Approximate
Condition Profile
MARVEL COMICS · 5/76
UNIT ECA-037637
STRANGE TALES #185
Final issue of the original Strange Tales run, May 1976
// Unit specification
| Publisher | Cover date | Era | Variant | Key attribute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Comics | May 1976 | Bronze | — | — | AVAILABLE |
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-037637 | ~8.5 | — | AVAILABLE |
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows strong gloss and vivid color with sharp corners and no visible creases or spine stress. There is minor edge wear at the top right corner and a faint scuff near the lower left corner, plus the book is stored in a protective sleeve which is not part of the grade. No tears, stains, or color breaks are visible on the spine. Interior and back cover were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $2 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $6 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $85 |
// Archive commentary
Strange Tales #185 (Marvel Comics, cover-dated May 1976) closed out the first volume of one of Marvel's longest-running anthology titles, a series that began in 1951 and over its life had hosted horror shorts, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Doctor Strange, and, in its final Bronze Age stretch, a run of new backup features and reprinted material as Marvel wound the numbering down. By 1976 the title had cycled through several identities, and #185 represents the tail end of that publishing history before the Strange Tales name went dormant until its later revival in the 1980s.
As a late-run anthology issue with no first appearance, milestone story, or widely cited cover, the book carries the profile of ordinary Bronze Age reader stock: modest demand, plentiful surviving copies, and pricing anchored close to original cover price in raw grades. It draws interest mainly from completists tracking the full Strange Tales volume-one run or from Doctor Strange and Nick Fury historians rounding out related back issues, rather than from key-issue speculators.
Expect this issue to trade as a filler book in long boxes and dollar bins in lower grades, with modest premiums appearing only for well-preserved raw copies or graded submissions reaching high grades. It is not a book collectors chase for investment purposes; it functions as a supporting piece for those building a complete run of the title or the era's Marvel output rather than a standalone draw.
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