Uncle Scrooge Sales Figures
Circulation as Reported in Publishers' Statements of Ownership
Filed with the United States Postal Service
First appearing in the Donald Duck tale "Christmas on Bear Mountain," Uncle Scrooge stands as a beloved original creation of the comic book world. Creator Carl Barks wrote and drew much of the series, which began with three issues fo Dell's Four Color series. (So there really is no Uncle Scrooge #1 — it is Four Color #386.)
The title was the best-selling comic book in the United States in 1960, the year that sales data first started appearing in Statements of Ownership; it was one of only two titles topping 1 million copies that year (the other being Walt Disney's Comics & Stories). Over the 1960s, the book's frequency increased from quarterly to bimonthly, and the publisher shifted from Dell to Gold Key. The 1970s found the title mostly reprints (and Gold Key stopped running circulation statements).
But after Gold Key folded, the fan base for Barks' work remained strong — and the title returned at Gladstone, with Disney publishing it itself for a short interval. The Disney incarnation was not successful, and Gladstone got it back. Gemstone and later Boom Studios and IDW continued the publication and its numbering.
Some direct-market only information is available in the monthly reports.
—John Jackson Miller
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #34 Jun-Aug | #38 June-Aug. | #41 March | #47 February | #56 March |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/60 | 10/1/61 | 10/1/62 | 9/27/63 | 9/28/64 |
| Issues published during year: | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Annual subscription price: | $0.60 | $0.60 | $0.65 | $0.65 | $0.65 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.15 | $0.15 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 428,900 | 502,759 | |||
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 296,255 | 333,558 | |||
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 4,251 | 2,900 | 2,822 | ||
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 1,040,543 | 853,928 | no data published | 299,155 | 336,380 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 781 | 714 | |||
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 781 | 714 | |||
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 299,936 | 337,094 | |||
| Copies not distributed (office): | |||||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 128,937 | 165,665 | |||
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 30.1% | 33.0% | |||
| Copies existent: | 4,251 | 299,936 | 337,094 | ||
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 69.7% | 66.9% | |||
| 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #62 March | #68 March | #73 February | #79 February | #85 February |
| Date of filing: | 9/28/65 | 9/28/66 | 9/28/67 | 9/27/68 | 9/30/69 |
| Issues published during year: | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Annual subscription price: | $0.65 | $0.65 | $0.65 | $0.75 | $1.00 |
| Cover price during year: | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.15 | $0.15 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 550,762 | 491,530 | 495,055 | 429,631 | 444,114 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 326,500 | 296,166 | 277,501 | 279,666 | 242,500 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 4,425 | 1,350 | 1,400 | 1,294 | 1,202 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 330,925 | 297,516 | 278,901 | 280,960 | 243,702 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 905 | 528 | 591 | 499 | 594 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 905 | 528 | 591 | 499 | 594 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 331,830 | 298,044 | 279,492 | 281,459 | 244,296 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | |||||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 218,932 | 193,486 | 495,055 | 429,631 | 199,818 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 39.8% | 39.4% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 45.0% |
| Copies existent: | 331,830 | 298,044 | 279,492 | 281,459 | 244,296 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 60.1% | 60.5% | 56.3% | 65.4% | 54.9% |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | |||
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #91 February | #97 February | Not in #103-5 | ||
| Date of filing: | 9/30/70 | 9/30/71 | |||
| Issues published during year: | 6 | 6 | |||
| Annual subscription price: | $1.00 | $1.00 | |||
| Cover price during year: | $0.15 | $0.15 | |||
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 401,762 | 339,830 | |||
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 225,500 | 221,112 | |||
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 1,114 | 1,561 | |||
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 226,614 | 222,673 | |||
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 589 | 619 | |||
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 589 | 619 | |||
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 227,203 | 223,292 | |||
| Copies not distributed (office): | 0 | 298 | |||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 174,559 | 116,240 | |||
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 43.4% | 34.2% | |||
| Copies existent: | 227,203 | 223,590 | |||
