Von Allan has posted an interesting article on comic book pricing in comparison with minimum wage over the years, which prompted me to get online some materials that I’ve been meaning to post for some time.
First, readers of Comics Buyer’s Guide may remember the “What Price, Comics?” column I ran in #1619, the August 2006 issue. As supporting material, I ran an analysis of what the median prices were for comics across four groups from 1960 to 2005: all comics published in the year, all Marvel comics, all DC comics, and all Archie comics. I presented them visually, with my commentary and the actual cover price stamps, as seen in these three images below:
I have not run the same analysis yet for 2005-2011, but it’s pretty straightforward to do.
Meanwhile, I also have the average prices of all comics in Diamond’s Top 300 from January 1995 to present here, as well as the average weighted prices — which means, the price of the average comic book ordered within the Top 300. (Basically, you take all the money the top 300 sold for and divide by total number of units.) The chart is at right, click to enlarge.
Below, are the raw figures that created it — and you will see therein reasons for some of the fluctuations.
The blue figures from July 1995 to August 1996 reflect Diamond’s sales when Marvel was exclusive with Heroes World, so its mix of comics is different (and more expensive than when Marvel was included). As of September 1996 to March 1997, I have integrated the Heroes World and Diamond charts, so we’re back to the whole market again, and prices drop, because Marvels were cheaper than most other comics. And then it’s all Diamond after that. Note the drop in prices at the beginning of 2011, as well:
| Avg Price | Avg Wtd Price | |||||
| Jan-95 | $2.26 | $2.20 | ||||
| Feb-95 | $2.27 | $2.24 | ||||
| Mar-95 | $2.45 | $2.40 | ||||
| Apr-95 | $2.44 | $2.39 | ||||
| May-95 | $2.37 | $2.37 | ||||
| Jun-95 | $2.48 | $2.43 | ||||
| Jul-95 | $2.62 | $2.57 | ||||
| Aug-95 | $2.50 | $2.54 | ||||
| Sep-95 | $2.59 | $2.60 | ||||
| Oct-95 | $2.57 | $2.58 | ||||
| Nov-95 | $2.68 | $2.68 | ||||
| Dec-95 | $2.58 | $2.57 | ||||
| Jan-96 | $2.54 | $2.54 | ||||
| Feb-96 | $2.60 | $2.61 | ||||
| Mar-96 | $2.68 | $2.68 | ||||
| Apr-96 | $2.63 | $2.63 | ||||
| May-96 | $2.72 | $2.71 | ||||
| Jun-96 | $2.70 | $2.70 | ||||
| Jul-96 | $2.74 | $2.75 | ||||
| Aug-96 | $2.61 | $2.61 | ||||
| Sep-96 | $2.56 | $2.34 | ||||
| Oct-96 | $2.75 | $2.41 | ||||
| Nov-96 | $2.65 | $2.49 | ||||
| Dec-96 | $2.69 | $2.51 | ||||
| Jan-97 | $2.71 | $2.49 | ||||
| Feb-97 | $2.64 | $2.40 | ||||
| Mar-97 | $2.63 | $2.34 | ||||
| Apr-97 | $2.47 | $2.21 | ||||
| May-97 | $2.63 | $2.40 | ||||
| Jun-97 | $2.57 | $2.39 | ||||
| Jul-97 | $2.64 | $2.46 | ||||
| Aug-97 | $2.60 | $2.51 | ||||
| Sep-97 | $2.65 | $2.45 | ||||
| Oct-97 | $2.67 | $2.56 | ||||
| Nov-97 | $2.65 | $2.50 | ||||
| Dec-97 | $2.67 | $2.56 | ||||
| Jan-98 | $2.61 | $2.38 | ||||
| Feb-98 | $2.64 | $2.38 | ||||
| Mar-98 | $2.64 | $2.45 | ||||
| Apr-98 | $2.67 | $2.50 | ||||
