Gold Key UK Price Variants 2 2

[Spider-Variant]

56 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Afternoon Goldies 

I don't post many updates in this thread as it's clear few people are interested. Which is fair enough. This here post is likely to be the last GK update but not out of any petulance triggered by that lack of interest I should add. No, this is more more because I have finally found the missing piece of the Gold Key Pence jigsaw and our research for that publisher may therefore be at an end.

Here it is, finally, Tweety & Sylvester #42, priced seven pee:

Yay!

This book is the second from last book that I needed to find, to be able to state with near 100% confidence that there will only ever be 122, or 123 Gold Key Pence copies.

Let me explain. Take a look at the updated table for the known 8 pence titles (click to enlargivate - it's in two sections):

From cover date March 1973, when the pence copies commence, a pence copy can be found for every issue of every title except Star Trek all the way up to June 1974 with the exception of Road Runner #35, the first eligible issue in that title, which I think is likely to exist, or may have just missed the opening printing event cut. From July 1974, eligible pence copies begin to show as absent.

Ignoring Star Trek again, all the other seven titles from cover date December 1973 have a month on / month off pence existence pattern. Each missing pence month is either the result of there being no US copy produced to mirror, or because no pence copy has been found. The overriding pattern is a month on / month off pence copy appearance position. Accordingly, I feel I can say with some confidence that, Road Runner #35 aside, every pence copy has now been found. The pattern is striking, clear and consistent and strongly implies intended design. 

There is always a fly in the ointment though, and that fly is Star Trek which is the only title with an out of sequence pattern (compared to its pence peer titles). Star Trek seems to have its own unique two on / one off pence pattern, in the latter stages, for reasons unknown. But that title has been researched exhaustively by others as well as me so I believe the pence numbers are correct.

Obviously, I will keep looking, but I suspect that we may find that 122 is the final figure with only RR#35 possibly pushing it up to 123, which would be a nice sequential number wouldn't it.

As ever, I prepare myself for the Universe to correct me instantaneously! 

If you are reading, and care, I hope this made sense.

See ya! 

 

Steve, I'm not into this subject, but applaud your research and documentation (that spreadsheet looks like one of mine).  I can always respect the passion of fellow collectors and the expertise that passion has developed within them.  So, I say to you, Well Done!  

[Get Marwood & I]

39 minutes ago, Spider-Variant said:

Steve, I'm not into this subject, but applaud your research and documentation (that spreadsheet looks like one of mine).  I can always respect the passion of fellow collectors and the expertise that passion has developed within them.  So, I say to you, Well Done!  

Cheers Reggie 

[OtherEric]

2 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Afternoon Goldies 

I don't post many updates in this thread as it's clear few people are interested. Which is fair enough. This here post is likely to be the last GK update but not out of any petulance triggered by that lack of interest I should add.

 

I've said something like this before:  I find your research into the pence variants utterly fascinating.  I just almost never have anything constructive to add to the discussion.  Thank you again for doing these posts!

[Get Marwood & I]

3 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

I've said something like this before:  I find your research into the pence variants utterly fascinating.  I just almost never have anything constructive to add to the discussion.  Thank you again for doing these posts!

That was constructive Eric! 

[Spider-Variant]

41 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

That was constructive Eric! 

Yes, indeed it was.  

[Get Marwood & I]

Afternoon 

There are no Gold Key UK Price Variants for Bugs Bunny of course, but there are some licensed reprints with UK prices out there - here's one example from 1971:

The reason for posting is the fact that you can see where the US cover details have been covered over quite clearly on the UK book, which I think is cool. I can't post pictures of the full UK book, as I managed to delete it during the cropping. Pillock.

Only a handful of Gold Key Pee Vees to go now by the way. I'll post a picture of all 122 if and when I get there.... 

[Get Marwood & I]

Evening all 

Another 'Fun Catalog' comparison, because you demanded it*

UK PeeVee:

US Copee:

Insides you see:

How cool is thee!

So, no Fun Catalog in the UK copy and an alternative masthead accordingly. And the different price of course.

As I write, I have still yet to see any definitive proof as to who was the UK distributor for the Gold Key pence copies. I worked out Archie by process of elimination the other week and for Gold Key, there only appears to be two likely candidates - Thorpe & Porter and World Distributors Limited. Certainly if this unfinished illustration is anything to go by:

Who else could it be, other than one of those two?

Only Marvel had UKPVs on the go at the same time as the Gold Key UKPVs were in evidence - T&P were only distributing stamped DC cents books. And Marvel at the time was distributed by World Distributors. So could it have been them?

Our 7p Gold Key Road Runner above is cover dated December 1974 (412). At that time, Marvel UKPVs were priced 8p - see the extract of Daredevil below:

If we pop back and compare a Marvel 7p font to our Gold Key 7p one, we see no match:

 

If World were the distributors for both Marvel and Gold Key, would we expect to see a similar font and / or pricing pattern? Or is that not relevant?

If it is, does that put T&P in the driving seat? If so, why do we not see one single T&P stamped Gold Key book? Well, apart from this solitary example of mine:

It's a mystery, isn't it.

I've seen it written down online that T&P distributed Gold Key, but never backed with any evidence. I've seen many things stated online about UKPVs that are incorrect (e.g. the total absence of recognition for Miller) so I don't trust those sources. I want something definitive.

