That time I blew $50 on variant covers thinking they'd be worth something

Grabbed a bunch of first print variants for a new series back in 2016, thought I was being smart. Now they're all sitting in a longbox worth maybe $3 total, and I could've just bought the trades for a third of the price. Anyone else fall for the variant cover hype back in the day?

3 comments

3 Comments

brown.gavin1mo ago

Man, I've been there. What worked for me was just buying the covers I actually liked looking at, and treating the extra cash as part of the fun instead of an investment. Your mileage may vary, but those books are good for rereading or maybe trading with a buddy down the line.

jakel361mo ago

Yeah "treating the extra cash as part of the fun" is a really good way to look at it. I did the same thing with a few high grade copies and honestly I still get a kick out of just seeing them on my shelf, even if they're not worth what I paid. It's like paying a little extra for a first print or a variant cover you actually dig versus some random reprint. Plus if you hang onto them and the hobby keeps going up, you might break even or come out ahead anyway. I've seen some of my "splurge" books from a few years ago sell for more than I paid just because the market shifted. So you're not wrong, it's more about enjoying the hobby than trying to game the system.

kim6931mo ago

Really just picked books I wanted to read and didn't stress about the price tag after that.