| May-98 | $2.66 | $2.43 | ||||
| Jun-98 | $2.66 | $2.43 | ||||
| Jul-98 | $2.62 | $2.43 | ||||
| Aug-98 | $2.81 | $2.63 | ||||
| Sep-98 | $2.73 | $2.44 | ||||
| Oct-98 | $2.84 | $2.65 | ||||
| Nov-98 | $2.85 | $2.59 | ||||
| Dec-98 | $2.76 | $2.54 | ||||
| Jan-99 | $2.79 | $2.56 | ||||
| Feb-99 | $2.84 | $2.57 | ||||
| Mar-99 | $2.79 | $2.51 | ||||
| Apr-99 | $2.84 | $2.58 | ||||
| May-99 | $3.11 | $2.60 | ||||
| Jun-99 | $2.95 | $2.55 | ||||
| Jul-99 | $2.96 | $2.55 | ||||
| Aug-99 | $2.98 | $2.62 | ||||
| Sep-99 | $2.79 | $2.62 | ||||
| Oct-99 | $2.85 | $2.68 | ||||
| Nov-99 | $2.85 | $2.61 | ||||
| Dec-99 | $2.85 | $2.68 | ||||
| Jan-00 | $2.87 | $2.56 | ||||
| Feb-00 | $2.94 | $2.64 | ||||
| Mar-00 | $2.85 | $2.64 | ||||
| Apr-00 | $2.92 | $2.67 | ||||
| May-00 | $2.86 | $2.71 | ||||
| Jun-00 | $3.07 | $2.88 | ||||
| Jul-00 | $3.00 | $2.86 | ||||
| Aug-00 | $3.01 | $2.82 | ||||
| Sep-00 | $2.93 | $2.84 | ||||
| Oct-00 | $2.97 | $2.85 | ||||
| Nov-00 | $2.98 | $2.71 | ||||
| Dec-00 | $3.05 | $2.85 | ||||
| Jan-01 | $3.10 | $2.76 | ||||
| Feb-01 | $3.01 | $2.68 | ||||
| Mar-01 | $3.17 | $2.76 | ||||
| Apr-01 | $3.21 | $2.72 | ||||
| May-01 | $3.16 | $2.69 | ||||
| Jun-01 | $3.08 | $2.78 | ||||
| Jul-01 | $3.00 | $2.81 | ||||
| Aug-01 | $3.12 | $2.73 | ||||
| Sep-01 | $3.04 | $2.79 | ||||
| Oct-01 | $2.98 | $2.83 | ||||
| Nov-01 | $3.18 | $2.88 | ||||
| Dec-01 | $3.12 | $3.04 | ||||
| Jan-02 | $2.98 | $2.85 | ||||
| Feb-02 | $3.13 | $2.89 | ||||
| Mar-02 | $3.11 | $2.73 | ||||
| Apr-02 | $3.07 | $2.82 | ||||
| May-02 | $3.05 | $2.80 | ||||
| Jun-02 | $3.14 | $2.84 | ||||
| Jul-02 | $3.04 | $2.75 | ||||
| Aug-02 | $3.00 | $2.75 | ||||
| Sep-02 | $3.05 | $2.77 | ||||
| Oct-02 | $2.99 | $2.74 | ||||
| Nov-02 | $3.09 | $2.83 | ||||
| Dec-02 | $3.19 | $2.70 | ||||
| Jan-03 | $3.16 | $2.78 | ||||
| Feb-03 | $3.03 | $2.82 | ||||
| Mar-03 | $3.05 | $2.81 | ||||
| Apr-03 | $3.01 | $2.78 | ||||
| May-03 | $3.09 | $2.77 | ||||
| Jun-03 | $3.18 | $2.91 | ||||
| Jul-03 | $3.06 | $2.80 | ||||
| Aug-03 | $3.08 | $2.79 | ||||
| Sep-03 | $3.06 | $2.93 | ||||
| Oct-03 | $3.00 | $2.90 | ||||
| Nov-03 | $3.08 | $2.90 | ||||
| Dec-03 | $3.08 | $2.85 | ||||
| Jan-04 | $3.34 | $2.82 | ||||
| Feb-04 | $3.25 | $2.85 | ||||
| Mar-04 | $3.16 | $2.92 | ||||
| Apr-04 | $3.12 | $2.82 | ||||
| May-04 | $3.17 | $2.85 | ||||
| Jun-04 | $3.06 | $2.83 | ||||
| Jul-04 | $3.16 | $2.91 | ||||
| Aug-04 | $3.17 | $2.85 | ||||
| Sep-04 | $3.01 | $2.85 | ||||
| Oct-04 | $3.05 | $2.88 | ||||
| Nov-04 | $3.10 | $2.90 | ||||
| Dec-04 | $3.08 | $2.90 | ||||
| Jan-05 | $3.12 | $2.79 | ||||
| Feb-05 | $3.10 | $2.86 | ||||
| Mar-05 | $3.06 | $2.84 | ||||
| Apr-05 | $3.18 | $2.85 | ||||
| May-05 | $3.12 | $2.91 | ||||
| Jun-05 | $3.15 | $2.94 | ||||
| Jul-05 | $3.19 | $2.92 | ||||
| Aug-05 | $3.17 | $2.92 | ||||
| Sep-05 | $3.01 | $2.88 | ||||
| Oct-05 | $3.20 | $2.96 | ||||
| Nov-05 | $3.19 | $3.00 | ||||
| Dec-05 | $3.27 | $3.05 | ||||
| Jan-06 | $3.21 | $2.98 | ||||
| Feb-06 | $3.25 | $3.01 | ||||
| Mar-06 | $3.15 | $3.08 | ||||