The jury therefore, for now, remains out. 

 

*Note, the 'you' referred to here is not an actual living person, meaning that, in fact, no one demanded it. Sorry.

[Get Marwood & I]

Here's something you don't see every day - A Gold Key with a T&P stamp:

I know it's a T&P because....look, I just do alright.

It's actually only the second Gold Key T&P stamped book that I have ever seen.

There's a nice UK distribution pattern building up for Tom & Jerry actually, leading into the UKPV window, as you can see below.....

                        #265                                                      #266                                                      #267

                        #268                                                     #269                                                     #270

.....believe it or not.....

 

Eye eye! 

[themagicrobot]

eye!

My vote is for World Distributors being the distributor of Gold Key (at least at some point). The Toy Shop in the next but one town had a spinner rack that ONLY contained Gold Key comics for a few years in the 1970s, never any Marvel or DC  (they were mixed in on the spinner with a variety of publications and colouring books). The shop also did a roaring trade in Annuals (of which World Distributors printed umpty thrumpty amounts covering every subject/TV show known to man. It wasn't a shop I frequented too often though being that bit too old for toys and needing all my cash for every Marvel/DC I could hoover up.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 7/18/2022 at 6:38 PM, themagicrobot said:

My vote is for World Distributors being the distributor of Gold Key (at least at some point).

Yes, mine too. I'd love to find an ad confirming it, like I did in the Dell UKPV thread recently. 

[Get Marwood & I]

I'm up to 114 of the known 122 Gold Key UK Price Variants now. 

It's very slow work, picking off the last few remaining books. They are proving particularly stubborn which I suppose goes to show how comparatively scarce they are. My latest two acquisitions aren't in the best of shape, but beggars can't be choosers. Unless they successfully enter a new TV show called "Beggars Can Be Choosers", that is, where the winner gets to pick between low and high grade Gold Key pence variants.

What? It could happen.  

 

That T&J #273 above is only the second pence copy I've seen in 4 years of looking. I missed the bidding on the previous copy by seconds, as I recall. The first Ripley's UKPV was also hard to locate - I finally managed to get a copy and then immediately found another. Always happens, doesn't it. I won't post the other one as it's in truly shocking condition and may fall apart if I try to scan it. Believe it or not!

[themagicrobot]

The UK price variants all seem to be 1970s comics. Were individual Gold Keys even actually distributed in the UK before the 1970s I wonder? The only issues I ever saw in the mid 1960s were cents copies found within Multipacks. There were five comics and I believe they cost me 2/6d per plastic bag. This wasn't always as good a deal as it seemed as you could only see the top comic. Why didn't I save the bags? Heck, I didn't even save the box my Corgi toy Batmobile came in. Later Mulipacks in the US had just three comics within.

Those Multipacks were to be found within the Toy Department of a large UK Department Store in the nearest city that my parents frequented many saturday afternoons. I amassed quite a GK collection of random Dr Solar, Magnus, The Munsters, The Jetsons , Mr Ed the talking horse etc which I have a sudden urge to own once more.

Saw these comics with faint price stamps today whilst looking for something else entirely.  

[Get Marwood & I]

On 7/28/2022 at 7:40 PM, themagicrobot said:

The UK price variants all seem to be 1970s comics.

Yep, these are they:

https://boards.cgccomics.com/blogs/entry/4902-gold-key-comics-uk-price-variants/

On 7/28/2022 at 7:40 PM, themagicrobot said:

 

Were individual Gold Keys even actually distributed in the UK before the 1970s I wonder? The only issues I ever saw in the mid 1960s were cents copies found within Multipacks. There were five comics and I believe they cost me 2/6d per plastic bag. This wasn't always as good a deal as it seemed as you could only see the top comic. Why didn't I save the bags? Heck, I didn't even save the box my Corgi toy Batmobile came in. Later Mulipacks in the US had just three comics within.

I've only ever seen two T&P stamped Gold Key comics and I bought both:

 

I've gathered a gaggle of unbranded UK stamps like the ones in your post, but there's nothing there to suggest a widespread distribution arrangement that I've detected. Aside of the UKPV dates and the 6p stickered run in copies, Gold Key doesn't seem to feature that strongly on the UK distribution front.

[Get Marwood & I]

Four years later, I finally get my first Pink Panther #19 UKPV, to bring me up to 115 of the known 122:

I like that the previous owner liked the PP:

I think he's grate too 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 11/5/2022 at 5:21 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Four years later, I finally get my first Pink Panther #19 UKPV, to bring me up to 115 of the known 122:

I like that the previous owner liked the PP:

I think he's grate too 

Spoiler

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by ADAMANTIUM

[Get Marwood & I]

Reasons to be cheerful, part three.

Reasons to be cheerful, six pee.

Reasons to be cheerful, f*** me!

Reasons to love Postmen.

Up-grade-me.

[Kevin.J]

I just looked I have 64 GK books scanned so far and not a single one is a UK PV

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/27/2023 at 1:01 PM, Kevin.J said:

I just looked I have 64 GK books scanned so far and not a single one is a UK PV

That's actually illegal, Kev.

[Kevin.J]

On 11/27/2023 at 1:02 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

That's actually illegal, Kev.

Yeah, this thread should have been inclusive and allowed books of all currency 

[Kevin.J]

Oh hang on, I have a group shot of my Star treks and that has some Pencers