Then they started putting direct in the bar code area, or newsstand (or both). On the surface, this looks like a minor thing that could be ignored.

However, even on these modern's I don't think it should be ignored. In several instances, the paper used in the direct version was of higher quality than the newsstand version. SO you have the same cover, same, price, but different paper. To some, one paper is more desirable than the other, thus in more demand.

I don't think the average collector realizes just how different newsstand vs direct can be. I think it certainly justifies noting the variation.

And then there are other times when the prices between the two versions are different, or the covers are different, and those are obvious differences. Sometimes newsstand copies are worth less. Sometimes they are worth more. From a pricing standpoint, if there is a difference, I want to be able to buy/sell at the correct price. Without differentiating, I can't do that.

http://www.comicspriceguide.com/boards/PrintTopic100664.aspx

Here was a similar discussion with some examples of the differences. Some from big publishers may not be different enough, but then look at the examples from CyberRAD, Armor, and Wildcats.

http://www.valiantfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=414413&sid=cca960148b681c0b1776a9615d211de6

Here are some dedicated collectors of scarce Valiant newsstand versions.

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