Leading up to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #50 release, Gemstone Publishing will commemorate the milestone by diving into the publication’s rich history. Over the Guide’s five decades in print, thousands upon thousands of comic books have been priced, the market has been meticulously studied, and creators, characters, and publishing houses have been featured with detailed coverage. With the 50th edition comes time to revisit how comic values have steadily (sometimes astronomically) risen over the years and reflect on contributions made in crafting the Guide.
In last week’s issue of Scoop, we reprinted the article “Great Old Time Radio Premiums” by “Little” Jimmy Dempsey that appeared in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #13. Dempsey’s article on the radio premium collectibles was accompanied by the top prices he collated in 1983, with the first group covering the Top 30 Most Expensive Rings. Here, we present the next group of rings in Dempsey’s article.
Top 30 Most Rare Rings
(Rarity determined in 1983)
#1 – Tom Mix Deputy (1934)
#1 – Radio Orphan Annie Altascope (1942) – tied for #1
#2 – Superman Secret Compartment (1939)
#3 – Major Mars Tele-Coder (1949)
#4 – Captain Midnight Queen of Sheba (1948)
#5 – Captain Video Rocket (1951)
#6 – Don Winslow Member Serial No. (1939)
#7 – Buck Rogers Birthstone Initial (1934)
#8 – Frank Buck Black Leopard (1934)
#9 – Space Patrol Rocket Compass (1951)
#10 – Captain Midnight Sun God (1946)
#11 – Hopalong Cassidy Compass Hat (1940s)
#12 – Superman Action Comics (1940)
#13 – Black Flame of the Amazon (1932)
#14 – Shadow Blue Coal (1941)
#15 – Captain Marvel Movie Serial (1941)
#16 – Buck Rogers Repeller Ray (1934)
#17 – Captain Midnight Aztec (1940)
#18 – Cisco Kid/Diablo Club (1943)
#19 – Dick Tracy Secret Compartment (1938)
#20 – Tom Mix Signature (1942)
#21 – Gene Autry Good Luck (1940s)
#22 – Melvin Purvis Sacred Scarab (1937)
#23 – Tom Mix Signet (1936)
#24 – Snap, Crackle & Pop Animated (1949)
#25 – Kix Rocket to the Moon (1951)
#26 – Lone Ranger Secret Compartment with photos (1942)
#27 – Captain Midnight Initial Printing (1948)
#28 – Donald Duck Living Toy (1949)
#29 – Radio Orphan Annie Secret Guard Magnifying (1941)
#30 – Frank Buck Ivory Initial (1939)
The remainder of Dempsey’s lists will appear in future issues of Scoop.