| Apr-06 | $3.20 | $3.12 | ||||
| May-06 | $3.24 | $3.11 | ||||
| Jun-06 | $3.28 | $3.04 | ||||
| Jul-06 | $3.24 | $3.06 | ||||
| Aug-06 | $3.27 | $3.11 | ||||
| Sep-06 | $3.21 | $3.09 | ||||
| Oct-06 | $3.29 | $3.13 | ||||
| Nov-06 | $3.26 | $3.09 | ||||
| Dec-06 | $3.28 | $3.15 | ||||
| Jan-07 | $3.26 | $3.12 | ||||
| Feb-07 | $3.29 | $3.15 | ||||
| Mar-07 | $3.27 | $3.20 | ||||
| Apr-07 | $3.32 | $3.06 | ||||
| May-07 | $3.28 | $3.15 | ||||
| Jun-07 | $3.24 | $3.19 | ||||
| Jul-07 | $3.26 | $3.14 | ||||
| Aug-07 | $3.28 | $3.20 | ||||
| Sep-07 | $3.33 | $3.21 | ||||
| Oct-07 | $3.30 | $3.21 | ||||
| Nov-07 | $3.17 | $3.13 | ||||
| Dec-07 | $3.26 | $3.22 | ||||
| Jan-08 | $3.23 | $3.11 | ||||
| Feb-08 | $3.36 | $3.13 | ||||
| Mar-08 | $3.24 | $3.15 | ||||
| Apr-08 | $3.31 | $3.20 | ||||
| May-08 | $3.35 | $3.28 | ||||
| Jun-08 | $3.34 | $3.21 | ||||
| Jul-08 | $3.35 | $3.25 | ||||
| Aug-08 | $3.35 | $3.25 | ||||
| Sep-08 | $3.34 | $3.24 | ||||
| Oct-08 | $3.38 | $3.31 | ||||
| Nov-08 | $3.50 | $3.35 | ||||
| Dec-08 | $3.36 | $3.31 | ||||
| Jan-09 | $3.45 | $3.41 | ||||
| Feb-09 | $3.42 | $3.41 | ||||
| Mar-09 | $3.45 | $3.41 | ||||
| Apr-09 | $3.43 | $3.37 | ||||
| May-09 | $3.42 | $3.32 | ||||
| Jun-09 | $3.50 | $3.46 | ||||
| Jul-09 | $3.43 | $3.50 | ||||
| Aug-09 | $3.45 | $3.44 | ||||
| Sep-09 | $3.44 | $3.48 | ||||
| Oct-09 | $3.53 | $3.46 | ||||
| Nov-09 | $3.51 | $3.50 | ||||
| Dec-09 | $3.59 | $3.57 | ||||
| Jan-10 | $3.52 | $3.44 | ||||
| Feb-10 | $3.54 | $3.47 | ||||
| Mar-10 | $3.55 | $3.52 | ||||
| Apr-10 | $3.47 | $3.47 | ||||
| May-10 | $3.49 | $3.51 | ||||
| Jun-10 | $3.47 | $3.56 | ||||
| Jul-10 | $3.59 | $3.58 | ||||
| Aug-10 | $3.54 | $3.56 | ||||
| Sep-10 | $3.59 | $3.57 | ||||
| Oct-10 | $3.72 | $3.59 | ||||
| Nov-10 | $3.78 | $3.69 | ||||
| Dec-10 | $3.74 | $3.65 | ||||
| Jan-11 | $3.61 | $3.50 | ||||
| Feb-11 | $3.56 | $3.48 | ||||
| Mar-11 | $3.43 | $3.43 | ||||
| Apr-11 | $3.53 | $3.56 | ||||
| May-11 | $3.54 | $3.47 | ||||
| Jun-11 | $3.42 | $3.43 | ||||
| Jul-11 | $3.44 | $3.45 |
I have earlier figures, but they’re based on the Capital City data and I want to run more Diamond to keep things apples-to-apples. Some day…
Permanent pages have been posted for these tables in the Vital Statistics section: Cover Prices by Month and Median Cover Prices by Year. There are other pricing-related posts here, including a history of comics price decreases, and a look at graphic novel pricing.
Comichron founder John Jackson Miller has tracked the comics industry for more than 25 years, including a decade editing the industry’s retail trade magazine; he is the author of several guides to comics, as well as more than a hundred comic books for various franchises.
He is the author of novels including Star Wars: Kenobi, Star Wars: A New Dawn, Star Trek: Discovery – The Enterprise War, and his upcoming release, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The High Country. Read more about them at his fiction site.
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