TIL those 'limited edition' variant covers are just cash grabs

I spent $80 on a Jim Lee variant for a Batman issue last month thinking it'd be worth something. Found out from a guy at my local shop that they print thousands of these and they're basically worthless. Now I'm stuck with a fancy comic that's worth maybe $5 over cover price. Anyone else fall for the variant cover hype before realizing it's a trap?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant7282d ago

You ever notice how everything's become a "collector's edition" these days? It's not just comics either. Look at video games with their $100 deluxe packs that include a digital artbook nobody looks at. Or sneakers with "limited" colorways that suddenly restock six months later. Even Funko pops with that little "chase" sticker that makes you buy ten boxes hoping for one rare figure. It's all the same trick. They figured out people will pay extra if you put the word "limited" on something, even when it's not really limited at all (and they know it).

aaron8962d ago

Ngl, you nailed it @grant728. I was just reading about how sneaker companies are basically printing money with these "limited" drops that aren't actually limited. There's a whole article about Nike and how they purposely make certain colorways seem rare to hype up demand, then restock them quietly months later. It's all manufactured scarcity, plain and simple.