Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 9/82 · NEWSSTAND
UNIT ECA-013688
CAPTAIN AMERICA #273
Bronze Age Captain America newsstand issue from the DeMatteis/Zeck era
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | September 1982 | Bronze | Newsstand | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-013688 | ~9.0 | Newsstand | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or color break. Spine appears tight with no stress lines visible in this photo, and edges look clean without chipping. Book is bagged, which limits full assessment of surface sheen and back cover; interior pages were not examined. Minor handling wear cannot be ruled out due to the protective sleeve and slight glare.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $3 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $8 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $150 |
// Archive commentary
Captain America #273 (Marvel Comics, September 1982) arrived during J.M. DeMatteis's run as writer, with Mike Zeck providing cover art in his signature dynamic style of the period. The issue is a standard installment of the ongoing series, contributing to the character's early-1980s continuity but without a first appearance, origin, or other landmark event that collectors typically single out. It reflects the workmanlike, well-crafted output of the Captain America title during a period when the book was building toward the more heavily collected Baron Zemo and Bernie Rosenthal storylines that would follow in subsequent issues.
Market data for this issue is sparse, with only a small handful of certified sales recorded across the grading spectrum. Prices remain modest through the mid-to-high grades, with a pronounced jump at the top of the census reflecting the scarcity of pristine certified copies rather than any inherent demand spike tied to content. This pattern is typical of unheralded mid-run Bronze Age issues: raw copies in circulated condition carry little premium, while a small pool of top-grade submissions can command outsized prices simply because so few exist.
This is a book for series completists and Captain America run-builders rather than character-milestone chasers. Lower and mid-grade raw copies trade cheaply and are readily available, making the issue an easy, affordable addition to a longer run. The real action, such as it is, sits at the top of the grading scale, where a scarce 9.8 can draw a disproportionate price simply on condition rarity; buyers targeting that tier should expect thin comps and should treat any transaction as anchored more to population scarcity than to collector demand for the story itself.
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