Hi everyone. I’m an older user but new to the forum. I’m hoping this is the right place for this question.
I added my comics to Collector years ago before there was a real split between Direct and Newsstand Editions. I’ve been gearing up to completely update my database so I know exactly what I have. Looking into this, I noticed something regarding some Whitman/DC editions.
Some DC Whitman’s are listed as A and the Newsstand as B for some issues but the other way around for others - Newsstand A / Whitman B?
Example - Superman #321 has Newsstand as A and Whitman as B but #323 has it the other way around. Is there a method I’m missing here? Shouldn’t Whitmans be Cover B in most instances?
Thank you. I’m hoping to help contribute to the core. I added a few the old school way but will now add them via here moving forward.
Hi there!
Just to give some info before we get to your question.
The “Whitman Edition” was the introduction to the Direct Edition. It was distributed in the same way. Whitman would send these to the direct market, so you would find these in supermarket, toy stores and other shops.
We decided a while back when we were adding these different editions that the Whitman should be on A to make the transition seem more logical and consistent (The transition from Whitman to Direct). It’s also more satisfying to the eye when that Newsstand is always on B. The Whitman period is only for 2-3 years I believe.
In most cases the A is the main cover but with the introduction of the Whitmans and the Direct, it switched to what I would say is 50/50 as important. They’re technically both A, it’s just what you prefer as the collector. At a later point the Newsstand becomes more populair and expensive, that’s however not relevant for a database.
The Whitman’s are meant to be on A in our database. If you’re seeing any on other letters, they’ll be switched at some point. We are working very hard on cleaning up our database on older titles and adding as much info as we can.
