RRP Comics - Retail Roundtable Promotion Comics

[turtlex]

Hey All - Gretchen asked a great question in another thread, regarding what an "RRP" identified comic is.

I'd never heard this designation before, so did some checking around.

Here's what I found :

RRP stands for Retail Roundtable Promotion, Retailer Roundtable Program or Retailer Representative Program. It's been called all three.

RRP (Retailer Roundtable Program or Retailer Representative Program) is an invitation-only conference that DC Comics sponsors approximately every 18 months. It's kind of a sounding board for comic retailers to converse with the people who do the publishing, ie - DC comics.

RRP comics are NOT Retailer Incentive Variants comics. These are two different kinds of collectibles.

The Stand and Dark Tower Sketch Covers are considered Retailer Incentive Variants - where the retailer has to purchase a set number of copies per issue in order to get a variant.

RRP Editions, RRP Issues or RRP Variants ( I've found them called each ) are named for those promotional comics given out at the RRP conferences only. They are very limited.

RRP is a designation for only DC comics, specifically, since DC holds and sponsors the conference. Any non-DC comics should not be recognized as a true RRP.

There are not RRP comics issued for every meeting.

Because they are published by Marvel - a Dark Tower or Stand comic would never be an RRP.

RRPs will be the same book and issue that is released to comic shops, but it will have a different cover. It may be marked with NOT FOR RESALE.

Basically, the RRP promo will have a low print run ( sometimes as low as 25-75 ) and be a cover variant version of an existing book.

Some RRPs are marked "RRP", but some are not. There isn't a standard.

A general statement could be made that currently, "RRP" is a general term which is often applied to give-away variants. Specifically, however, that would not be 100% correct.

The closest thing we have to an RRP in the Dark Tower and Stand series would be the Gunslinger Born # 1 Book Market Variant.

I will update this entry as necessary.

[turtlex]

After getting some info from a comic forum where I track my CGC's, I've updated the first entry this with additional info and clarified some points :

These items have been added :

RRPs will be the same book and issue that is released to comic shops, but it will have a different cover. It may be marked with NOT FOR RESALE.

Some RRPs are marked as such, but some are not. There isn't a standard.

Basically, the RRP promo will have a low print run ( sometimes as low as 25-75 ) and be a cover variant version of an existing book.

I believe the closest thing we have to an RRP in the Dark Tower and Stand series would be the Gunslinger Born # 1 Book Market Variant.

[jhanic]

Thanks for the information, Pam. I doubt I'll expend any energy searching for these.

John

[turtlex]

John - There's quite a market out there for some Batman and JLA comic which are RRP, but personally, they're either too expensive for me, or they are comics I just don't have a a love for.

I'm sticking with the DT comics and all the variants of those, myself.

It's good to know though, what these RRP are and the fact that some people are listing Dark Tower comics as RRP which, honestly, is a false advertisement.

[jhanic]

Good point. I'm not a comics person (I'm only getting the King-related comics because I'm a King "nut") but I always like to learn something new.

John

[CRinVA]

Good point. I'm not a comics person (I'm only getting the King-related comics because I'm a King "nut") but I always like to learn something new.

John

King nut John,

I didn't realize you were royalty! I humbly bow to you! :-)

[turtlex]

Added this note :

A general statement could be made that currently, "RRP" is a general term which is often applied to give-away variants. Specifically, however, that would not be 100% correct.

[jhanic]

Good point. I'm not a comics person (I'm only getting the King-related comics because I'm a King "nut") but I always like to learn something new.

John

King nut John,

I didn't realize you were royalty! I humbly bow to you! :-)