Following up on our recent discussion of the foundational figures who built the organized comic market, we are taking a forensic look inside the very beginning of standardized pricing: The 1970 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #1 (via the 1993 *Comic Book Marketplace* 30-page reproduction edition).
Decades before third-party grading, population censuses, and million-dollar realized prices, Bob Overstreet published the first serious attempt to establish market consensus for vintage comic books. Looking back at the raw listings from 1970 reveals a fascinating snapshot of what the hobby actually valued—and what it completely ignored:
The Insane Compression of Condition: Long before the market separated 9.0s from 9.8s, the spread between Good and Mint on blue-chip grails was microscopic. Action Comics #1 sat at $200 (Good), $250 (Fine), and $300 (Mint). Amazing Fantasy #15 was $12, $14, and $16. X-Men #1 was just $4, $5, and $6.
Silver Age Keys Didn’t Exist Yet: Because early Silver Age books were only 6 to 8 years old at publication, fandom treated them as disposable recent reading. Amazing Spider-Man #1–62 had essentially zero keynote callouts—no 1st Green Goblin, no Lizard, no Kingpin. Fantastic Four didn't even mention Doctor Doom or the Galactus Trilogy (#48–50).
Artist Stardom in 1970: Jack Kirby, Frank Frazetta, and Joe Simon were among the very few creators deemed important enough to be credited by name on book listings.
Puzzling Curiosities: Why Animal Man and Deadman received explicit key notations while Silver Surfer and Archie (Pep Comics #22) were completely omitted; why Mad #5 was singled out as uniquely rare; and why early DC listings routinely noted "Origin" while ignoring "First Appearance."
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