CGC Registry

Yippie Ki Yay Buckaroo


Set Type: Western Comics (1948)
Owner: David Swan1
Last Modified: 12/19/2012
Views: 837

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Rank: 2
Score: 4086
Leading by: 2446
Points to Higher Rank: 13330
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Set Description:

The blandly named Western Comics is the first and longest running of the DC western titles lasting from Jan/Feb 1948 to Jan/Feb 1961. It featured Vigilante from Action Comics and Pow Wow Smith from Detective Comics adding Wyoming Kid with issue 1 and Nighthawk with issue 5 replacing Vigilante. Nighthawk managed to make it into Crisis on Infinite Earths before his unfortunate eradication which was later retconned away. He still makes occasional appearance in the DCU. Ohiyesa “Pow Wow” Smith has had a long if low profile career in DC comics and was popular enough to star in the first issue of All Star Western vol. 2 published in 1970 and an appearance in an episode of Justice League Unlimited. Wyoming Kid was probably the de-facto star of Western Comics but pretty much faded into obscurity after the comic ceased.

With the success of the western genre National publications changed the superhero centered All American Comics to All American Western in late 1948 with issue 103 and All Star Comics was renamed All Star Western in May 1951 with issue 58 putting the Justice Society of American on a hiatus for the next dozen years. After only 24 issues All American Western once again changed its title this time to All American Men of War as DC comics moved to a more war centric comic lineup. All Star Western survived a respectable 62 issues before cancellation in June/July 1961 and later started again with issue 1 in Sept 1970. The western genre is far less prevalent today but still alive in DC with recent titles such as High Moon, Loveless, Preacher and Scalped and with volume 3 issue 1 of All Star Western starting in Sept 2011. Also, I happen to think the recent Jonah Hex movie was much better than reviewers made it out to be.

The guide pricing of the early DC western comics appears to be reflective of their chronology of publication with a professionally graded 9.8 copy of Western Comics #1 priced at $6000, All American Western 103 is listed at $4800 and All Star Western 58 a steal at $3600. That’s the theory but the reality is I’ve found issues of Western Comics selling at or below guide prices while there is almost a complete absence of available CGC graded copies of All American Western and All Star Western and of those I’ve found they tend to be low grade copies at ridiculously inflated prices. Hence I’m collecting Western Comics and not the other two more out of necessity than desire. My original target was All Star Western but you can note how many of those I own. The highest guide priced actual CGC graded Western Comic is a tie at $2000 by issue #1 CGC graded 9.4 and issue #2 CGC graded 9.6. In case anyone is interested Western Comics #2 CGC 9.6 is currently up for auction on Heritage with an asking price of $2095. Too rich for my wallet but it’s a historically important book.

The Crown Jewels of Western Comics are clearly the Edgar Church/Mile High issues. A vast majority of the super high grade issues are from the Mile High collection and these are often priced at double guide. As much as I enjoy collecting western comics I’m not willing to pay those inflated prices so my collection remains more of a budget conscious collection. I have a couple of highest grade issues but mostly my collection is composed of second and third best issues with no Mile Highs among the lot. As the series goes on the number of high grade issues diminishes as I’m sure the sales likely did and many issues have not a single CGC graded copy.

As of August 28th 2011 33 of the 85 issues have never been CGC graded. The first issue not to be CGC graded is issue #17. There are 104 CGC graded Western Comics total which means Western Comics only averages slightly over one CGC grading per issue. Issue 5 is the most heavily graded with 9. To own even a single CGC graded issue is to own a not insignificant percentage of all of them. You can compare this to All American Western which has a mere 45 comics CGC graded with 4 issues never graded. All Star Western has 62 comics CGC graded, 24 issues have never been CGC graded. Issues graded 5.5 or less aren’t worth CGC grading since according to the price guide CGC graded comics that low command no premium.

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