SPARKY

Publishers: DC THOMSON
Dates: 1 23rd Jan 1965-16th Jul 1977 (652 issues, joins Topper)
Issues: CLICK HERE to view issues, super-size cover images and values in 9 grades

Increasingly collectible title. Early ones are becoming sought after. I always loved the slightly druggy Dreamy Dave and Dozy Dora strip with Alice in Wonderland-type adventures. The free gift in issue #1 The Flying Snorter Balloon is very scarce and would add £50-£75 to the value though the rubber is likely to be perished by now so I wouldn t try blowing it up. Storing these balloon free gifts is problematic as they tend to stick to protective plastic bags that we religiously wrap our comics in. Anyone got any bright ideas? Malcolm Philips at Comic Book Postal Auctions offers this advice: a little talcum powder on the plastic balloon and store separately in a cellophane shirt-sleeve paper-backed bag. How clever!

A high grade #1 with gift sold for £165 on Bay UK. The last issue #652 is sought after, like many last issues of long-running titles. An example sold on eBay UK for £13.57 back in Apr 2008. #500 sold for £10.57.

Aug 2011: the record has been broken! A copy of Sparky #1 with free gift fetched an amazing £462.16 on eBay UK as part of an auction of first issues and gifts coming out of Ireland. And the Sparky comic had a significant curl in it. But no matter - these higher grade first issues plus gifts are starting to fetch some money now. Watch out for them!

Note: Sparky #320, when it followed #319, was mistakenly numbered #316. This faulty numbering carried on for a further three weeks to issue #319. They then realised their mistake, missed out issues #320 to #323 and picked up the numbering again at #324. That's why you get two different copies of #316, #317, #318 and #319 and it causes all sorts of confusion. Check the dates throughout Feb and Mar 1971 to get them in the right order and you ll see what a mess they made of it!

Sep 2017: philcomics auction on eBay UK sold a #1 in about VG, maybr less for a staggering £310. Auction madess. Well done though Phil.....

 

See also:

SPARKY BOOK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, THE

Total value for all issues of this title listed:

Condition

PR
1.0
FR
1.5
GD
2.0
VG
4.0
FN
6.0
VF
8.0
VF/NM
9.0
NM-
9.2
NM
9.4
MINT
10.0
Issues 652 652 652 652 652 652 652 652 652
Total £ 158.00 239.00 304.00 574.00 1,130 2,110 3,960 4,950 5,950

Note: some PR issues may have no value. Selected issues in FN, VF or VF/NM may not exist in some titles.