Approximate
Condition Profile
DC COMICS · 5/68
UNIT ECA-007614
SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE #83
Silver Age DC romance-adventure title starring Superman's love interest
// Unit specification
// Run position
// Condition analysis
Cover shows moderate wear consistent with a mid-grade Silver Age book: soft/rounded corners, a visible vertical crease running through the upper left near the DC logo, and general surface wear with some color rubbing along the spine. There is noticeable wear and slight fraying at the spine edge with minor stress lines, and the cover gloss appears diminished with some scattered handling marks. No major tears, missing pieces, or writing are visible, but the book has clearly been read and handled. Interior pages and back cover were not visible in this photo and were not assessed.
// Valuation — market reference
| Bracket | Grade | Est. market value | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW_RAW | 0.5 – 1.5 | $12 | |
| MID_RAW | 4.0 – 6.0 | $50 | |
| HIGH_CERT | 9.8 SLAB | $1,600 |
// Archive commentary
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #83 is a routine entry in DC's long-running Silver Age spin-off built around Lois Lane's perpetual schemes to prove Superman's secret identity, marry him, or otherwise complicate his double life. The title, launched in 1958 and steered for much of its run by editor Mort Weisinger with frequent scripts from Robert Kanigher and Leo Dorfman, traded on lighthearted domestic-fantasy plots and Kurt Schaffenberger's clean, appealing art style, both of which are represented in this issue's era though no landmark first appearance, origin, or creator milestone is attached to #83 specifically.
Market data reflects a book with modest but steady collector interest rather than speculative demand. Census figures show a healthy but unremarkable population across mid grades, with pricing climbing gradually through the 7.0-9.2 range before spiking sharply at the top of the pyramid, where only a single 9.8 has been certified and sold. That single high sale, rather than a broad datapoint, defines the top of the curve and should be read as a rarity premium for the top census slot rather than an established trading pattern. Lower and mid-grade copies move in the tens of dollars, consistent with a common, well-distributed Silver Age DC title that was never a low-print-run book.
This issue suits collectors building a complete Lois Lane run or assembling Schaffenberger cover art rather than key-issue investors. Raw copies in low and mid grade are readily available and inexpensive, changing hands mostly among run-builders and Silver Age DC generalists. High-grade certified copies are scarce enough that a 9.8 commands outsized attention relative to the rest of the grade curve, but that scarcity is a function of population size at the top of the census rather than any inherent significance of the issue itself.
// Copies in archive
| Unit | Grade | Variant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECA-007614 | ~4.0 | — | AVAILABLE |
INQUIRE_ABOUT_THIS_UNIT
Institutional buyers, auction houses, and private collectors — direct line to the archive.
