In the late 1950’s, Dell published several regular issues with both 10¢and 15¢ cover prices and several Dell Giant issues with both 25¢and 30¢ cover prices. According to Worthopedia,[1] these changes in price were regional price variations introduced to test the market for a broader price increase:
For an 18 month period (March 1957 to August 1958), every
regular size Dell comic book had a 10 cent and a 15 cent variant. The 15 cent variants
were sold in certain markets to test the feasibility of a price increase. These
are rarer and much more challenging to collect than the highly touted Marvel
cover variants of the 1970's.
I believe the
date ranges was a bit wider than what is attributed above by one month on each
side. What is interesting here is that
the statement “every regular size Dell comic book.” Michelle Nolan described these price variants
as an “experiment”:[2]
As much as I loved Dell Comics, it was pretty much lost to me as a
newstand purchaser, when Dell went to 15¢ for some of its comics as an
experiment in 1957. […] My favorite Dell
title, Uncle Scrooge, became 15¢ with #17 (May 57). Or, at least, it did on the West Coast. I am now told the West Coast was the primary
scene of the experiment, and it lasted about a year. My last 15¢ Uncle Scrooge from the 1950’s was
#21(Mar-May 58). Likewise, I have a
mixture of 10¢ and 15¢ Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, all purchased
second-hand from the 1957-1958 period.
Based on the
trends that I have found through my cataloguing effort, I believe the dates of
the “test market” are from Feb 57 to Jul 58. The origin of these price variants is
mentioned in the ComicBase Forum (11/24/2007):[3]
My cover is
exactly that of the Bambi #3 issue except that it has a 15 cent price. It is
one of a series of rare Dell 15 cent variants issued during a roughly 18 month
period in the late '50's. These were issued only in the San Francisco area as a
price test. I have quite a few of these variants myself and have begun to
upload photos for CB as I will for this issue.
The Bambi issue
mentioned above is dated 4/56, so there are examples that date back even
further than the dates given above, but these issues seem to be more sporadic. Here I will focus on the large number of
dual-priced issues that were published between Feb 57 and Jul 58 that I can
confirm. In the earlier blog “Are there
any Dell variants?” I include a list of several other price variants, most of
which are considered to be Canadian Editions.
Below is an example of these price variants for Daffy #11 (Oct-Dec 57).
Daffy #11 - 15¢ ‘Test Market’ Price Variant
(Courtesy mycomicshop.com)
Daffy #11 - 10¢ Issue
Dell published 587
issues Feb 57 and Jul 58 with a 10¢ cover price. To date, I
have confirmed 330 15¢ cover price
variants of these issues -- 56% of the 10¢ issues include a 15¢ price variant during this time period. A summary listing of these dual-priced issues
is provided immediately below, showing that some issues, such as Daffy Duck, Uncle Scrooge, and Walt Disney's Comics and Stories have a 15¢ cover price variant for every issue published between Feb 57 and Jul 58. It is possible that all comics published in this time frame have have a 15¢ variant as the ComicBase post above
would suggest. Having said this, there
are some titles that have not had any 15¢ price variants discovered to date,
including Henry, Popeye, and Rex Allen Comics. It also seems plausible that there were some
titles that did not participate in the 15¢ cover price experiment and the
dual-pricing was not ubiquitous during this time period.
| Title | 15c | 10c |
| Andy Panda | 5 | 6 |
| Angel | 3 | 6 |
| Annie Oakley and Tagg | 3 | 6 |
| Beetle Bailey | 4 | 7 |
| Ben Bowie | 2 | 7 |
| Buffalo Bill Jr. | 1 | 2 |
| Bugs Bunny | 8 | 9 |
| Cheyenne | 2 | 4 |
| Chip 'N' Dale | 5 | 6 |
| Cisco Kid | 1 | 6 |
| Comic Album | 2 | 2 |
| Daffy Duck | 6 | 6 |
| Dell Junior Treasury | 1 | 3 |
| Donald Duck | 9 | 9 |
| Flying A's Range Rider | 1 | 6 |
| Four Color Comics - Series 2 | 89 | 160 |
| Fritzi Ritz | 1 | 3 |
| Gene Autry Comics - Series 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Gunsmoke | 3 | 4 |
| Henry | 1 | 6 |
| I Love Lucy Comics | 2 | 6 |
| Indian Chief | 2 | 6 |
| Jace Pearson of the Texas Rangers | 4 | 6 |
| Jungle Jim | 5 | 6 |
| King of the Royal Mounted | 4 | 5 |
| Lassie | 4 | 9 |
| Little Iodine | 1 | 6 |
| Lone Ranger | 5 | 18 |
| Lone Ranger's Companion Tonto | 1 | 6 |
| Lone Ranger's Horse Hi-Yo Silver | 4 | 6 |
| Looney Tunes | 13 | 18 |
| M.G.M.'s Mouse Musketeers | 5 | 6 |
