Welcome back! Last time around we looked at the key Marvel Comics from 1976 with 30 cent price variants. This time around, we’re going to discover the rarest of the 30 cent price variants so you know which ones to be on the lookout for when you’re hunting down these scarce treasures.

A Warning

When searching for 30-cent price variants, it can be an adrenaline rush when you find one, so much so that you may not even realize that the book in question is quite possibly not a variant. There are two comics that Marvel published between April and August 1976 that were priced at 30 cents in ALL markets, not just the test markets. Therefore, these comics are not variants, not rare, and should not be purchased as if they were.

The two comics in question are Inhumans #5 and Ka-Zar #16. Know that if you find either of these books with 30 cents on the cover, don’t get overly excited; they’re all priced at 30 cents. Memorize those two comic books and you won’t have to worry about making any mistakes.

Rare 30 Cent Variants

In general, once you get past the keys mentioned in the previous blog on 30-cent variants, all of them become exceedingly rare. By rare, I mean fewer than 60 copies in the CGC census. That includes all of the big-name superhero comics.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular ones that collectors seek: two anniversary issues in Captain America #200 and Avengers #150, and a Galactus cover in Fantastic Four #173.

Captain America #200

There are 47 graded copies of the 30-cent variant of Captain America #200 in the CGC census. Compared to the high-priced keys, these are much more affordable despite there being fewer available copies. No 9.8 or 9.6 copies have recorded sales, so we have to drop down to 9.4 for our data.

The last sale in the 9.4 grade was in May 2020 for $279. The price has generally been on an upward climb since 2018, although there have been only three sales in that three-year time span and none since. Being that there are 10 copies in the 9.4 grade and it’s been a couple years since any sales, I would think that $300 is roughly the target price for this comic.

Avengers #150

There are only 29 graded copies of the 30-cent variant of Avengers #150 in the CGC census. With a census count so low, it’s not surprising that you rarely see these for sale. No copy graded above 8.0 has sold since October 2020. The most recent sale occurred in December 2021 when one of the three 8.0 graded copies sold for $76 in an eBay auction, not a terrible price to pay for a scarce comic.

It’s especially not a bad price when you consider that the top price paid was $964 for the only 9.8 copy in an eBay auction on that previously mentioned date of October 2020.

Fantastic Four #173

With its striking Galactus cover, Fantastic Four #173 is definitely prized by 30-cent variant collectors. There are 32 graded copies in the CGC census, with a quarter of them in the 9.4 grade. Even with that many represented in the 9.4 grade, it’s hard to say what a copy would sell for; the last recorded sale in this grade was in March 2015 for $152.

The highest price paid was for the single 9.8 graded copy. It went for $1,200 in a March 2019 fixed-price eBay sale. The most recent sale was for the only 6.5 graded copy when it sold in an eBay auction for $58.

If you can find a copy of this book in the mid grades, it’s definitely worth considering the purchase. They don’t come up for sale very often and are still considered affordable when compared to the high grades.

The Rarest 30-Cent Variants

Marvel westerns, reprint books, and some horror comics are generally the least represented in the CGC census and would be considered the rarest. How rare? You’re looking at comics with fewer than 20 copies in the CGC census and, in some cases, fewer than 10.

There are five 30-cent variant Marvel comic books, however, that go beyond rare and would have to be considered singularly unique, at least in terms of graded copies. They are, in descending order:

Super-Villain Team-Up #5: 3 CGC graded copies (9.2, 8.5, 8.5) and 1 CBCS graded copy (8.5)

Omega the Unknown #3: 2 CGC graded copies (9.6 & 9.2)

Marvel’s Greatest Comics #63: 1 CGC graded copy (7.5)

Weird Wonder Tales #15: 1 CGC graded copy (8.0)

Rawhide Kid #133: No graded copies

If you’re able to find any of these books, even raw, they could very well be worth picking up.

And one final note: besides these five, you should also be on the lookout for Kid Colt Outlaw #208. It is, anecdotally, the toughest of the 30-cent variants to find, so much so that only one of the nine graded copies has ever sold – the highest graded copy, the only 9.4 selling in a September 2021 fixed price eBay sale for $2,995.

Check out Doug's first piece on Marvel 30-cent variants!

Do you collect Marvel 30-cent price variants? What was your coolest find? Let us know below.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.