While many are familiar with the key Archie issues from the Golden Age, they’re also out of most collectors’ price range. So, let’s take a look at the Silver Age for potentially more affordable issues to target.

Life With Archie

Released in 1958, Life With Archie #1 was the start of a series that, for the first time, focused on longer form stories for Archie and his Riverdale friends. It’s a good issue to target although not the easiest to find. There are only 36 graded copies in the CGC census and the highest grade is a singular 8.0. Easier to find in the lower grades, you’re more apt to discover a copy in the 3.5 to 4.0 range as they make up roughly 42% of the census. The current 90-day average for a 3.5 is $159. If you’re fortunate enough to find one in the mid-grades the one-year average of $620 for a 6.0 gives you a ballpark value to target.

Good luck finding a graded copy of Life With Archie #6. There are only four graded copies of this key issue that features the first appearance of the Archies. For those not in the know, the Archies were a music group that would eventually feature in their own successful cartoon. Raw copies are out there with a few currently on eBay, ranging in price from $30 for low grades to $80 for mid grades.

In the mid-1960s, Archie Comics, recognizing the astounding growth of Marvel and their superheroes, gave Archie himself a superhero identity. Life With Archie #42 is the first appearance of this superhero – Captain Pureheart. While a silly concept, it does make this a key Silver Age Archie issue. There are 15 graded copies, and the most recent sale was one of four 9.8 graded copies going for $995 in June 2023. That’s down slightly from a 2020 sale for $1,020. Lower grades can typically be found for much less.

Josie

One of the more well-known Archie Comics characters to emerge in the Silver Age was Josie. A creation of Dan DeCarlo, Josie and her future bandmate Melody, made their first appearance in Archie’s Pals ‘N’ Gals #23 from 1962. There are 80 graded copies but none above 9.0 and only five higher than 6.5. The square bound format similar to Marvel and DC annuals of the same era hasn’t held up well over time and the propensity for Archie Comics to be “reader” copies over collectibles has led to a dearth of copies in the higher grades. We’ve seen two sales in the past year which give us a decent value range. A 7.0 sold for $830 in September 2023 while a 4.5 went for $350 in a February 12 fixed price eBay sale.

Josie, Melody, and bassist friend Valerie made their debut as Josie and the Pussycats in Josie and the Pussycats #45 from 1969. The title had previously been named Josie but beginning with this issue and the formation of the band the series received the title that would forever be known to fans of the cartoon series and later film. There are 72 graded copies in the CGC census but only one sale in the past year. That was an 8.5 selling for $765 in a January 7 eBay auction, down considerably from its peak of $1,320 set in a June 2021 Heritage auction.

Archie’s Girls

We now turn our attention from first issues and first appearances to classic covers. Two of the most sought-after ones were by Harry Lucey and were published in 1959. The first of these graced the cover of Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #40. There are 82 graded copies but none above 8.0. Values on the upper end of the census are quite high, evidenced by the sale of an 8.0 for $6,000 in November 2022. However, in the mid and lower grades prices drop sharply. A 3.0 sold in a May 17 fixed price eBay sale for $365, a value that has been relatively constant since 2021.

The second cover came in the very next issue: Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #41. There are far fewer graded copies with only 31 in the CGC census and only 10 recorded sales. One of these came on April 6 when a 6.5 sold for $650 in an eBay auction. Taking this into consideration, along with the recent sale of a lower grade for the previous issue should give you a nice target pricing range.

Sometimes covers become classic less for their artistic merits but more for the text included. Such is the case of the meme-worthy cover for Betty and Me #16 from 1968. While innocuous enough at the time of publication, changes in the meanings of phrases have turned this into a hilarious and much sought after cover. There are 196 graded copies in the CGC census, huge for a Silver Age issue from Archie Comics. Sales abound and the record price was just set on June 23 in the recent Heritage Signature Auction when a 9.2 went for $3,360. Two days later a 7.5 sold for $660 in the same auction which is down from its $1,000 peak in September 2021. In the lower grades, you’re looking at more affordable prices, with a 30-day average of $349 for a 4.0 and $220 for a 3.0.

Silver Age Archie Wrap-Up

This really only scratches the immediate surface of Silver Age Archie Comics worth pursuing. There are many more issues to consider from what was a very fertile time period for the publisher. From the juvenile – Little Archie – to the bizarre – Archie’s Madhouse – there is much more to be explored in Archie Comics from the Silver Age.

Do you collect Silver Age Archie Comics? What are some of your favorites? Let us know below.