Ah, yes, comic book variant covers - alternative art on the same comic books, printed in limited numbers and usually sell for more than the cover price. These things do really well because comic book fans obsess over getting every possible variant to their favorite titles, character, or even art done by their favorite artists. I don't have an extensive collection, but I do know I have all covers to Daredevil #500, which took me a while to complete.
Biggest problem collectors have, besides the higher asking price, is that these variants are printed in such limited numbers and some guy always buys it 15 minutes earlier than you.
Enter Comicxhub! For 7 days, August 1 - 7, they are having an ALL VARIANT SALE!
They have over 100 titles with variants. That Secret Origins of Tony Stark DP cover is pretty sweet. They kept that under wraps for a while, and I was actually hoping for the Hulkbuster armor but the Deadpool one works, too. Best part - everything's 200 bucks or the cover price. Variants at cover price is how it should really be, but considering the law of supply and demand, retailers can charge a premium for em'.
They even have variant sets at a reduced price, which is good for completionist obsessive types on a budget.
Here's a caveat - there is a requirement before you can start buying these sweet variants. You'd have to have bought P1000 worth of stuff since May. If you're the type of person to event want to own variants, I'm fairly sure you've bought P1000 worth of stuff in the last 3 months. Actually, had you been able to keep your purchasing to below a thousand bucks, then I would shake your hand. That's like 4 titles.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you only get one variant cover per title, so it's fair to everybody.
This is exclusive to online purchases at Comicxhub.com. To get more details, click here.