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Archie cover price variants! 15 centers exist 1962-1963
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Look up Archies joke book #66 in the O-street guide the variant price edition.

Archie comics were being test marketed with both 12c and 15c cover prices in the early 1960s. I sold an Archies Laugh #144 comic from 1963 with a 15 cent cover price on it about 2 years ago. I was blown away when I looked at the title page and it clearly stated 12c per copy inside the comic. I had a dealer check his stock and all 4 copies of his archies laugh #144 had the regular 12c cover price on them as most all archie regular size comics have from 1962-1969.

Wow! imagine that 15 cent cover prices on archie series comics way before they went from 12c to 15c in late 1969. Any other archie issues out there that are 15c cover vs 12c and not listed in the guide out there folks? Check yours they are rare to find. Let me know if you discover any of them.

Happy collecting.

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I have seen 15 cent covers on most Archie titles from that time frame, and own maybe 6 or 8 individual issues. I have also seen 35 cent covers on giant size books.

 

As far as I know, no one knows if this was a test market thing or just a higher price for Canadian distribution (shrug)

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I had the same thing show for a Tarzan 177. The price variant club seemed to think its a Canadian version. But with absolutely zero difference it makes me wonder. Plus it just so happens that Tarzan 177 is the last 12 cent issue. Looking at ebay past sales, the 15 cent version is harder to find but by no means impossible. If there are other Tarzan 15 centers on issues before this one, then I might think its a Canadian thing.

 

Regarding the Archies, if its 1966 and not 1968 my guess is Canadian, as inflation hadn't really hit until then.

 

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These 15 cent variant cover prices on the Archies and Tarzan are NOT Canadian editions in my opinion. My Archie Laugh #144 stated 12c per copy inside on the first page! but had a 15 cent cover price on it. Its 100% the way SAME way Marvel variants appeared with 30c on the cover and 25c per copy stated on the first page inside them. They were definetley were test marketing the 15c cover price and imagine how few they printed? People who worked for achie publications back then know the answer!

 

.

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Can someone please post a scan of the Archie comic books 15c cover price variants! that are out there that are cover dated October 1962 thru March 1963. Please post any you have if you would(smile)------Thanks!

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These 15 cent variant cover prices on the Archies and Tarzan are NOT Canadian editions in my opinion. My Archie Laugh #144 stated 12c per copy inside on the first page! but had a 15 cent cover price on it. Its 100% the way SAME way Marvel variants appeared with 30c on the cover and 25c per copy stated on the first page inside them. They were definetley were test marketing the 15c cover price and imagine how few they printed? People who worked for achie publications back then know the answer!

 

.

 

Sorry just saw this. Still interested to compare notes on the indicia.

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I don't have it with me right now so I can't check the indicia (I assumed it said 12c because I never heard of a confirmed Canadian edition; I can say I bought it in CT but don't know for sure it didn't come from Canada...) but...I don't know much about PDC stamps either... Do most canadian archies (or similar comics, I guess) have a pdc stamp?

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I don't have it with me right now so I can't check the indicia (I assumed it said 12c because I never heard of a confirmed Canadian edition; I can say I bought it in CT but don't know for sure it didn't come from Canada...) but...I don't know much about PDC stamps either... Do most canadian archies (or similar comics, I guess) have a pdc stamp?

 

PDC is a distributor ( Publishers Distribution Corp.), that goes back to the Golden Age. All Archie's from this era have the I.D. I do recall reading somewhere that it was thought it might stand for Published in the Dominion of Canada, and had myself repeated that information, but it is along the same lines as the ANC ( American News Corporation) and IND ( Independent News Distributors), other magazine and comic book distributors whose stamp appeared on comics in the 50s and 60s ( ANC went belly up in '57, but has its stamp on Archies from the early 50's)

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I don't have it with me right now so I can't check the indicia (I assumed it said 12c because I never heard of a confirmed Canadian edition; I can say I bought it in CT but don't know for sure it didn't come from Canada...) but...I don't know much about PDC stamps either... Do most canadian archies (or similar comics, I guess) have a pdc stamp?

 

PDC is a distributor ( Publishers Distribution Corp.), that goes back to the Golden Age. All Archie's from this era have the I.D. I do recall reading somewhere that it was thought it might stand for Published in the Dominion of Canada, and had myself repeated that information, but it is along the same lines as the ANC ( American News Corporation) and IND ( Independent News Distributors), other magazine and comic book distributors whose stamp appeared on comics in the 50s and 60s ( ANC went belly up in '57, but has its stamp on Archies from the early 50's)

 

Ahhh, very interesting, thank you!

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Of all the Archie 15 cent variants from that time, the grail is Madhouse 22, 1st appearance of Sabrina, I believe only one copy for sure is known to exist.

 

I read that too, in Overstreet, along with the addendum that there is little to no chance it will be available for sale any time soon...maybe another copy will turn up...

 

I'd be curious to see what issues are confirmed to exist and how many copies of each issue are known and then in what grade. This is the same kind of information that goes around in the bronze age 30 and 35 cent variant threads...

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Of all the Archie 15 cent variants from that time, the grail is Madhouse 22, 1st appearance of Sabrina, I believe only one copy for sure is known to exist.

 

I read that too, in Overstreet, along with the addendum that there is little to no chance it will be available for sale any time soon...maybe another copy will turn up...

 

I'd be curious to see what issues are confirmed to exist and how many copies of each issue are known and then in what grade. This is the same kind of information that goes around in the bronze age 30 and 35 cent variant threads...

Archie Comics 130 15 Cent Price Variant 6.0

Archie 125 15 Cent Price Variant 7.0

Archie 127 15 Cent Price Variant 7.0

Archie's Madhouse 19 15 Cent Price Variant 4.0 & 5.0

Archie's Madhouse 24 15 Cent Price Variant 2.0

Archie's Girls Betty and Vernonica 77 15 Cent Price Variant 5.5 & 7.5

Archie's Madhouse 19 15 Cent Price Variant 4.0 & 5.0

Archie's Madhouse 24 15 Cent Price Variant 2.0

Archie's Pal Jughead 84 15 Cent Price Variant 5.0

Pep Comics 154 15 Cent Price Variant 1.5 & 4.5

Pep Comics 155 15 Cent Price Variant 3.0

Pep Comics 156 15 Cent Price Variant 3.0

 

I think that is all the slabbed copies.

 

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