With all the rage now on modern 2nd prints, I thought it would be interesting to look at later printing for older books. In this article, I will be focusing mainly on Marvel Tales that feature Spider-Man.

From the list I pick the ones that matched the following criteria:

• Key issue i.e. must contain first appearances or significant story
• Different cover art

Do note that I am not saying these Marvel Tales reprints will be more valuable than the first print. However, they might form a different collecting segment, especially given their different cover art.

Also, from my research, many of them are less commonly available than their first print counterparts. This forms another appeal for collectors who like something that is less common.

Most of these reprints are done in the late 80s to early 90s so I would recommend you to pick up their newsstand editions. Hopefully, these will make your collecting a bit more challenging and fun.

 

This was not the first time that Amazing Spider-Man #121 and #122 was reprinted but it was the first time a different cover was used.

The new cover captures the impact of the Gwen Stacy death much more vividly than the original covers. The only thing I disliked is the borders.

A recent newsstand copy sold for $20 so collectors might be starting to notice this book. Regular editions can still be had for under $5.

 

Anyone who is a Punisher fan should love to have this reprint in their collection. Featuring a gorgeous cover by Mike Zeck, it is a different art to the familiar Amazing Spider-Man #129 cover.

Due to the all black cover, getting a near mint newsstand for this book will be challenging. I am personally waiting for a 9.8 newsstand but have no luck so far.

Currently, 10 out of 32 Ebay listings for this book is newsstand. That puts it at a 33% availability ratio. However, out of these 10 copies, only 2 are in NM- condition.

 

I consider this to be one of the Todd McFarlane’s best Marvel Tales cover as it conveys the mood of the issue perfectly. As such, it appeals to both Spider-Man as well as Todd McFarlane collectors.

Similar to #209, the black cover makes it a tough book to find in near mint condition for newsstand editions. So far, I have not seen one that does not have spine ticks or some minor creases.

 

I put this issue here mainly for the Todd McFarlane X-Men cover. This issue, doesn’t get as much lover as Marvel Tales #235 and #236 but it should. Not only is it a solid cover of the original 5 X-Men, it also features the first appearance of Changling.

Here are some prices to let you see their differences:

• Marvel Tales #235 – $30 for near mint
• Marvel Tales #233 – $10-$15 for near mint

Overall, it is a cool book to add to your collection if you are a Spider-Man, X-Men or Todd McFarlane fan.

 

Amazing Spider-Man #252 is one of the most well collected issue in the ASM run. Here is a reprint that looks great in its own way.

This is not an unknown book as prices on Ebay are already around the $15 mark. However, buying interest has not been strong as there wasn’t a single sale in the past 3 months.

As such, you might get lucky in an auction and win this for basically nothing.

 

Puma, being a less popular character, has seen little interest from collectors. His first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #256 is still a very affordable book. Needless to say, this reprint is even cheaper and can be found for under $2.

Personally, I think Puma is a good lottery character. Given that Puma’s first print appearance is still cheap, there is a chance that this reprint might overtake it, according to my 2nd print investment framework.

Currently, this reprint has plenty of copies on Ebay, even for its newsstand editions. I would pick the best condition one and hope for the best lol.

 

If I were to pick one book in this list that might have a chance of overtaking the first print, this will be it due to reasons below:

• Silver Sable is featured on the cover so it makes for a better first appearance cover art than Amazing Spider-Man #265

• Amazing Spider-Man #265 is still affordable so there is no ‘vested’ interest from the collecting community to treat it as some holy grail book

• Much harder to find than the first print

Like Marvel Tales #270, this book is not getting collectors’ interest, relative to other Marvel Tales books. As such, it is pretty much a under $5 book that anyone can afford.

Conclusion

Putting this list together does not mean that I think they will be more valuable than first prints. While some issues might have a chance, it is more to recognize that the current trend of collecting of 2nd prints might spread from modern to older books as well.

If that really happens, then some of these books might be wanted for their own collectibility, and not because one thinks they can be more valuable than first prints.