Newsstand edition, indicated by the barcode
1st full appearance of Carnage
Carnage will make his feature film debut in the upcoming Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage
Newsstand copies of this issue are abundant yet they continue to sell for a significant premium
Demand is incredibly strong for Carnage’s 1st appearance and manages to outstrip the massive supply of this 90s icon
To date, non-keys have not seen a difference in price between Direct Market and Newsstand editions
Newsstands are a fast growing trend and are extremely rare especially from 2012-2014 when distribution was winding down and limited to just Barnes & Noble and Books A Million
CGC does not currently break out Newsstand editions making it difficult to accurately pin down numbers
Unlike direct market (comic shop) orders, Newsstand sales were returnable and unsold copies were destroyed
Current data places Newsstand print runs at approximately 30% for the Copper age (and as low as 1% in 2014)
Additionally, Newsstand editions are notoriously difficult to find in high grade. Distribution, display and browsing habits are very different from direct market systems meaning oftentimes, issues are carelessly handled
Experts have tracked a ratio of 1 in 4 for CGC 9.8 Newsstand editions vs direct market for Amazing Spider-Man #361 meaning it is seeing gains despite being one of the easiest Newsstand books to find in high grade (others like Amazing Spider-Man #298 are closer to 1 in 100)
Many sellers are still unaware of the difference between direct and Newsstand editions and newly discovered Newsstand copies can still be found at direct market prices
