Strange Lug #1 (January 1970) is valued between 180 and 450 euros in very good condition, #11 (Silver Surfer, November 1970) reaches 90 to 220 euros, and standard issues #20-#130 (1971-1980) range from 8 to 35 euros depending on condition and the freshness of the squarebound spine.
Strange was a monthly published by Lug Editions in Lyon from January 1970 to February 1989, totaling 232 issues in softcover album format. The pre-1980 period covers roughly issues #1 to #130, a stretch during which the title translated and adapted American Marvel series for the French-speaking market. The magazine followed in the wake of Fantask (1969, banned after 7 issues by the French commission overseeing publications aimed at minors) and adopted a more cautious editorial stance to clear the filter of the 1949 law. Lug, founded in 1950 by Marcel Navarro and Auguste Vistel, held a Marvel license at the time and simultaneously published Marvel (1970-1971, 13 issues), Nova (1978), Spidey (1979), and Titans (1976).
Values for pre-1980 issues of Strange have been climbing since 2015-2018 on the French secondary market, driven by the nostalgia of a generation of readers born between 1958 and 1972 and by the physical scarcity of copies preserved in near-mint condition. Initial print runs estimated at around 80,000 to 120,000 copies for the early issues gradually dropped to 60,000-80,000 between 1975 and 1980, but nearly every copy was read, lent out, damaged, or destroyed. To understand how these magazines fit into the broader French-language vintage market, see our guide to buying and selling comics in France and the timeline of the comic ages: Golden, Silver, Bronze.
Strange Lug #1 (January 1970): origins, contents, and current value
The first issue of Strange appeared in January 1970 with a soft cardboard cover, 17.5 x 22.5 cm format, 132 black-and-white pages with a few color pages, and a cover price of 2.50 francs. In it, Lug launched four flagship Marvel series: Daredevil (issue #1 by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, April 1964), Iron Man (excerpt from Tales of Suspense #39, April 1963), Namor (Sub-Mariner), and Thor (Tales to Astonish). Editorial direction was handled by Marcel Navarro with Jean Frisano on covers, an artist who would paint more than 200 Strange covers between 1970 and 1989 and whose original acrylic board work has itself become a collector's item.
The initial print run of Strange #1 is estimated at between 80,000 and 120,000 copies, according to specialist chroniclers from the magazine Hop! and research by the Néofan association. The 2026 value of a Strange #1 in mint condition (equivalent to CGC 9.0-9.4 if the magazine were graded, which remains exceptional for Lug publications) ranges between 380 and 450 euros across verified sales on eBay France and Delcampe. In very good condition (clean squarebound spine, vivid colors, no corner creases), the range drops to 180-280 euros. In average condition (rubbed edges, slight creases, clean interior), expect 80-140 euros. Worn copies, trimmed copies, or those with municipal library labels fall below 40 euros.
To properly assess the condition of a Lug magazine, the method differs from that of a stapled American comic book: the glued squarebound spine is the critical point. A spine that is split, reglued, or detached loses 60 to 80% of its value. Staples don't exist on these formats. The complete inspection method is detailed in our guide to getting your comics graded by CGC, which applies with some adjustments to Franco-Belgian publications. The logic of print run and print run size remains central: preserved physical scarcity rather than initial print scarcity.
Landmark issues #11 (Silver Surfer) and #15-#30: 1970-1972 values
Strange #11 (November 1970) marks the first appearance of the Silver Surfer in French, in an adaptation of the American Silver Surfer #1 from August 1968 by Stan Lee and John Buscema. This issue is one of the most sought-after of the pre-1980 Lug period. Its 2026 value reaches 90-150 euros in very good condition, 150-220 euros in near-mint condition, and exceptionally 280-320 euros for an archival copy never read, still sealed in its original wrapper if present. Verified sales on Bedetheque and eBay France between January 2024 and October 2025 confirm an average transaction price of 110 euros in declared "very good" condition.
Issues #15 (March 1971), #17 (May 1971), and #20 (August 1971) contain the first significant adaptations of the Avengers in France, launching the series in Strange after Marvel ended with its #13. Average 2026 value: 25-55 euros in very good condition for issues between #15 and #25, dropping to 12-25 euros for the #26-#40 range outside special issues. The arrival of the first Thor stories and the war against Loki in #21-#28 pushes these issues up to 35-65 euros in mint condition. To track value changes in real time on the secondary market, the Bedetheque forum and its database of realized prices are the French references; eBay United States and Heritage Auctions occasionally fill in the gaps for international buyers.
An often-overlooked point: pagination and editorial composition change around #25-#30. Lug adjusts the ratio between short and long stories, brings in more Daredevil, and begins diluting Iron Man in favor of Captain Marvel. These adjustments don't directly affect value but explain why some collectors favor very specific sub-ranges. A useful organizational guide for structuring a Lug collection can be found in our article on the method for cataloging your comics.
