Welcome to Newsstand Editions, a CCL Messageboard subforum dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of newsstand versions of comic books.

Recent polling suggests that interest in newsstand comics is growing, yet there are many aspects of the topic about which little is understood. No authoritative source yet exists which collectors and dealers can consult to determine A) which titles, and which issues, have had newsstand editions, B) which issues with newsstand editions have price variants, C) how to determine whether an issue in hand is a newsstand or a direct-sales edition, etc. It is hoped that this forum will become a place where such information can be collaboratively discussed, and conclusions reached.

If you are a collector who preferentially seeks newsstand comics, or a dealer who wants to be able to correctly distinguish newsstand comics from direct-sales comics, then we hope to make this forum your primary resource for information on this topic.

Sorry my hubby is the collector of the comics, he doesn't have a preference of whether it be a newsstand edition or the direct sales editin he has both. The main difference that I can tell from when I was originally here as MsMacDugle is that the newsstand edition was put out to the public while the Direct Sales edition was sent directly from the publisher to the individual's home that wanted the comic. So that is about all I can tell you.

Yes they have just about as many variants as the direct sales editions do because they were release & published at the same time as the direct sales the only real difference is the barcoding on some of the oler original issues, I've not been able to sit here & input for a long time & found that this thread had been started but no one was here to discuss the situation anymore maybe because I wasn't here to stand my ground & go toe to toe with those that prefer the direct sales copies covers be the acceptable cover & that our newsstand issues be only on display in our own directories. I fought to keep the 1st in stay the cover that was to be displayed.

Signed formerly MsMacDugle

A few years back, the topic of Newsstand Editions was pretty big on CCL. There was basically a group of collectors who wanted Newsstand Editions to be included into the database. A few ideas were put forth, but nothing changed with the software. This subforum was created as a result.

It appears inactive, but if you go to the subforum page and select "ALL" you'll see a fair number of threads and comments over the years. No activity lately, though (just like the rest of the boards).

I went to a Barnes and noble store recently and went to look at comics and grab a few to buy and looked at the price all books cost a dollar more then a direct addition,a 2.99 book at my LCS would cost 3.99 at Barnes.....I put them back!!!!

For me, newsstand comics feel more authentic. this my personal choice. when it comes to art collectibles, the providence is key for me...This might be important to future comic collector. The newsstand comics were the origin of buying and selling of comics. Its where it all began. So for me Ill buy a newsstand version any day over a direct copy. Newsstand versions are gaining notoriety fast.

I have both in my collection, in the long run does one have an advantage over the other when it comes to value or future sell price?

Only to Mile High Comics and speculators who like to CGC everything and quadruple the "value."

There are definitely collectors looking for specific newsstand issues, but those collectors are few and supply is mostly still high, so it doesn't usually affect prices for common issues. Key issues that are newsstand editions can sell for a premium when advertised right. Also later newsstand editions (2000 and up or so) can also fetch a few dollars since newer newsstand editions are virtually impossible to find, and most have different cover prices than their direct counterparts. Key titles like Bstman and Amazing Spider-Man are the most sought after.

[quoteI have both in my collection, in the long run does one have an advantage over the other when it comes to value or future sell price?][/quote]

If I have the choice between two copies in equal grade at the same price then I may as well stash away the Newstand Edition since even if they don't have a sustained price increase over the Direct Edition years from now, they should at least pull in the same price a Direct Edition would. A Win-Nothing to Lose situation.

In the last year or so Mile High has slashed a lot of their Newstand Edition Prices so even with them the market must be smaller than the supply.

Funny story about newsstand...

I ordered some comics from Lone Star/mycomicshop.com via ebay. They had some listed as "D" for Direct or "N" for newsstand. For some random Onslaught tie-in issue I needed for a binding project, I just picked whichever one was cheaper, listed as the Direct Edition. When I got the issue, it was a newsstand version, although with their "D" label on it.

So much for Lone Star and Mile High trying to generate a newsstand markup.

It sounds like an employee messed up. Newsstand asking prices are down from what they were years ago but the sales seem to be increasing.

