UPDATED: Comic price guides - the early years

Before Duncan McAlpine's enormous '90s price guides to British comics there were some earlier, less well-known publications. Updated in red, below.

Here's the earliest one...published by Alan Austin in 1975...this covers US comic distributed in the UK after 1959 (before this distribution was too sporadic or non-existent). For comparison purposes let's track the price of one issues in all these volumes to see how prices changed, let's pick the first appearance of Spiderman in Amazing Fantasy #15 (mint condition) valued at £15.

There was also this volume from 1976

These volumes seemed to go through a number of editions (hence why the purchase prices vary on these two volumes). This is the 4th edition and is undated. 

These volumes seemed to go through a number of editions (hence why the purchase prices vary on these two volumes). This is from February 1979 and Amazing Fantasy is up to £120. 

Chronologically next up is Denis Gifford's effort - although his effort is clearly focused on British comics and should be seen as a pre-cursor for his later catalogues

Alan Austin then came back in 1983 with an updated comic guide. Amazing Fantasy #15 is now up to £300

Now we can add 'The 1979 Ferret price guide' into the mix as well! I've shamelessly taken all these images from collector Frank Motler (who posted them on the 'London Loves comics' Facebook group). Good luck hunting these rarities down, I've certainly never seem them before.