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Hello everyone,
I wanted to pose a question to those of you lucky collectors who may possess in their collection sealed copies of the Bronze Age three-pack Marvel issues with the Diamond box variants. I have read many threads on different websites concerning the origin of these issues, whether they are reprints, whether they are Direct Market editions, etc. As I am a reader and collector of this era, in fact my first comic books were from the very month these variants debuted, I am fairly certain they were neither reprints nor specially printed for the Direct Market. If you take a look at the grid I have attached, posted on BIP Comics' website, http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/Direct/index.cfm, there were gaps where a Diamond variant was not produced. Now, in today's terms, wouldn't you be miffed if your local comics shop didn't receive the latest issue because one was not produced? That is why I believe these were manufactured for the sealed three-packs to be sold in other retail establishments.
This brings me to my question. In the aforementioned grid, we have all the issues that were printed as Diamond variants underscored in blue. I'd like to know if anyone knows which issues were grouped together for a particular three-pack. For example, my very first comic book was the newsstand edition of Amazing Spider-Man #165. Not too long after, my mom purchased a three-pack with that same issue in it along with two other issues. Looking at the list, and knowing which issues I had as a kid and which ones I didn't have, I have deduced that the other two issues ASM was grouped with was Incredible Hulk #208 and Eternals #8. Does anyone know the groupings of the other Diamond titles from Feb '77 to Feb '79 (there are none for Mar and Apr, and May '79-on I believe were for Direct Market)?
I know it's a trivial question, but seeing as this aspect of Marvel variants seems so mysterious to collectors (second to the 30- and 35-cent variants issue), and the answers I have found on the internet have not exactly hit the nail directly on the head, I felt it necessary to pose this question to the best people who could possibly know. I'd like to hear any thoughts you might have. Thanks!
Amazing Adventures
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Amazing Spider-Man (Annuals: 11,12,13)
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Avengers (Annuals: 7,8,9)
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Battlestar Galactica
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Captain America (Annual: 4)
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Conan the Barbarian (Annuals: 3,4,5)
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Daredevil
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Defenders
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Devil Dinosaur
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Doctor Strange
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Eternals (Annual: 1)
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| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 |
| 1978 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 |
| 1979 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | ||||||
| 1978 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | ||||||
| 1979 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||
| 1978 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 1979 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 1978 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | |||
| 1979 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 1979 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 216 | 217 | 218 |
| 1978 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 |
| 1979 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 235 | 236 | 237 | 238 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 1978 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
| 1979 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 |
| 1978 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 |
| 1979 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| 1978 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 1979 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | ||||||
| 1978 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||||||
| 1979 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 1979 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | ||||||
| 1978 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | ||||||
| 1979 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |||||
| 1979 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | |||||
| 1978 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | |||
| 1979 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 |
| 1978 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 |
| 1979 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 |
| 1978 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 |
| 1979 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 |
| 1977 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||||
| 1978/9 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ||||||||
| 1979 | 23 | 24 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | ||||||
| 1978 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | |||||
| 1979 | 46 | 47 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| 1978 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| 1979 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | |||||
| 1978 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | ||||||
| 1979 | 81 | 82 | 83 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 |
| 1978 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 |
| 1979 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | ||
| 1978 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | ||||||
| 1979 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | ||||||
| 1978 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | ||||||
| 1979 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||
| 1979 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | |||
| 1978 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | ||||
| 1979 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 1978 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 1979 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| 1978 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 1979 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | |||||||
| 1978 | 15 | |||||||||||
| 1979 | 16 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | ||||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | 1 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| 1978 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 1979 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 255 | 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 | 261 | 262 | 263 | 264 | 265 | 266 |
| 1978 | 267 | 268 | 269 | 270 | 271 | 272 | 273 | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 278 |
| 1979 | 279 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 289 | 290 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | ||
| 1978 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | ||||||
| 1979 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| 1978 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | ||||||
| 1979 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| 1977 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | ||||||
| 1978 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | ||||
| 1979 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 |