An example https://www.ebay.com/itm/SPAWN-1-3-MID-HIGH-GRADE-RUN-OF-3-UPC-NEWSSTAND-EDITION-MCFARLANE-LOT-RARE/283376949557?hash=item41fa951935:g:fXQAAOSwZcZcY2-Y

A set of Spawn 1, 2 & 3 just sold for $72 there when the highest combined sales here ever for the standard cover is $34 according to the Market Notes for those 3 issues. I've heard of some outrageously high sales numbers for CGC'd copies.

I don't think they're in high demand yet but in general, you're not going to get what you're scared to ask for. There's a market and it's slowly growing in size. I talked to someone who just sold a Thor 390 Mark Jeweler variant for $60 today. Last I checked CCL doesn't let those in to be sold either.

If you don't ask for it you're never going to get it. If you can't list it, you can't ask for it here. Worse case, you can always settle for what the direct is selling for later if you have to.

This thread is pretty old and not much seems to have come of it but Im a firm believer in the difference between newsstand/direct. Im having a hell of a time hunting and locating newsstand copies of Ghost Rider (1990). I can buy them one at a time on ebay but that just gets ridiculous. Would love to be able to find and catalog them here. Currently I dont have any of my Mark Jewlers or Newsstands logged into my collection because there isnt a clear way to distiguish them from others. A person can hope though...

What issues you looking for? I picked up some later issues a while back specifically because they were newsstands.

2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 45, 47, 50, 53, 54, 55, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80-93

Id be happy to puchase any and all copies you have. I prefer VF+ but will take a place holder copy just to fill the gap.

I have an old note to myself that 82 might be the last Newsstand issue produced. Not sure why but maybe that was the last one I could verify. Its also around when the print run started to get smaller and smaller.

Sort of off topic...

When did they start to differentiate between Newsstand and Direct editions? I'm guessing mid to late 1970's? The comics with the bar code and a line through it, are those Direct Edition?

I know that CCL does not separate Newsstand from Direct except when the cover price is different between the two. That really doesn't bother me that much. I do however wish that there was a better way to distinguish between them when listing so that potential buyers are alerted that there is a difference.

I have a ton of Marvel/DC comics from that timeline that are newsstand and I mention it in the Market Info but unless you click on that button you have no way of knowing. Some of the pics in our DB from that age show Direct and some of them show Newsstand. So you might think you are getting the one version but end up with the other one instead. I would love to have a way to show buyers up front which you are offering.

Side note: Philli, you have 134K points. And counting. Bravo my friend! Thank you so much for contributing all of that to our DB. You are absolutely crushing it.

To my knowledge June 1979 would be the first time for a newsstand/direct split. And I can only speak on Marvel titles. Also, from my experience hunting, newsstands are much more common from the 80's era. I've found around the begining of the 90's is when direct books became more common.

I personally dont care between the two unless it comes to Ghost Rider specifically. I currently have a full 1973 run from 1-35, newsstand from 36-81 and direct from 36-81. I'm nearly complete on my pence variant run and about halfway on my Mark Jewlers run.

With that being said, this is why I do argue a difference. Maybe I don't care about my Avengers and Captain America runs but somebody else does. It'd be very nice to catalog and differentiate between the two.

And thank you MoonKnight1! Pretty proud of my points. I was just joking with my wife earlier that in some relationships people are sneaky. My big secret is that I sneak down to the comicbook room and edit CCL. She'll call around the house looking for me and then relize I'm downstairs typing away. She could have done worse and I could have much worse "bad habbits" that I'm "hiding". She's literally calling me upstairs right now to come eat dinner. Gotta go...

Funny you mention "newsstand" editions.
I'm trying to have the most accurate database I can on here, yet there's one "approver" who doesn't seem to understand comics at all. I have been adding the newsstand editions I have and other approvers have put these variants in the database. This one approver just told me on my change request that newsstand editions aren't recognized on CCL and rejected my request.

This is the world we live in now.

EVERY type of variant imaginable is being scrutinized and separated and sold as a variant. If this database doesn't recognize that, then I guess I need to put my money elsewhere. I'm quickly realizing that CCL is run by a bunch of hacks.