What Is the Rarest Richie Rich in High Grade?

[Ozark Comics]

Richie Rich #21

 

I've been collecting RR for several decades now and finding a high grade RR#21 has been nearly impossible. With only 3 copies certified by CGC over the past 10 years it is easily the most difficult to obtain. There are lots of listings for raw low grade ones, but, nothing in high grade. Most other issues have at least 6 or more certified copies.

 

Issues with 3 certified: #21

Issues with 6 certified: #12, #13, #22

Issues with 8 certified: #14, #24

Issues with 9 certified: #20

 

In 2003 I bought a huge collection of high grade Harvey Comics (Richie Rich, Casper, Spooky, Little Dot, Little Lotta, Hot Stuff, etc) from Bill Carpenter and he only had a VG copy of RR #21. I knew Quinton Clem (Harveyland) had a certified set of RR including the #21. Over the years I asked him many times to sell it, but, he would never part with it.

 

I was fortunate to be able to acquire it in a Heritage Sunday Auction last month (Sep 2013). In 2009 when the 9.0 first came on the auction block I'm sure I passed on it thinking Heritage will soon slab another file copy in a higher grade, but, so far, that has never happened. Maybe they are sitting on a pile of them and at some future date will send them off to get certified and sell them or maybe this 9.0 is as high as it gets.

 

See more journals by Tom Skahan

[bagofleas]

That particular shade of blue, or close to it, is very hard to get in higher grades. Even 70's and 80's comics have the same problem with that blue.

 

Just look at New Mutants #58. It is one of only 2 issues of the series that has yet to be graded above 9.6. I currently have one in process right now and I will be shocked to see it reach 9.8.

 

Now, of course there are far more copies of the more modern stuff, so there are 9.6 and below copies out there, but the 9.8and up copies are rare or completely non-existent.

 

That RR 21 is no different except that it is older and has a far lower print run. I love that cover BTW!!! It's a beautiful copy and most likely the highest grade you will ever see on that particular issue.

 

Congrats on that one!!!!

[Silver Collector]

Hi tskahan,

Nice comic. I don't know much about Richie Rich books but I can appreciate trying to collect a set where there are few high grade examples of a particular book. I find early Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane books extremely difficult to get in "high grade". The best unrestored LL #1 issues only make it to 8.0.

Good luck with the rest of your set.

 

Mike

[Ronnylama]

that will be a 9.8 or I am dumbfounded