Dell UK Price Variants 3 3

[AJD]

On 4/14/2019 at 8:43 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

We're up to 209 confirmed pence copies now - I spotted this Looney Tunes #222 on eBay in the week:

 

We only need LT #223 for a full 9d block now:

 

There's a UK seller who has a helpful habit of placing stickers across the area where a 9d may be:

Too pricey to buy on the off chance. I'll try a message. 

In terms of what may not exist, the spreadsheet screenshot above remains quite telling - no books for the visible titles beyond October 1960 so far. Other hidden titles do have copies from that date of course, so we can never say never, but it is starting to look fairly convincing isn't it.

Time will tell...

Guessing the message didn't elicit a reply then?

[Get Marwood & I]

16 hours ago, AJD said:

Guessing the message didn't elicit a reply then?

 

It did actually Andy, in the positive. But I don't count it until I see it - that's always been the rule:

[pemart1966]

14 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

 

It did actually Andy, in the positive. But I don't count it until I see it - that's always been the rule:

However, the reply does NOT really answer the question does it.  All he says is that it was produced as a duel priced issue and NOT that this specific comic is dual priced...

[Get Marwood & I]

Just now, pemart1966 said:

However, the reply does NOT really answer the question does it.  All he says is that it was produced as a duel priced issue and NOT that this specific comic is dual priced...

True, you could read it that way. I've asked Darryl the same question a few times though so I think he knew what I meant. Either way, in line with my research rules, it doesn't exist until I have a confirmed image / copy, and it's therefore not in my confirmed number list. If it was a cheaper copy I'd buy it. Another will turn up sooner or later. 

[Get Marwood & I]

I haven't added a pence Dell to the chart since the 14th of April despite checking eBay daily:

 

It's been stuck on 209 (210 if you believe Darryl re Looney Tunes #223) out of a theoretically possible 424 for some time now.

I've spent a bit of time this afternoon rechecking ebay / online by title and have found no more. And I found none at the last London Fair. I do think there are still a few to find, but I also feel the 'October 1960 cut off' will turn out to be a thing - 19 of the 40 titles either stop on, or have no pence issues after this date (eight of them shown below to illustrate the point):

 

If I'm right, the overall number will drop significantly and there may actually be very few left to get....

Usually when I say these things, new ones turn dutifully up.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Evening all Part II (see Marvel Fred) 

I couldn't leave this one sitting on eBay for the comparatively measly sum of £5.49 when the seller said it was a 'NM+' copy:

 

I already have a 9d copy - you can see why I went for another:

  

 

Anyway, it may well have been a NM+ when he posted it but - despite me adding the following note: "Please pack it so that it arrives in the same condition advertised" - something like that - it arrived nearer an 8.0 due to the old 'single sheet of flimsy cardboard' packing scenario. Odd that, that a sheet of flimsy cardboard, with the grooves running across the width of the comic - could possibly bend during transit? Sacre bleu!

Still, it's still a nice clean copy and I like it. I tend to let all ebay packing fails pass lately. Especially for relatively low sums. If I dug my heels in, I'd return / complain about 90% of everything I buy. It sort of goes with the territory at this level, which is completely wrong of course but there you go.

Me, I pack 99p sales like a brick, in mylite sleeves, and get no feedback / acknowledgement at all on a regular basis. All's unfair in love and ebay isn't it 

Still no new finds for Dell. I wonder some times whether I've inadvertently catalogued the lot. 

Anyway, here's another, that came in the same bendy parcel:

Nice miscut Earl!

See ya 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Uncle Scrooge #33 has been on the confirmed pence list for a long time now courtesy of this old picture that I lifted from ebay many moons ago:

 

I do like a full cover image for the files though and a second copy finally materialised on ebay this week with a nice full picture of the whole cover:

 

And it's the same copy as the one in the first picture! As well as the cut off bottom right edge, the seller has the others in the picture up for sale too. Too much of a coincidence. 

