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.

Comic book values presented in the Guide are often analyzed to track market trends and comparisons to other titles. One such interesting comparison can be done with comic books introduced during the Silver Age. That period saw the premieres of titles, new heroes, and second incarnations of characters that are now among the most popular. At the Guide’s 20th anniversary in 1990, the values of top titles introduced during the Silver Age were charted. It’s interesting to note how many titles retain their high level of esteem and see a few that have lost some traction in the market. Below is the list of the top 25 Silver Age titles as reported in 1990.

#1 – Amazing Spider-Man – $13,109
#2 – Showcase – $12,232
#3 – Fantastic Four – $10,412
#4 – Strange Adventures – $10,260
#5 – The Flash – $9,008
#6 – Tales to Astonish – $6,566
#7 – Brave and the Bold – $6,375
#8 – X-Men – $5,979
#9 – Justice League – $5,781
#10 – Green Lantern – $5,337
#11 – Sugar & Spike – $4,731
#12 – Tales of Suspense – $4,104
#13 – Avengers – $3,873
#14 – Journey Into Mystery – $3,769
#15 – Challengers of the Unknown – $3,706
#16 – Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olson – $3,144
#17 – Daredevil – $2,879
#18 – Mystery In Space – $2,818
#19 – Richie Rich – $2,744
#20 – Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane – $2,621
#21 – Strange Tales – $2,406
#22 – Tales of the Unexpected – $2,385
#23 – Cerebus – $1,876
#24 – Iron Man – $1,530
#25 – Our Army At War – $1,507