Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 2/87 · DIRECT EDITION
UNIT ECA-005323
CAPTAIN AMERICA #326
Mark Gruenwald-era Captain America adventure, direct edition
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | February 1987 | Copper | Direct Edition | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-005323 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
| ECA-005325 | ~9.2 | Direct Edition | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and sharp corners with no visible creasing or color break at the spine. Slight softness may be present at the top edge but no ticks or chips are evident in this photo. The book is in a protective sleeve, which limits full assessment of edge wear; interior and back cover were not assessed. Overall this appears to be a high-grade copy consistent with careful storage.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $5 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $60 |
// Archive commentary
Captain America #326 arrived in February 1987 during Mark Gruenwald's long tenure as writer, with Paul Neary handling art chores as the series continued its mid-1980s storytelling arc following the departure of the Mike Zeck/John Beatty art team. The issue is a representative chapter of the ongoing Captain America saga of the period rather than a landmark installment: it introduces no new characters of lasting significance and features no death, origin, or first appearance that collectors track in price guides.
Market data reflects this status. The certified population is modest (43 Universal copies logged against 62 total graded), and sales activity is thin outside the top grade, where a healthy run of 9.8 transactions has kept fair market value near $60 with a trailing one-year average in the low $50s. Grades below 9.6 show minimal recorded sales, consistent with a book that trades occasionally as a filler or run-completion purchase rather than as a sought-after single issue.
This is a book collected primarily by Captain America run-builders and Gruenwald-era completists rather than key-issue speculators. Raw copies in low and mid grade move cheaply and steadily through dollar bins and online lots, while the CGC 9.8 tier commands a real but limited premium driven by relative scarcity at the top of the census rather than by character or story significance. Long-term demand should track the broader Copper Age Captain America collector base rather than outperform it.
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