Archie Comics #1-11 Bound Volume (Archie, 1942-44). This is the only bound volume including Archie #1 that we have ever seen or heard of! The recent Heritage sale of a high-grade copy of #1 for $167,000 underscored the status of this issue as one of the key books in the comic hobby. Meanwhile, issues #2-10 are perhaps even tougher to find, in fact some of those have not crossed our path in years.
Also, the eye appeal of the books in this volume is on a par with the best "loose" copies we've offered in most cases. The covers are particularly impressive, as our scans demonstrate!
Among other highlights, this run includes the first definitive love triangle story, the "origin" of Veronica, the first Miss Grundy cover (in #9, a particularly tough issue), and appearances of early characters like Jughead's cousin Souphead. Not only was Archie #1 the first teen comic book, this run kicked off a series that's still in publication today.
The comics in this black hardcover volume have been trimmed, as is customary for bound volumes. The page quality is off-white, and unlike many Golden Age bound volumes you'll find this one has no edge tanning. There's a bit of smudging on the outer page edges. The front hinge is cracked. The cover of #1 has a 1.5" tear at the bottom, and a .5" tear at the top, and #6 has a .5" cover tear. The first pages of #1 and #11 each have 2.5" tears. The back cover of #10 is nearly detached. One maze puzzle in #4 has been done in ball point, but there are no other interior markings in any issue.
The only Archie bound volume we've offered that came close to this one in terms of desirability was a Jughead #1-6 volume that sold for $4,182 (quadruple the VG Guide value) in 2010.
This volume comes from the collection of Rick Sloane, who has contributed Archie pricing data to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide for over 25 years. He purchased it in 1978 from an East Coast dealer who offered it for sale in The Comics Buyer's Guide. Overstreet 2011 VG 4.0 value for group = $13,622.