| M.G.M.'s Spike and Tyke | 4 | 7 |
| Marge's Little Lulu | 15 | 18 |
| Marge's Tubby | 4 | 9 |
| Mickey Mouse | 8 | 9 |
| Nancy | 1 | 11 |
| New Funnies | 10 | 18 |
| Popeye | 6 | |
| Porky Pig | 7 | 9 |
| Queen of the West, Dale Evans | 6 | |
| Rex Allen Comics | 6 | |
| Rin Tin Tin | 1 | 8 |
| Roy Rogers and Trigger | 4 | 17 |
| Scamp | 2 | 2 |
| Sergeant Preston of the Yukon | 4 | 6 |
| Spin and Marty | 2 | |
| Tarzan | 16 | 18 |
| Tip Top Comics | 2 | 3 |
| Tom & Jerry Comics | 9 | 18 |
| Turok Son of Stone | 4 | 6 |
| Tweety and Sylvester | 4 | 6 |
| Uncle Scrooge | 6 | 6 |
| Walt Disney's Comics and Stories | 18 | 18 |
| Woody Woodpecker | 6 | 9 |
| Wyatt Earp | 1 | |
| Zane Grey's Stories of the West | 5 | 6 |
| Total Result | 330 | 587 |
Another
interesting variant that appears to be related to these 15¢ ‘test
market’ price variants is the issues that have include “Now 10¢” on the
cover. An example of these cover
variants are shown below for Chip ‘N’ Dale #15 (Sep 58).
Chip ‘N’ Dale #15 “Now 10¢” Cover Variant
Chip ‘N’ Dale #15 - 10¢ Issue
I have confirmed 9 of the 33 issues with a Sep 58 publication date have variant versions with “Now 10¢ “ on the cover (listed below), versus the price without the inclusion of "Now" on the cover. This would indicate that the experiment
concluded in the test regions and Dell was signaling a return to the prior 10¢
cover price.
| Title | # | Date |
| Chip 'N' Dale | 15 | 09/58 |
| Comic Album | 3 | 09/58 |
| Four Color Comics - Series 2 | 933 | 09/58 |
| Four Color Comics - Series 2 | 934 | 09/58 |
| Four Color Comics - Series 2 | 937 | 09/58 |
| Four Color Comics - Series 2 | 938 | 09/58 |
| Scamp | 7 | 09/58 |
| Uncle Scrooge | 23 | 09/58 |
| Walt Disney's Comics and Stories | 216 | 09/58 |
There are also
several examples of Dell Giant issues that carried both 25¢ and 30¢ prices during the time period
from Feb 57 to Jul 58. Dell published 39 Dell Giants with a 25¢ cover price during this time period.
Of the 39, I, with the extensive support from another Dell enthusiast, have confirmed 25 of these issues have a 30¢ cover price
variant (64% of the issues). The listing
is found immediately below. Like the 15¢
cover price variants, it is difficult to know if there are more of these
variants, but it is likely that this list is incomplete and more will be
located. Note that I use the notation
“DG” to indicate the title is a Dell Giant.
| Title | 25c | 30c |
| DG - Abraham Lincoln Life Story | 1 | |
| DG - Bugs Bunny's Christmas Funnies | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Bugs Bunny's County Fair | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Bugs Bunny's Vacation Funnies | 2 | 1 |
| DG - Cadet Gray of West Point | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Christmas in Disneyland | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Donald and Mickey in Disneyland on Tom Sawyer's Island | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Donald Duck Beach Party | 2 | 1 |
| DG - Golden West Rodeo Treasury | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Huey, Dewey and Louie Back to School | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Life Stories of American Presidents | 1 | 1 |
| DG - M.G.M.'s Tom and Jerry Picnic Time | 1 | 1 |
| DG - M.G.M.'s Tom and Jerry Summer Fun | 1 | 1 |
| DG - M.G.M.'s Tom and Jerry Winter Fun | 1 | 1 |
| DG - M.G.M.'s Tom and Jerry's Toy Fair | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Marge's Little Lulu and Tubby at Summer Camp | 2 | |
| DG - Marge's Lulu and Tubby Halloween Fun | 1 | |
| DG - Mickey Mouse Almanac | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Mickey Mouse in Fantasyland | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Mickey Mouse Summer Fun | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Moses and the Ten Commandments | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Nancy and Sluggo Traveltime | 1 | |
| DG - Picnic Party | 1 | |
| DG - Silly Symphonies | 2 | 2 |
| DG - Tarzan's Jungle Annual | 2 | 2 |
| DG - Uncle Scrooge Goes to Disneyland | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Vacation in Disneyland | 1 | 1 |
| DG - Western Roundup | 6 | |
| DG - Woody Woodpecker's Back to School | 1 | 1 |
| Total Result | 39 | 25 |
It is not known how many 15¢ ‘test market’ price variants were published
relative to their 10¢ counterparts, but they do appear to be quite rare. It is possible that all 587 issues published
between Feb 57 and Jul 58
include both prices. As more issues are
confirmed, I will update this blog.