I like how these later copies have a single one shilling price, as opposed to a dual cover price. Makes them feel a little more authentic in a way. Nice cover isn't it. I do like a detailed multi panelled cover (see Charlton Fred) but I also like these bold simplistic images too. The Tom and Jerry ones are great examples. Simple, but very clever I think. 

 

[FoggyNelson]

I like seein Uncle Scrooge shoveling gold into his hopper , I remember one issue Uncle Scrooge was taking a bath in his gold coins🤣🤣🤣🥰

[Get Marwood & I]

Hello Bat Masterson #6 

 

Purchased yesterday at the London Fair at half the cover price. Couldn't leave that behind. And what a great label, from the previous owner. Commendable.

Here he is minus bag:

 

I used to like Gene Barry in The Adventurer with Barry Morse. Barry to Bradley. Music from John Barry. Barry's everywhere on that show. And a helicopter.

But I digress.

Bat Masterson isn't new to the files, but this one is:

 

I didn't buy that - just took a picture - as it was twenty quid.

I'm not made of f****** money. 

Anyway, a new one. Yay! 

[Get Marwood & I]

3 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

      

...completes the set by the way... 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Here's a Bug's Beach Party with a nice two shilling cover price. 

The dealer wanted ten pounds for it, and I bartered him down to a fiver due to the rather unfortunate (it's lovely otherwise) water stain:

 

The water stain looks like a cloud in a way doesn't it, and could be mistaken for part of the picture, so I wasn't too disappointed.

Until I got home that is, and found that I already had a copy.

  

 

Filing system / wants list fail!  

 

 

I'm over it 

[1950's war comics]

9 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Filing system / wants list fail!  

 It's such a bummer when you buy an issue you already have... i think there is another thread going on now just on that subject

Edited August 19, 2019 by 1950's war comics

[Get Marwood & I]

Afternoon 

The 'Have Gun Will Travel' #9 that I posted earlier was the first new pence Dell find for some time. By way of recap, we have 210 confirmed pence copies across 40 titles with a theoretically possible 424 overall pence copies if the date range and title list I have documented stand firm.

There comes a point in the research where you start to consider that you may have found them all. I have always adopted a never say never approach and, indeed, have often been proven wrong by the appearance of an unexpected book. But when you go so long without any new sightings, you do start to wonder.

I've already mentioned the gaps on the spreadsheet which indicate that a title / titles stop around a certain date. If we take a stroll through all 40 titles, we can speculate how many more may surface.

 

 

For the first eight titles above (where Dell Giant and Four Color represent one title each - I'll cover those later), Bat Masterson and Colt .45 are both complete. Mighty Mouse, Andy Panda, Bugs Bunny and Cheyenne all fit the 'title ends in October' pattern that I have theorised over in earlier posts. Only Bugs Bunny #72 looks like it could/should exist.

 

 

For the next eight titles above, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel and Wyatt Earp are all complete. Hi-Yo Silver and I Love Lucy fit the 'no issues past October' pattern. For the remaining three titles:

• Huckleberry Hound appears to have legitimate gaps. But I have seen countless copies of issues 9, 10 and 12 in the UK and they are always cents only. Issue #8 goes beyond October, so I have little choice but to add the missing issues to the list
• Lassie and Lawman both have the last issue missing. This seems to be a thing, the missing last issue, which affects a number of titles. My gut tells me they may not exist.

If the above turns out to be true, only Hi-Yo Silver #34 and the Huckleberrys may turn up

 

 

For the next eight titles above, The Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Porky Pig and Quick Draw McGraw all fit the 'no copies beyond October' pattern. The Rifleman fits the 'no final issue' theory as I have seen countless copies of #8 in the UK, always cents only. Rin Tin Tin is complete. I am told that Looney Tunes #223 exists so that can be added to the list. Quick Draw McGraw #4 should exist, if that issue is the October final copy. Mickey Mouse is an enigma with only two pence copies one of which is after October. I have searched and searched, and my gut says no more copies. And yet that would have no pattern of any sort were it true. That is until you look at Donald Duck later in this post. Maverick should have #15 and 16 unless the #16 fits the 'no last issue' pattern (by which I mean no last feasible pence issue)

