Dell Lone Ranger #1 9.8

[Sqeggs]

Broke the $10K barrier (with the BP)!

 

I guess there ARE other Lone Ranger collectors!

 

I have been a fan of the Lone Ranger for over sixty years but I wonder whether the earlier Four Color comics have increased in value too. I've tried to buy number 1 several times but always outbid. I wonder why they didn't start the numbering with the Four Color issues like they did for Donald and Mickey.

 

Not sure I follow. How was the LR numbering different?

[comicdonna]

I think he means, for example FC #178 was the !st Scrooge. With Lone Ranger, it started with Lone Ranger #1, not FC ____

[Sqeggs]

I think he means, for example FC #178 was the !st Scrooge. With Lone Ranger, it started with Lone Ranger #1, not FC ____

 

Ah, I see. Right, Scrooge, DD, and MM didn't begin their separate runs with number 1's the way LR did. I wonder if it had to do with LR 1 coming several years earlier? Perhaps it was one of those second-class mail dodges, where starting with an arbitrary number meant they didn't have to put down a new deposit? Or for some other reason, they decided that not starting with a number 1 had an advantage?

[comicdonna]

It might of been something as simple as needing an issue for the FC run for that month or not. If not, they printed it as a #1.

[Sqeggs]

It might of been something as simple as needing an issue for the FC run for that month or not. If not, they printed it as a #1.

 

I haven't looked at it systematically, but it seems like the date is what determines it. Pre-1950, a series starts with a No. 1; post-1950 it starts with some other (often arbitrary) number.

 

I checked the following:

 

Pre-1950

LR

D ick Tracy

Raggedy Ann and Andy

 

Post-1950

DD

MM

Scrooge

Porky Pig

Bugs Bunny

Turok

Zorro

 

Unless, of course, I'm missing some counterexamples.

[comicdonna]

That very well might be true.

[Sqeggs]

Of course, it leaves open the question of why they made the change.

[Scrooge]

Off the top of my head, here are other series that started at # 1 after spinning off the FC series:

 

Tarzan, Little Lulu and Roy Rogers.

 

IIRC, all these had # 1 issues, pre-1950 which would help confirm your hypothesis.

[comicdonna]

FC's were my 1st collecting focus, along with westerns. I had about a third of the FC's before selling.

 

BTW, my wife would like a Lone Ranger #1. She might have to settle for a fine copy.

[tth2]

Broke the $10K barrier (with the BP)!

 

I guess there ARE other Lone Ranger collectors!

 

I have been a fan of the Lone Ranger for over sixty years but I wonder whether the earlier Four Color comics have increased in value too. I've tried to buy number 1 several times but always outbid. I wonder why they didn't start the numbering with the Four Color issues like they did for Donald and Mickey.

Nice books!

 

And a very interesting question that I never thought about before.

 

It`s also funny that the FCs go for less than the #1, even though the FCs precede the #1. It`d be like AF 15 going for less than ASM 1.

[tth2]

It might of been something as simple as needing an issue for the FC run for that month or not. If not, they printed it as a #1.

 

I haven't looked at it systematically, but it seems like the date is what determines it. Pre-1950, a series starts with a No. 1; post-1950 it starts with some other (often arbitrary) number.

 

I checked the following:

 

Pre-1950

LR

D ick Tracy

Raggedy Ann and Andy

 

Post-1950

DD

MM

Scrooge

Porky Pig

Bugs Bunny

Turok

Zorro

 

Unless, of course, I'm missing some counterexamples.

Very interesting, I think you`re absolutely right. At least I can`t think of any exceptions to the rule you`ve posited.

 

Having been a collector of Tarzan, Lone Ranger and Turok, who appeared in FC before getting their own title, I can confirm that they all follow the pattern you`ve noted above. Good stuff!

[BB-Gun]

Donald Duck #1 was Four Color 318, IIRC. It should have started with FC 9 or #1.

DD 1 and 2 are also listed as FC 318 and 328 on the cover.

 

[Sqeggs]

Donald Duck #1 was Four Color 318, IIRC. It should have started with FC 9 or #1.

 

Right. If you start with FC 9, then the first book in DD's own series should have been (I think) 29, rather than 26. So either the choice of number was arbitrary or somebody miscounted.

[BB-Gun]

I think if you add up all of the DD and Family Album comics between FC 318 and DD 26, the numbers are correct.

[Sqeggs]

I think if you add up all of the DD and Family Album comics between FC 318 and DD 26, the numbers are correct.

 

Are you sure? I don't think there are 25 DD related FCs in that brief span between FC 318 (Jan 1951) and DD 26 (Nov 1952).

 

 

 

[BB-Gun]

I think if you add up all of the DD and Family Album comics between FC 318 and DD 26, the numbers are correct.

 

Are you sure? I don't think there are 25 DD related FCs in that brief span between FC 318 (Jan 1951) and DD 26 (Nov 1952).

 

 

 

I guess you are right. The numbers are a little closer if you start a retroactive count and assume FC 9 is number 1 and FC 29 is # 2.

23 of the issues above plus at least 5 more (FC9, 29, 275, 348 and 379) appeared before DD 26

[tth2]

I think if you add up all of the DD and Family Album comics between FC 318 and DD 26, the numbers are correct.

 

Are you sure? I don't think there are 25 DD related FCs in that brief span between FC 318 (Jan 1951) and DD 26 (Nov 1952).

 

 

 

I guess you are right. The numbers are a little closer if you start a retroactive count and assume FC 9 is number 1 and FC 29 is # 2.

23 of the issues above plus at least 5 more (FC9, 29, 275, 348 and 379) appeared before DD 26

Why would the count start at FC 9? That was the first Barks work, but not the first DD in FC.

[BB-Gun]

I think if you add up all of the DD and Family Album comics between FC 318 and DD 26, the numbers are correct.

 

Are you sure? I don't think there are 25 DD related FCs in that brief span between FC 318 (Jan 1951) and DD 26 (Nov 1952).

 

 

 

I guess you are right. The numbers are a little closer if you start a retroactive count and assume FC 9 is number 1 and FC 29 is # 2.

23 of the issues above plus at least 5 more (FC9, 29, 275, 348 and 379) appeared before DD 26

Why would the count start at FC 9? That was the first Barks work, but not the first DD in FC.

 

FC 9 was the first Duck story in the second FC series.

If you count the books with the "Walt Disney's Donald Duck" title, there are 25 issues before publication of Walt Disney's Donald Duck #26.