The Dell 15¢ editions were sold in Arizona, California, and Nevada exclusively. This information is found in a 1958 Snow White Reissue campaign book sent to theaters; among the tie-ins offered was Four Color #382. A special poster with imprint area was offered by Dell to theaters willing to sell the comic book in their lobbies. Comics for the 3 named states were listed with the increased price.
ReplyDeleteIf the sales of Dell comics was in proportion to the population, then those three states represent approximately 15% of the population, which, by proxy, would mean there is approximately 1 15c cover for every 7 10c issue. If anyone knows how to get actually publication data, that would be marvelous.
DeleteDavid, this is great information. Could you scan a copy of the list and email or post it for me? --Pat
ReplyDeletePat, please email me so we can trade information on Dell price and cover variants. I'm the fellow you quoted from the ComicBase forums. ^_^ You can use cpu -at- mac -dot- obviousThingGoesHere.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am an owner of a 15 cent price variant Porky Pig issue # 55 obtained while digging in a dollar box at a shop in Sacramento. I came across this post looking for the rarity and possible value on the web. Thanks!
I just found a TUROK #8 & #9 15 Cent variant. Thank you for this info, I was looking these up and kept seeing only 10 cover price issues of the same book and didn't understand why mine said 15 cents. This page explained everything nicely, thanks again 👍
ReplyDeleteOhhh Forgot to add, I found both in an Antique store in SoCal $3 total for both issues.
DeleteYou did very well with those purchases. Dell Turoks for $3, regardless of the variation in price, would be a great find. With the 15c cover price, you have found some truly rare comics.
DeleteI sold my extensive collection of Dell comics 3 years ago and have not been keeping up on these great new finds. If there is someone out there that would like to be the keeper of this data, please let me know and I can pass you my data. It is held in spreadsheets.
ReplyDeleteIt is my feeling that the 15c cover variants of the Dells are very rare. If they were test market copies that were produced and sold in just a few markets, it is likely that they published a small percentage of these 15c cover priced issues. Several comic sellers are now tracking these comic variants and asking a premium price for them. Rarity should manifest itself in greater value, but these issues have not been recognized yet by Overstreet Price Guide, which has retarded their acceptance. Hopefully this will change.
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm a Four Color completist. I've long had a complete run and have been trying to find all of the variants (price, back cover, Canadian, UK editions), missing number issues etc. I even have some Shop Dummies that show the final number selection, where a 15c variant price would go etc. I have counted 88 15c issues from 1957-1958, so I am missing at least one from your list. Could you please send it to me? I also count 5 earlier 15c price variants.
ReplyDeleteRegarding scarcity, I have been trawling eBay and other sites weekly for over 10 years. With the exception of a few issues (such as Circle-8 and a few westerns), the scarcity seems to be approximately 1 in 200 based on issues offered for sale openly. This would still leave up to 10,000 15c copies of some issues (eg: Disney), so they are not uncommon, just much scarcer. Being in Canada, many of the 1948-1952 Four Color back issues that I purchased in the 1960's were Canadian Editions, not test variants. These seen to have about a 5% frequency (1 in 20). There are also some colouration variations. I lived in California during the Reagan years and did see a few more test variants. However, I believe that most of the price tests were conducted in the central valley (Bakersfield etc.), and not in the large coastal cities.
Thanks
I can send you my spreadsheet, it has all the Dells that I could locate when I was collecting them. I sold the collection in a divorce 6 years ago, so I no longer own any of the comics, but the list could be helpful. Send me an email (patrick.k.simpson@gmail.com) and I will reply with the spreadsheet. -PKS
ReplyDeleteI have compared our spreadsheets and completed a combined spreadsheet for the 15c test market Four Color issues. I will send it to you immediately. I also included the comparison back cover variants for those issues. As you will see, I now count at least 103 different 15c cent Four Color test market issues in the 1957-58 time range. There are 4 "Now 10c" issues. Most price variants have story back covers. A few have ad back covers and one has both. Those same issues may have 10c versions with either or both story and ad back covers. At some point I will get around to comparing our Dell Giant price variant lists and the back cover variants for the standard-priced Four Colors. The GCD is woefully incomplete so, when I am further along, I will have to contact them.
ReplyDeleteI have a lower grade Bambi (#12) in the .15 variant
DeleteThanks. Yes, I also have a low-grade copy. I have seen a number of variants involving 15c stickers of square and diamond shapes. As far as I can tell, this is the third issue chronologically to have a 15c variant and the next issue is #272. As of Sept. 1, 2024, my count for the 15c variant Four Color issues is 110 and there are 5 "Now 10c" variants.
Delete