Some ebay sales figures for first issues of UK comics

[stevezodiac]

I have the first issue of Rainbow from 1914 complete with free gift (pokes tongue out) nyahh! Also have first issues of Bunty, The Big One and Buster among many. Daredevil no. 1 was given to me by a mate in the 60s and I still have it.

[matrix]

I will not ask too many questions about it now as I am sure you will enlighten us more when the members section is up and running.

What members section, and what will it be for?

I am probably not the right member to ask about the members section, and I stand to be corrected by Al or any other member with more information about it if I am incorrect. I believe it is where members will be able to discuss their collections, eg when they started collecting, their favourite comics, possibly photos of collections etc.

It sounds like "The blue bird' title is the elusive one for you Phoenix! I guess it may feel like you have won lotto if they turn up!

Would it be too much to ask for a scan of the copy that you have Phoenix? Either here or on a seperate topic, as I live many miles from those collections in the library.

[Phoenix]

Would it be too much to ask for a scan of the copy that you have Phoenix?

Not at all. Here it is, along with the advert for issue 1 that appeared in The Wizard the previous week. And, before you ask, yes I do have the full set of Hand-Coloured Glossy Photo Panels Of Famous Beauties.

[matrix]

Thankyou Phoenix for those scans, a lot of social history in papers like that. A real bonus having the flyer and photo panels, I like the way the characters are coming out of the paper.

Oh for a time machine, I would love to experience the 1920s!

[stevezodiac]

I have around many thousands of comics, story papers and magazines going back to the 1830s but not a single Blue Bird. I shall put on my Indiana Jones outfit and set out tomorrow "Indiana Jones and the Search for the Elusive Girl's Paper"

"We are all very comfortable up here..."

[Phoenix]

A real bonus having the flyer

Just to clarify, Matrix, it wasn't a flyer. It was just a full-page advert in issue 5 of The Wizard (Oct. 21 1922). The following week (Oct. 28 1922) The Blue Bird became the fourth story paper produced by Thomsons in the space of thirteen months, having been preceded by Adventure (Sep. 17 1921), The Rover (Mar. 4 1922) and The Wizard (Sep. 23 1922). They were to be joined about a year later by The Vanguard (Oct. 13 1923), a first version of The Big Five thus being created.

[geoff42]

Is anyone aware that the first issue of Whizzer and Chips with original free gift is going for a penny less than a grand on ebay at the moment? Now, that is way out of my stratosphere as regards funds but, if you were a millionaire with little regard for silver and bronze fraying your trouser pockets, would you nod your head and think: why not - I can afford it. Don't forget that the first issue of Shiver and Shake with original gift went for over £600. I only ask because I have bid excessive amounts on certain items that I dearly want because I can afford them. And so, if I were a millionaire, I would probably pay a lot more than I do now for items that I want... even a penny less than a grand for Whizzer and Chips with free gift. Why? Because I can... if I could. Does value become irrelevant when you're earning more interest on your savings than a regular worker earns in his labour?

[Lew Stringer]

Is anyone aware that the first issue of Whizzer and Chips with original free gift is going for a penny less than a grand on ebay at the moment? Now, that is way out of my stratosphere as regards funds but, if you were a millionaire with little regard for silver and bronze fraying your trouser pockets, would you nod your head and think: why not - I can afford it. Don't forget that the first issue of Shiver and Shake with original gift went for over £600. I only ask because I have bid excessive amounts on certain items that I dearly want because I can afford them. And so, if I were a millionaire, I would probably pay a lot more than I do now for items that I want... even a penny less than a grand for Whizzer and Chips with free gift. Why? Because I can... if I could. Does value become irrelevant when you're earning more interest on your savings than a regular worker earns in his labour?

Well he's hoping to get that. No one's bought it yet. I sold one in better condition, with gift, for £60 a few years ago, so I doubt he'll get the £999.99 he's hoping for.

[dandy mad]

Is anyone aware that the first issue of Whizzer and Chips with original free gift is going for a penny less than a grand on ebay at the moment? Now, that is way out of my stratosphere as regards funds but, if you were a millionaire with little regard for silver and bronze fraying your trouser pockets, would you nod your head and think: why not - I can afford it. Don't forget that the first issue of Shiver and Shake with original gift went for over £600. I only ask because I have bid excessive amounts on certain items that I dearly want because I can afford them. And so, if I were a millionaire, I would probably pay a lot more than I do now for items that I want... even a penny less than a grand for Whizzer and Chips with free gift. Why? Because I can... if I could. Does value become irrelevant when you're earning more interest on your savings than a regular worker earns in his labour?

There is a Whizzer and Chips #1 for £500 also on eBay that has the unused Sid Says stickers and a pre release flyer for the comic too.

[geoff42]

hi, lew, as regards your sale of whizzer and chips no. 1 with free gift for £60 a few years ago, I probably would have abstained then. But now, I reckon it would be a snip at that price. I don't know why but prices have sure inflated in recent years - no. 1 issues with free gift and summer specials pre 1980's to name a couple of categories and yet, you can still pick up very early Victor issues relatively cheap. From title to title, prices vary erratically. A few years ago, 2000 ad with its free spinner would probably have cost a couple of hundred quid. Today, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't cost you much more. Action comics, I've noted, are commanding a very high price these days even those that endured after the ban. I guess it's a matter of paying what you assess to be right but then, as I know from experience, sensibility can be thrown out of the window when a particular issue catches one's eye. So, you could say, people like me who lose discipline actually inflate the prices of certain titles and issues There's a catch 22 somewhere here

[dandy mad]

Is eBay now the biggest outlet for comics on the planet? Just thought I'd ask...

[Raven]

Action comics, I've noted, are commanding a very high price these days even those that endured after the ban.

I went to a mart selling pre-ban issues of Action at £3 each, recently. I also saw a first issue for sale at £10 at a mart not too long ago.

[Phoenix]

30th Century Comics have a VG issue of Action number 1 for £35, and a Fair issue at £20, and a Good issue of number 2 at £10. All the rest average out at about a fiver.

[geoff42]

A fiver for an Action comic is just about right, I feel. But when someone offers a copy in brilliant preservation for a couple of more quid, my feet start kicking in anticipation. Bounders, I say.

[stevezodiac]

Two weeks ago I put this comic on abay with a starting price of £2.00. It sold for £1131.00. I was astonished.