Masters of the Universe #1 Newsstand 95¢ Variant Value

From: The 2024 CPV Price Guide for Canadian Price Variants (Type 1A) by Bill Alexander, Tim Bildhauser, Paul Clairmont, Greg Holland, Jon McClure, Jayden Mitchell, Benjamin Nobel, Conan Saunders, Doug Sulipa, and Angelo Virone [ introduction, table of contents, all titles, other price guide editions]

As one of the top 100 most valuable variants in our guide this year, we rate 95¢ price variant copies of Masters of the Universe #1 FIVE STARS as a collectible, and the hands-down preferable type to collect for the issue as compared to regular copies. In addition to everything the issue has going for it (as detailed in the issue notes in the page above), we note the price guide value movement since 2018. Regular copies in 9.2 have increased in value by $52 since 2018, or about +186% on a percentage basis. Meanwhile, CPV newsstand copies in 9.2 have increased in value by $58 since 2018, or about +116%. With a 95¢ variant NM- value of $108, Masters of the Universe #1 is part of the proverbial cream of the CPV crop, with a value greater than approximately 98% of our guide's entire coverage universe.

What is the value of Masters of the Universe #1?
I have a copy of Masters of the Universe #1 and I want to know what this comic book is worth in different grades as a first printing?

✔️Accepted answer: The answer depends on the type that you own. For Masters of the Universe #1, Star published a direct edition type (exceptionally well preserved by collectors as direct edition comics were the type sold in comic shops), and two newsstand types which were sold to the general public on newsstands (a regular cover price version and the 95¢ price variant). If you own a price variant, lucky you, it is worth $108 in 9.2 (Near Mint Minus).

  Suggested answer: Check whether the cover of your copy of Masters of the Universe #1 has a graphical logo or a bar code box. If it has a graphical logo, sorry to break it to you but you own a commonplace direct edition copy which is worth about $80 (still, that's not too shabby).

  Suggested answer: If your copy of Masters of the Universe #1 has a bar code box on the cover, then you've got a newsstand copy! Is it the more-rare price variant? Now for the moment of excitement: is the cover price of your newsstand copy 95¢? If so, congratulations, you own the cover price variant!!

✔️Accepted answer: As of the October 2023 CGC census, the price variant has census rarity of 2.2%, with 49 price variant copies on record versus 2198 regular copies.

✔️Accepted answer: The direct edition (logo on cover) is worth about $54 in VF/NM whereas the 95¢ newsstand variants are worth $72.

✔️Accepted answer: As collectibles, direct edition copies are already at a disadvantage compared to newsstand copies in the highest grades, because direct editions were extraordinarily well preserved as the distinct type sold in specialty comic shops. The comic shop owners ordered direct edition copies of Masters of the Universe #1 at a discount to cover price, but on a non-returnable basis (the graphical logo was to tell non-returnable copies apart from their returnable newsstand counterparts). When their orders arrived, the comic shop staff handled the books with extreme care to preserve their condition, and then the comic book collectors who shopped there typically preserved their purchases in plastic bags with backing boards. By contrast, newsstand copies were treated as reading material with no staff training to handle the books with any semblance of care, and they were then sold to the general public; unsold copies were returned for credit and typically pulped/recycled forward. Only those newsstand copies of Masters of the Universe #1 that were taken home and preserved by collectors would survive today in the highest grades. Among surviving newsstand copies of Masters of the Universe #1, the market area that received the 95¢ cover price newsstand copies was a restricted area representing less than 10% the population of the total North American newsstand market. That's because the destination market for 95¢ copies of Masters of the Universe #1 was Canadian newsstands — hence the name Canadian Price Variant as a short-hand for 95¢ Price Variant. All of this adds up to a market value for the 95¢ variant approximately 33% higher than the direct edition in Very Fine / Near Mint (9.0) condition, as of our 2024 CPV Price Guide Edition.

✔️Accepted answer: The direct edition version of Masters of the Universe #1 is worth about $43 in Very Fine (8.0) whereas the 95¢ newsstand variants are worth $58.

✔️Accepted answer: In FN (6.0) shape, the direct edition version of Masters of the Universe #1 is worth about $30 whereas the 95¢ newsstand variants are worth $41.

✔️Accepted answer: Down in VG (4.0) Very Good condition, the direct edition version of Masters of the Universe #1 is worth about $20 whereas the 95¢ newsstand variants are worth $27.

✔️Accepted answer: The price guide value way down in GD (2.0) Good condition for Masters of the Universe #1 is about $10 for the direct edition version whereas the 95¢ newsstand variants are worth $14.

✔️Accepted answer: Masters of the Universe #1 95¢ variant newsstand copies in 9.2 have increased in value by $58 since 2018, or about +116% in 7 years (from our 2018 guide edition to our 2024 guide edition).