The #31-#80 range (1972-1976): Hulk, X-Men, and Bronze Age adaptations
Between issues #31 (March 1972) and #80 (June 1976), Strange went through a dense editorial phase during which Lug brought in the French adaptations of Hulk as a regular series, began publishing the new X-Men by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum (starting around Strange #87-#88, i.e. 1977, though the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams precursors appear as early as #45-#55), and continued Daredevil under Gerry Conway and then Steve Gerber. The period is representative of the American Bronze Age transposed to France with a standard two-to-three-year lag.
2026 value by sub-range in very good condition (intact squarebound spine, vivid colors, no major creases): #31-#50 range between 18 and 32 euros, with a premium on #34-#36 (first long Hulk stories) at 35-50 euros. Issues #51-#65 are worth 15-28 euros standard. The #66-#80 range drops to 10-22 euros due to more stable print runs and better average preservation. Special issues or those with an intact center poster (when one was included) add an 8 to 20 euro premium. The market remains shallow: count on 3 to 8 monthly sales per issue on eBay France and Delcampe combined in 2025, or roughly 50 to 100 annual transactions across this range.
The special case of issues #45 (May 1973) and #48 (August 1973) deserves attention. These issues feature short stories adapted from Marvel Premiere and Tales of Suspense that are harder to find in complete French versions. Their value rose about 35% between 2020 and 2025 according to cross-referenced Bedetheque/eBay sold data. This rise fits the general logic described in our article on undervalued comics 2026: sleeper issues, namely that "bridge" issues between two series become sought-after once the main series is sold out. For buyers looking to assemble a complete collection of this range, the realistic 2026 budget sits around 900 to 1,400 euros for 50 issues in consistent very good condition.
The #81-#130 range (1976-1980): Spider-Man, Conan, and the end of the decade
Starting with issue #81 (July 1976), Strange entered its densest phase in terms of series published simultaneously. Spider-Man joined the rotation regularly from 1976-1977 onward, after his debut in Spidey (a dedicated monthly launched in March 1979 for 130 issues). Conan the Barbarian, adapted from Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith and then John Buscema, made its appearance in the lineup. Doctor Strange enjoyed regular chapters. Pagination peaked at a standard 132 pages with Jean Frisano covers increasingly elaborate in acrylic paint.
2026 value by sub-range in very good condition: #81-#100 are worth 8 to 20 euros standard, #101-#120 range between 6 and 15 euros, and #121-#130 (covering the year 1980) drop to 5-12 euros due to relatively well-preserved print runs. Squarebound copies recorded in near-mint condition remain rare: fewer than 5% of the secondary market according to cross-referenced estimates from specialist sellers. Strange #100 (April 1978) carries a round-number premium at 25-45 euros in good condition, with a special Jean Frisano cover depicting Daredevil.
The #115-#130 period (1979-1980) coincides with the commercial maturity of the Lug model: three Marvel monthlies running in parallel (Strange, Nova launched in October 1978, Spidey launched in March 1979), a policy of partial reprints of the early issues under the "Spécial Strange" label launched in 1975 (a quarterly album collecting long-form stories), and a readership estimated at between 250,000 and 400,000 combined readers across the three titles. To place the current scarcity in context, compare it with the dynamics of the Marvel vs DC vs Image market and the vintage collecting strategy laid out in CGC: vintage vs modern comics strategy.
Practical valuation: condition, preservation, and value factors
Valuing a Strange Lug follows a grid different from that of a stapled American comic book. Four critical points structure value: the integrity of the glued squarebound spine, the freshness of the cover colors (the Lug reds and blues oxidize quickly when exposed to light), the flatness of the interior pages (newsprint that yellows rapidly after 1978, when Lug changed suppliers), and the absence of ownership marks (municipal library stamps, signatures, pen notations). A magazine that meets all four criteria automatically lands in the top third of observed prices.
The practical grid used by serious French sellers (verified on Bedetheque, Komikku, Album, and Le Monde de l'Album) breaks down into five levels: Mint (never read, perfect spine, vivid colors, white paper), Very good (read once or twice, intact spine, slight paper oxidation), Good (multiple reads, slightly rubbed but unsplit spine, yellowed paper), Average (corner creases, weakened spine, noticeably yellowed paper), and Reading copy (stains, split spine, notations, condition acceptable for rereading but not collectible). The price gap between Mint and Reading copy reaches a factor of 6 to 10 depending on the issue.
Long-term preservation requires a polypropylene album-format sleeve (different from standard comic sleeves), a rigid acid-free backing board, and vertical storage in a closed box away from light and humidity (ideal level 45-55% RH, temperature 18-20°C). Our guide to protecting your comics: a preservation guide details solutions suited to the Lug format. For a personalized estimate, the free estimate tool includes a grid specific to Lug publications and lets you precisely position an issue according to these criteria.
2026 secondary market: where to buy, where to sell, realized prices
The 2026 secondary market for pre-1980 Strange Lug centers on four main channels. First, Bedetheque (its "Classifieds" section and pricing database) remains the French-language reference: roughly 60 to 80% of verified transactions pass through it, with prices often 10 to 20% below listed values thanks to the quality of the buyer community. Second, eBay France draws about 20% of the volume, with greater volatility but opportunities for good deals on unsorted lots. Third, Delcampe (a Belgian platform specializing in collectibles) accounts for 10-15% of the market with a more international clientele. Finally, comics shows and fairs (Angoulême, Lyon BD, the Bagnolet comics fair) allow hand-to-hand transactions with an average negotiation margin of 15%.
