COMMANDO PICTURE LIBRARY

Celebrated 50 years of publication in 2011. This is a title that has exploded in collectibility in recent years with issues under #100 of particular interest and value. In fact issues up to about #500 seem to sell well. The first 10 issues don't often come up for sale but when they do, it excites great interest and some amazing prices. A less than VG of #6 recently sold for an amazing £211.78 on eBay UK. Perhaps the area to watch is issues #100-150 where prices seem to be rapidly on the rise.

#478 was the last cover price one shilling before decimalized 5p cover price in 1971, an important cut-off point in my opinion. Never liked those dual cover priced issues anyway! Consistently good stories and great cover art have helped to make this title a very attractive proposition. There were annuals published in 1989 and 1990 featuring 7 new stories in each. Today you can buy softcover collections at most large bookstores. I've seen four: Anzac at War, True Brit, All Guns Blazing and The Dirty Dozen. Fifteen stories reprinted at £15.99. Can't be bad!

Some eBay UK sales: #1 in VG with tape on spine for £460. Also a #1 sold for £510 in VG condition with a cover crease. A complete run from issue #1 up to issues dated Dec 2009 were offered at £8,950 but sadly didn't sell. Gives an approximate idea of a run value I suppose. The first ten or twenty issues graded as anything from poor to good. Great to see an entire run offered for sale as it doesn't happen very often. Hope mcspanner got a sale in the end!

A #1 sold for an amazing £360 on eBay UK Jan 2010 graded quite rightly as a Reading Copy. Basically a mess with huge tape stains on the inside covers and re-attached back cover with magic tape. An amazing price for something falling apart!

Aug 2011: what looked like a strong VG+ copy of #1 fetched £631 on eBay UK.

May 2012: unusually two copies of #1 were advertised ion eBay UK from sepatrate sellers and both starting out at £750 but they were both re-listed indicating some market resistance to what seem high starting prices. Both copies in about VG condition.

Jan 2013 - what looked like a Fair to Good copy on eBay UK, significantly stained on the cover and the front cover coming away from the body of the comic by about an inch or so at the bottom - £166!

Apr 2014: a VG+ fetched an impressive £919 on eBay UK.

Jun 2014: what I would grade a Good to very Good copy (ie quite low grade in fact) sold for £509 on eBay UK. Thanks to Mark Tomlinson for bringing this to my attention.

As at 25th June 2014 I have increased values across the board all grades by 30% on #1. It seems that whenever a copy comes up for sale, it goes for good money whatever the condition! Better hang onto my VF+ copy then......

Oct 2020: a complete set #1-date (#5370) was advertised on eBay UK for £10,900....