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 56.4% | 65.5% | |||
| 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #226 May | #234 May | #242 April | #256 July | |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/87 | 10/28/88 | 10/3/89 | 10/26/90 | |
| Issues published during year: | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | |
| Annual subscription price: | $7.60 | $7.60 | $7.60 | $18.00 | |
| Cover price during year: | $0.95 | $0.95 | $0.95 | $1.50 | |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 237,541 | 190,190 | 172,488 | 178,220 | |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 74,539 | 68,006 | 68,928 | 82,763 | |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 4,396 | 6,076 | 5,627 | 6,700 | |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 78,935 | 74,092 | 74,055 | 89,463 | |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 294 | 316 | 332 | 500 | |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 294 | 316 | 332 | 500 | |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 79,229 | 74,398 | 74,387 | 89,963 | |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 2,108 | 2,243 | 3,524 | 0 | |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 156,204 | 113,549 | 94,577 | 88,257 | |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | |||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 65.8% | 59.7% | 54.8% | 49.5% | |
| Copies existent: | 81,337 | 76,641 | 78,411 | 89,963 | |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 33.2% | 39.0% | 42.9% | 50.2% | |
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | |
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #261 December | #276 March | #286 June | #291 April | #297 April |
| Date of filing: | 10/1/91 | 9/22/92 | 9/9/93 | 9/28/94 | 10/13/95 |
| Issues published during year: | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Annual subscription price: | $18.00 | $18.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 | $9.00 |
| Cover price during year: | $1.50 | $1.50 | $1.50 | $1.50 | $1.50 |
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 162,127 | 143,534 | 160,425 | 118,180 | 93,526 |
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 54,037 | 48,564 | 154,884 | 112,528 | 75,990 |
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 6,425 | 4,667 | 3,691 | 4,072 | 4,245 |
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 60,462 | 53,231 | 158,775 | 116,600 | 80,235 |
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 169 | 485 | 142 | 219 | 15 |
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 224 |
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 169 | 485 | 142 | 219 | 239 |
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 60,681 | 53,716 | 158,917 | 116,819 | 80,474 |
| Copies not distributed (office): | 6,456 | 8,517 | 1,508 | 1,361 | 1,718 |
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 95,040 | 143,534 | 0 | 0 | 11,334 |
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | 99.7% | ||||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 58.6% | 100.0% | 0% | 0% | 12.1% |
| Copies existent: | 67,087 | 62,233 | 160,225 | 118,180 | 82,192 |
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 37.3% | 37.1% | 99.0% | 98.7% | 85.8% |
| 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | ||
| Issue Statement appearing in: | #302 Feb. | #308 Feb. | #316 Feb | ||
| Date of filing: | 10/1/96 | 9/4/97 | 9/1/98 | ||
| Issues published during year: | 6 | 6 | 12 | ||
| Annual subscription price: | $9.00 | $12.00 | $78.00 | ||
| Cover price during year: | $1.50 | $2.00 | $6.95 | ||
| Total Copies PRINTED (avg): | 80,839 | 64,938 | 20,430 | ||
| Sales through DEALERS (avg): | 36,689 | 30,121 | 8,397 | ||
| Sales by SUBSCRIPTION (avg): | 4,363 | 3,847 | 2,158 | ||
| Total PAID circulation (avg): | 41,052 | 33,968 | 10,555 | ||
| Samples by MAIL (avg): | 15 | 20 | 23 | ||
| Samples OUTSIDE mail (avg): | 224 | 224 | 224 | ||
| Total FREE circulation (avg): | 239 | 244 | 247 | ||
| TOTAL DISTRIBUTION: | 41,291 | 34,212 | 10,802 | ||
| Copies not distributed (office): | 1,301 | 1,041 | 126 | ||
| Copies not distributed (RETURNS): | 38,247 | 29,685 | 9,502 | ||
| Reported % Paid/Requested: | 99.4% | 99.3% | 97.7% | ||
| % of RUN RETURNED: | 47.3% | 45.7% | 46.5% | ||
| Copies existent: | 42,592 | 35,253 | 10,928 | ||
| SELL-THROUGH at RETAIL: | 50.8% | 52.3% | 51.7% | ||
Statement history
Notarized statements with only sales figures appeared in 1960 and 1961. In 1962, all of the Gold Key line only included subscription sales. Beginning in 1963, all categories were published. Statements ended in 1972 when Gold Key's subscription service ended.
Gladstone restarted second-class subscriptions in 1987, and Disney continued them; Gladstone picked them up again in 1998. No later publishers offered subscriptions via Periodical Class, so there was no need for any further filings.
Understanding Statements of Ownership
The figures above are taken directly from the annual Statements of Ownership, Management, and Circulation filed by publishers with the United States Postal Service. The sales figure is the Average Paid Circulation figure and includes all copies sold through newsstands, comics shops, and postal subscription. It does not count copies the publisher gave away for free, or copies that were kept for office use.
More information can be found in the FAQ section.
