G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 Newsstand 75¢ Variant Value
From: The 2025 Newsstand CPV Price Guide for Canadian Price Variants (Type 1A) by Tim Bildhauser, Paul Clairmont, Greg Holland, Jon McClure, Salvatore Miceli, Jayden Mitchell, Benjamin Nobel, Conan Saunders, Doug Sulipa, and Angelo Virone [ introduction, table of contents, all titles, other price guide editions]
9.2 | Near Mint - | $598 |
9.0 | Very Fine / Near Mint | $401 |
8.0 | Very Fine | $321 |
6.0 | Fine | $224 |
4.0 | Very Good | $150 |
2.0 | Good | $75 |
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 75¢ Newsstand Cover Price Variant, Marvel, 3/1984, Published in the USA
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 75¢ Canadian Price Variant Issue Notes:
1st Appearance of Storm Shadow; Silent issue
#2 in this year's Top 100.
Angelo notes: In September of 2024 a 3.5 CGC ow/w sold for $120. The G.I.Joe franchise will be coming to a theatre near you once again! Check out this YouTube video explaining how Larry Hama recreated the wheel with this famous silent issue: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClpaUTV3qrc
Jayden notes: Low to mid grade copies have proven to be more easily found than once thought, and VF or worse copies are readily available for purchase. NM- and better copies, however are still not regularly showing up for sale! A raw VG+ CPV sold at CaptCanComics.ca on 6/24/2022 for $200 CAD
Conan notes: Example past variant sales at MyComicShop: a CGC 4.5 on 6/1/2021 for $127, a raw 3.0 on 8/13/2020 for $130, a raw 3.5 on 10/29/2020 for $198
Paul notes: A CGC 6.0 variant sold at PNJ Comics for $282 in 2020.
CGC label note: 1st appearance of Storm Shadow. Silent issue. 75 cent cover price.
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G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 value (75¢ Price Variant)
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G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero Comics, Full Price Guide Page
As one of the top 100 most valuable variants in our guide this year, we rate 75¢ price variant copies of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 FIVE STARS as a collectible, and the hands-down preferable type to collect for the issue as compared to regular copies. In addition to everything the issue has going for it (as detailed in the issue notes in the page above), we note the price guide value movement since 2018. Regular copies in 9.2 have increased in value by $110 since 2018, or about +129% on a percentage basis. Meanwhile, CPV newsstand copies in 9.2 have outperformed notably, increasing in value by $410 since 2018, or about +218%. With a 75¢ variant NM- value of $598, G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 is part of the proverbial cream of the CPV crop, with a value greater than approximately 98% of our guide's entire coverage universe.
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 Comic Book FAQ
What is the value of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21?
I have a copy of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 and I want to know what this comic book is worth in different grades as a first printing?
✔️Accepted answer:
The answer depends on the type that you own. For G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21, Marvel published a direct edition type (exceptionally well preserved by collectors as direct edition comics were the type sold in comic shops), and two newsstand types which were sold to the general public on newsstands (a regular cover price version and the 75¢ price variant). If you own a price variant, lucky you, it is worth $598 in 9.2 (Near Mint Minus).
Suggested answer:
Check whether the cover of your copy of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 has a graphical logo or a bar code box. If it has a graphical logo, sorry to break it to you but you own a commonplace direct edition copy which is worth about $195 (still, that's not too shabby).
Suggested answer:
If your copy of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 has a bar code box on the cover, then you've got a newsstand copy! Is it the more-rare price variant? Now for the moment of excitement: is the cover price of your newsstand copy 75¢? If so, congratulations, you own the cover price variant!!
How rare is the G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 75¢ cover price variant?
✔️Accepted answer:
As of the October 2023 CGC census, the price variant has census rarity of 3.6%, with 119 price variant copies on record versus 3158 regular copies.
What is G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 worth in VF/NM condition?
✔️Accepted answer:
The direct edition (logo on cover) is worth about $131 in VF/NM whereas the 75¢ newsstand variants are worth $401.
Why are the G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 newsstand cover price variants worth so much more than the direct edition copies?
✔️Accepted answer:
As collectibles, direct edition copies are already at a disadvantage compared to newsstand copies in the highest grades, because direct editions were extraordinarily well preserved as the distinct type sold in specialty comic shops. The comic shop owners ordered direct edition copies of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 at a discount to cover price, but on a non-returnable basis (the graphical logo was to tell non-returnable copies apart from their returnable newsstand counterparts). When their orders arrived, the comic shop staff handled the books with extreme care to preserve their condition, and then the comic book collectors who shopped there typically preserved their purchases in plastic bags with backing boards. By contrast, newsstand copies were treated as reading material with no staff training to handle the books with any semblance of care, and they were then sold to the general public; unsold copies were returned for credit and typically pulped/recycled forward. Only those newsstand copies of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 that were taken home and preserved by collectors would survive today in the highest grades. Among surviving newsstand copies of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21, the market area that received the 75¢ cover price newsstand copies was a restricted area representing less than 10% the population of the total North American newsstand market. That's because the destination market for 75¢ copies of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 was Canadian newsstands — hence the name Canadian Price Variant as a short-hand for 75¢ Price Variant. All of this adds up to a market value for the 75¢ variant approximately 206% higher than the direct edition in Very Fine / Near Mint (9.0) condition, as of our 2025 CPV Price Guide Edition.
In VF condition, how much is G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 worth?
✔️Accepted answer:
The direct edition version of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 is worth about $105 in Very Fine (8.0) whereas the 75¢ newsstand variants are worth $321.
What is the value of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 in Fine condition?
✔️Accepted answer:
In FN (6.0) shape, the direct edition version of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 is worth about $73 whereas the 75¢ newsstand variants are worth $224.
What is the approximate G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 value in very good condition?
✔️Accepted answer:
Down in VG (4.0) Very Good condition, the direct edition version of G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 is worth about $49 whereas the 75¢ newsstand variants are worth $150.
What is the G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 price guide value in good condition?
✔️Accepted answer:
The price guide value way down in GD (2.0) Good condition for G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 is about $25 for the direct edition version whereas the 75¢ newsstand variants are worth $75.
Has the G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 75¢ variant from Marvel been a good investment?
✔️Accepted answer:
G.I. Joe, a Real American Hero #21 75¢ variant newsstand copies in 9.2 have produced gains, increasing in value by $410 since 2018, or about +218% in 8 years (from our 2018 guide edition to our 2025 guide edition).
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