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sjo Posts: 46
8/22/2022
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Has anyone else come across this?
I have a copy of Alpha Flight Special #2 with a Direct Edition cover but a UPC sticker physically pasted over the Captain America image box (where a Newsstand Edition’s printed UPC code usually goes). At first I thought this was just a third-party sticker that someone had unfortunately stuck on this copy. But closer examination reveals that the Sticker UPC code is identical to the UPC code printed on an actual Newsstand Edition.
So, did Marvel officially redirect Direct Edition copies to the Newsstand using this method?
And if so, is this considered a Newsstand Edition or a Direct Edition copy?
Or is this some bizarre variant?
Any thoughts?
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collectibleshop Posts: 3088
8/22/2022
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google is your friend 
so, after googling it, there's a variety of opinions about who puts the stickers on, but it's not a rarity by any means.
theories are the distributor does it on some to send to newsstands, maybe due to not getting enough newsstand issues from the publisher, or it was only done for the direct market and no normal newsstand edition was printed, so they slap barcode stickers on for the bookstores etc to make it easier for the inventory/scanning.
another is that some actual stores put the stickers on so they can use their scanners and inventory software. and some say the publisher may do it to supply some to newsstand sellers, or to correct a price printed on the underlying barcode (which yours doesn't have of course).
see these threads on the CGC forum (always a good place to check for such questions, as many are already answered over the years), and scroll thru to see the more informative guesses:
https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/445670-upc-sticker/
https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/471589-how-does-cgc-handle-aftermarket-upc-stickers/?tab=comments#comment-11271507
CGC, at least when that 2nd thread was made, gives them the green Qualified label just cuz it's a sticker, regardless who puts it on there. Didn't see remarks on if these are considered newsstands or directs. They're Directs with newsstand stickers, so actually Direct copies, but distributed on newsstands mostly, I think, so it's a toss up.
That's alls I know, as the character on Murphy Brown used to say.
edited by collectibleshop on 8/22/2022
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sjo Posts: 46
8/22/2022
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Many thanks for the response. Very illuminating. One can always count on getting informed answers on this forum.
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