Average realized prices over 2024-2025, verified via eBay sold listings and Bedetheque databases, break down as follows for a Strange Lug in very good condition: #1 at 220 euros (median of 12 sales), #11 at 125 euros (median of 8 sales), the #15-#30 range at 28 euros, the #31-#50 range at 22 euros, the #51-#80 range at 16 euros, the #81-#100 range at 13 euros, the #101-#130 range at 9 euros. Complete lots of 50 consecutive issues in consistent condition generally sell at 70 to 80% of the sum of individual values, the classic lot discount mechanism. Buyers build their collections gradually: a complete #1-#130 collection in very good condition costs around 2,200 to 2,800 euros in 2026, over 18 to 36 months of patience.
For resale, the optimal strategy is to sell the key issues (#1, #11, #100) as separate lots on eBay France with detailed photos, and to group standard issues in batches of 10-20 on Delcampe or Bedetheque. The professional dealer margin remains 25-40% between the buying price from a private seller and the public resale price. These dynamics fit into the strategy of investing in comics: a strategic guide and the selection of the most expensive comics 2026. The complete category of publications is referenced on the comics collection page.
FAQ — Strange Lug and pre-1980 issues
How much is a Strange Lug #1 in very good condition worth in 2026?
Strange Lug #1 (January 1970) is valued between 180 and 280 euros in very good condition, meaning an intact squarebound spine, vivid cover colors, slightly yellowed interior paper, and flat pages. In near-mint condition (never read, perfect spine, vibrant colors), the range climbs to 380-450 euros across verified sales on eBay France and Bedetheque between 2024 and 2025. A copy in average condition with corner creases and a slightly rubbed spine drops to 80-140 euros. Copies with a municipal library label, ownership stamp, or trimming fall below 40 euros. The physical scarcity of copies preserved in mint condition after 55 years is the main value factor, since the initial print run estimated at 80,000-120,000 copies was largely consumed.
Which pre-1980 Strange issues are the most sought-after?
Five issues stand out in the pre-1980 range. Strange #1 (January 1970, launch of the collection with Daredevil, Iron Man, Namor, and Thor), #11 (November 1970, first French appearance of the Silver Surfer adapted from the American Silver Surfer #1), #21-#28 (1971, first long-form Thor vs. Loki stories), #45-#48 (May-August 1973, short Marvel Premiere stories rare in French) and #100 (April 1978, round number with a special Jean Frisano cover). To these five landmark issues you can add the #87-#95 range (1977), which contains the first French adaptations of the new X-Men by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum. The covers painted by Jean Frisano on acrylic board have themselves become collector's items, with originals reaching 3,000 to 12,000 euros at public sale.
How can you tell a glued squarebound spine in good condition from a defective one?
Inspecting the glued squarebound spine is done in four steps. First, look at the edge in profile: it should be smooth, with no bulging or hollows, and the pages should be aligned with no offset greater than 1 mm. Second, gently bend the magazine 30 degrees: no cracking should occur and the glue should return to its original position. Third, examine the upper and lower corners of the spine: cracks almost always start in these areas. Fourth, check the junction between the cover and the interior pages: even partial separation cuts the value by 50 to 70%. A spine reglued by hand (visible glue, warped paper) brings the magazine down to "Reading copy" status with an 80% discount.
Has Strange Lug been graded by CGC or another service?
Lug publications in softcover album format (17.5 x 22.5 cm, squarebound spine) are not graded by CGC according to the usual standards applied to stapled American comic books. CGC theoretically accepts magazines of this format in its "Magazines" branch, but in practice it remains exceptional for Strange Lug due to low demand and the cost of grading (60-90 US dollars per copy), disproportionate relative to the average value. A few copies of Strange #1 and #11 were graded by CGC between 2018 and 2023 according to the CGC Census database, totaling fewer than 15 instances. The French internal grid described above remains the practical market reference, and our guide to grading with CGC details the procedure for the rare cases where American grading makes economic sense.
What budget should you plan to assemble a complete Strange #1-#130 collection?
The realistic 2026 budget for a complete Strange #1 to #130 collection in consistent very good condition sits between 2,200 and 2,800 euros over 18 to 36 months of patience. The typical breakdown: 220-450 euros for #1, 100-220 euros for #11, 25-50 euros per issue for the #15-#30 range (about 600 euros), 18-32 euros per issue for the #31-#50 range (about 600 euros), 15-25 euros per issue for the #51-#80 range (about 600 euros), 8-20 euros per issue for the #81-#130 range (about 800 euros). By buying in grouped lots on Delcampe or Bedetheque, you generally save 20-30% compared to single purchases. A patient strategy over at least 24 months lets you take advantage of seasonal opportunities (year-end, spring comics fairs).