CAPTAIN AMERICA #164

Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Bronze Age book: some corner softness at top left and bottom corners, light surface scuffing and minor color rubbing along the edges, and a faint horizontal crease visible near the werewolf's hand on the lower right. No major tears or missing pieces are visible, and the book is in a protective sleeve, but there is a slight sheen/glare that may be masking finer surface flaws. Interior and back cover were not assessed.

Captain America #164 (August 1973, Marvel Comics) arrives during Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema's celebrated stretch on the title, a run that steered Captain America toward pointed political and social commentary in the years surrounding Watergate. By this point the series was billed as Captain America and the Falcon, reflecting the ongoing partnership between Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson that Englehart continued to develop, and the issue sits within the broader narrative momentum that would soon culminate in the landmark Secret Empire storyline later in the run.

The market for this issue tracks the pattern typical of a well-collected but non-key Bronze Age Marvel: a healthy certified population near 220 Universal copies, steady demand at the top of the grade scale, and a steep value gradient concentrated in the near-mint tiers. Ninety-eight and 9.6 copies command a real premium over 9.4 and below, reflecting the difficulty of finding well-centered, high-gloss copies of early-1970s Marvel product, while recent trade averages below the standing FMV suggest the top grade has cooled slightly from earlier highs. Demand is driven primarily by completists of the Englehart/Buscema run and by Captain America and Falcon team-book collectors rather than by any singular first appearance or landmark event within this specific issue.

This is a book that trades as a supporting piece in a run rather than a standalone target: raw low- and mid-grade copies move steadily but modestly as reading and run-filling copies, while CGC 9.8 examples draw premium bidding from grade-conscious collectors and registry builders who prize the scarcity of true gem copies from this vintage. Long-term interest should track the enduring popularity of the Falcon and the broader esteem collectors hold for Englehart's socially engaged Captain America scripts, with values tied closely to overall Bronze Age Marvel superhero demand rather than to any single defining moment in the issue itself.