What are the rarest romance comics? 35 35

[Darwination]

On 12/5/2023 at 5:45 PM, Microbia said:

Just graded, only one on census.

I saw a copy of this issue sell on eBay just this weekend, not 7.5, but pretty nice.  Architects get all the girls?

Completed a scan of issue 6 picked up via this very thread very recently, Bernard Baily cover:

https://www.mediafire.com/file_premium/yahy1xzzrhjcwbl/Ideal_Romance_06_(1954-10.Key)_(Love_Jones).cbr/file

https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=35581

https://archive.org/details/ideal-romance-06-1954-10.-key-love-jones-ia

 

[Sauce Dog]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:07 PM, Darwination said:

 

Boy Meets Girl starts with painted covers for the first 18 issues, and maybe only a few that stand out.  This one might be best:

 

100% correct. Best of the run, though if I were to pick a second place it would be #9 (which I have yet to find a copy of)

[ThothAmon]

Lots of great knowledge in this thread. I’ve been salting away romance for decades hoping someday they’d have their day.  The rarity question is tough but certainly high grade collections seem few and far between. The Date with Millie 2 seems particularly rare for an early Marvel. 
 

[FoggyNelson]

Lonely Hearts ❤️ cover above it too cool 👍

[LadyDeath]

[jimjum12]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:21 AM, Ricksneatstuff said:

It’s all right, it all works out in the end 

In hindsight, I should have noticed that long ago.  GOD BLESS ....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[jimjum12]

Here's one that doesn't grow on trees, especially in grade. GOD BLESS... 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by jimjum12

[sfcityduck]

In answer to the thread title question: The one romance comic I'm looking for. Seriously. I've been looking for years. Here's what I've discovered:

You can find lots of LB Cole and Matt Baker, that market appears to be thriving, and Toth books also are on the market, as are DCs, Atlas, and especially Harvey ("file" copies). But a lot of "lesser" Romance books and publishers seem incredibly hard to find. An obvious exception are warehouse finds like Charlton's True Life Secrets 23 for which it seems you can't swing a stick without hitting one. But, for example, other Charlton books never hit the market. Makes the romance area a bit frustrating. Much harder than PCH. Maybe the hardest genre to locate a book? I think so.

[MrBedrock]

On 12/6/2023 at 11:27 AM, sfcityduck said:

In answer to the thread title question: The one romance comic I'm looking for. Seriously. I've been looking for years. Here's what I've discovered:

You can find lots of LB Cole and Matt Baker, that market appears to be thriving, and Toth books also are on the market, as are DCs, Atlas, and especially Harvey ("file" copies). But a lot of "lesser" Romance books and publishers seem incredibly hard to find. An obvious exception are warehouse finds like Charlton's True Life Secrets 23 for which it seems you can't swing a stick without hitting one. But, for example, other Charlton books never hit the market. Makes the romance area a bit frustrating. Much harder than PCH. Maybe the hardest genre to locate a book? I think so.

 

[MrBedrock]

The cover of #7 is my favorite, simply because of the colors and the composition...

[MrBedrock]

[Get Marwood & I]

On 12/6/2023 at 6:27 PM, MrBedrock said:

Ah, there it is again. My favourite two left shoes cover 

[Darwination]

On 12/6/2023 at 12:09 PM, MrBedrock said:

The cover of #7 is my favorite, simply because of the colors and the composition...

 

On 12/6/2023 at 12:27 PM, MrBedrock said:

Woo!  Killer books, Bedrock.

 

This one cracks me up!

Edited December 6, 2023 by Darwination

[ThothAmon]

Anyone else notice the obvious restoration to one of Mr. B’s beauties?

 

[LadyDeath]

A scarce classic cover by Ogden Whitney.

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 12/6/2023 at 7:38 AM, ThothAmon said:

Lots of great knowledge in this thread. I’ve been salting away romance for decades hoping someday they’d have their day.  The rarity question is tough but certainly high grade collections seem few and far between. The Date with Millie 2 seems particularly rare for an early Marvel. 
 

 

 

I see two of them on ebay, and this one in my collection...

[ThothAmon]

1949 one shot. 
 

[MrBedrock]

On 12/8/2023 at 10:54 AM, ThothAmon said:

1949 one shot. 
 

Great book, but much more than a one-shot. There were 11 issues of this MLJ (Archie) attempt at a romance run. #9 even looks like an Archie comic...

 

[Yorick]

There's probably a foreign Darling Love too....

 

[Darwination]

On 12/9/2023 at 2:24 PM, Yorick said:

There's probably a foreign Darling Love too....

 

SIXPENCE