 

 

For the next eight issues above, Turok is complete. Ruff and Reddy, Sea Hunt, Spike and Tyke, Tom and Jerry and Tweety and Sylvester all fit the 'no copies beyond October' pattern (and a lot of double acts in that bracket). Roy Rogers seems to be missing #140 and - subject to the 'final issue' curse - #144. Spike and Tyke are missing #22 and Tom and Jerry are missing #191. Wagon Train breaks the mould with a big three issue gap in the middle. So little choice to put #7, 8 and 9 on the list

 

 

For the final eight titles above, Walt Disney Presents, Chip n Dale and Scamp all fit the 'no issues beyond 'October' pattern. In fact, all three have only one pence issue found - and all are dated September. Coincidence? I don't think so and suspect this is by design. New Funnies also ends in September. Donald Duck has the same pattern as Mickey Mouse - only two pence copies, both one issue apart. coincidence? I don't think so. Uncle Scrooge has the same pattern.  Zorro #10 and 12 could exist. The title is oddly rare over here so I tentatively put them on the list. Walt Disney's Comics and Stories has no identifiable / common pattern so I add the missing issues accordingly, having no grounds to dismiss them other than their stubborn absence 

 

So, where does that leave us?

Issues which may yet turn up are:

Bugs Bunny #72

Hi-Yo Silver #34

Huckleberry #7, 9, 10 and 12

Looney Tunes #223

Quick Draw McGraw #4

Maverick #15, 16

Roy Rogers #140, 144

Spike and Tyke #22 

Tom and Jerry #191

Wagon Train #7, 8, 9 

Zorro #10, 12

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #235, 236, 237, 238, 242, 243, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250

 

Another 30 issues which may turn up.

In the next post, I'll review the Dell Giants and Four Color issues. My gut tells me that their are precious few left to find though, so the overall Dell pence total may end up settling around the 240 issue mark in time. Unless, of course, I've captured them all in which case 210 is it! 

Every time I say that - every time - a new one comes along to prove me wrong 

Pure speculation, but all good fun 

[Get Marwood & I]

Afternoon 

The Lone Ranger's 'no copies after October' pattern that I mentioned in previous posts has been broken by this one shilling fellow:

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Here's a few recent TV western additions to the Dell pence pot (I like how they always seem to have the actor's name on the covers):

Gene looks dapper there doesn't he. 

Sometimes it's hard to spot the UK price on these photo covers. When in doubt, pop it on the cover stars trouser leg 

 

And here's a Lassie. Always end on a Lassie if you can 

Arf! 

[Gnasher]

I was under the impression they always had a price on their head,,,,,boom boom

[Get Marwood & I]

1 hour ago, Gnasher said:

I was under the impression they always had a price on their head,,,,,boom boom

Over it maybe 

[Gnasher]

8 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Over it maybe 

The Texan was never shown in the UK, but if you like westerns ii's not a bad series.

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, Gnasher said:

The Texan was never shown in the UK, but if you like westerns ii's not a bad series.

Yeah, and remember this one?

"Dah nah, nunner nah nah. Nunner nunner nun nah nah!"

 

It's the wrong show isn't it  

[Get Marwood & I]

Evening 

Here's a nice Ellery Queen from the Four Color files:

 

Whoever was responsible for adding the one shilling price to these later FC UK copies never quite made their mind up how to go about it.

In order, we have:

Four Color #1164 with a 15c US price in an ellipse and a separate one shilling UK price in a circle:

Then Four Color #1165 with just a one shilling UK price in a circle covering where the 15c US price would otherwise be in its ellipse:

Then Four Color #1200 with a 15c US price in the Dell stamp box and a separate one shilling UK price outside it in a circle:

And then Four Color #1236 with just a one shilling UK price in the Dell stamp area with no circles or ellipses in sight:

 

Make your mind up!