{"id":5225,"date":"2011-08-24T20:24:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-24T20:24:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-01T16:38:57","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T21:38:57","slug":"comics-cover-prices-from-1961-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/24\/comics-cover-prices-from-1961-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Comics cover prices from 1961 to present"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Von Allan has posted an interesting article on comic book pricing in comparison with minimum wage<\/b><\/a> over the years, which prompted me to get online some materials that I’ve been meaning to post for some time.<\/p>\n

First, readers of Comics Buyer’s Guide<\/b><\/i><\/a> 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<\/b> comics, all DC<\/b> comics, and all Archie<\/b> comics. I presented them visually, with my commentary and the actual cover price stamps, as seen in these three images below:<\/p>\n

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I have not run the same analysis yet for 2005-2011, but it’s pretty straightforward to do.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I also have the average<\/b> prices of all comics in Diamond’s Top 300 from January 1995 to present here, as well as the average weighted<\/b> prices \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Below, are the raw figures that created it \u2014 and you will see therein reasons for some of the fluctuations.
\nThe blue figures from July 1995<\/b><\/a> to August 1996<\/b><\/a> 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<\/b><\/a> to March 1997<\/b><\/a>, 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:<\/p>\n