dictionary.Exists(key) always False - vba

Question

I am trying to build a validation tool that consists of a header check, a dupe check, and a vLookup. In the DuplicateCheck subroutine, I am adding all unique values from a range to a dictionary using .Exists() = False; this check is failing consistantly and I am getting duplicate values added. Similar problems seemed to be fixed using lower() or upper(), but my testing has been with numbers such as "1", "2", "3", or values such as "k1", "k2", "k2".
Here is my code:
Option Explicit
Dim wbThis As ThisWorkbook
Dim wsOld, wsNew, wsValid As Worksheet
Dim lColOld, lColNew, lRowOld, lRowNew, iRow, iCol As Long
Dim cellTarget, cellKey As Variant
Dim cellValid, dataOld, dataNew As Range
Sub Execute()
Set wbThis = ThisWorkbook
Set wsOld = wbThis.Worksheets(1)
Set wsNew = wbThis.Worksheets(2)
Set wsValid = wbThis.Worksheets(3)
lColOld = wsOld.Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
lColNew = wsNew.Cells(1, Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
lRowOld = wsOld.Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
lRowNew = wsNew.Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row
Set dataOld = wsOld.Range("A1").Resize(lRowOld, lColOld)
Set dataNew = wsNew.Range("A1").Resize(lRowNew, lColNew)
Call Validation.HeaderCheck
Call Validation.DuplicateCheck
Call Validation.vLookup
End Sub
Sub HeaderCheck()
Application.StatusBar = "Checking headers..."
Dim i As Long
With wsNew
For i = 1 To lColNew
If (wsNew.Cells(1, i) <> wsOld.Cells(1, i)) Then
MsgBox ("Column " & i & " on New Data is not the same as Old Data. This tool will not work with differences in headers. Please reorder your fields and run the tool again.")
Application.StatusBar = False
End
End If
Next i
End With
With wsOld
For i = 1 To lColOld
If (wsOld.Cells(1, i) <> wsNew.Cells(1, i)) Then
MsgBox ("Column " & i & " on Old Data is not the same as New Data. This tool will not work with differences in headers. Please reorder your fields and run the tool again.")
Application.StatusBar = False
End
End If
Next i
End With
Application.StatusBar = False
End Sub
Sub DuplicateCheck()
Dim iterator As Long
Dim dicKeys As New Scripting.Dictionary
Dim dicDupes As New Scripting.Dictionary
Dim key As Variant
Dim progPercent As Double
Dim keys As Range
Dim wsDupes As Worksheet
Set keys = wsNew.Range("A2").Resize(lRowNew, 1)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
iterator = 1
For Each key In keys
If dicKeys.Exists(key) = False Then
dicKeys.Add key, iterator 'HERE IS THE BUG----------------------
Else
dicDupes.Add key, iterator
End If
progPercent = iterator / keys.Count
Application.StatusBar = "Identifying duplicates: " & Format(progPercent, "0%")
iterator = iterator + 1
Next key
If (dicDupes.Count <> 0) Then
Set wsDupes = ThisWorkbook.Worksheets.Add(, wsValid, 1)
wsDupes.Name = "Duplicates"
iterator = 1
For Each key In dicDupes
If (dicDupes(key) <> "") Then
wsDupes.Cells(iterator, 1).Value = dicDupes(key)
End If
progPercent = iterator / dicDupes.Count
Application.StatusBar = "Marking duplicates: " & Format(progPercent, "0%")
iterator = iterator + 1
Next key
End If
Set dicKeys = Nothing
Set dicDupes = Nothing
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
Sub vLookup()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim progPercent As Double
For iRow = 2 To lRowNew
Set cellKey = wsNew.Cells(iRow, 1)
For iCol = 1 To lColNew
Set cellTarget = wsNew.Cells(iRow, iCol)
Set cellValid = wsValid.Cells(iRow, iCol)
On Error GoTo errhandler
If (IsError(Application.vLookup(cellKey.Value, dataOld, iCol, False)) = False) Then
If (cellTarget = Application.vLookup(cellKey.Value, dataOld, iCol, False)) Then
cellValid.Value = cellTarget
Else
cellValid.Value = "ERROR"
End If
Else
If (cellValid.Column = 1) Then
If (cellValid.Column = 1) Then
cellValid.Value = cellKey
cellValid.Interior.ColorIndex = 46
End If
Else
cellValid.Value = "ERROR"
End If
End If
Next iCol
progPercent = (iRow - 1) / (lRowNew - 1)
Application.StatusBar = "Progress: " & iRow - 1 & " of " & lRowNew - 1 & ": " & Format(progPercent, "0%")
Next iRow
Application.StatusBar = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Exit Sub
errhandler:
MsgBox (Err.Description)
End Sub

Answer 1

The problem is probably here:
Dim key As Variant
Dim progPercent As Double
Dim keys As Range
Then when you make the check here:
For Each key In keys
If dicKeys.Exists(key) = False Then
dicKeys.Add key, iterator 'HERE IS THE BUG----------------------
Else
dicDupes.Add key, iterator
End If
Next
It compares the key as Range and not as value.
Try something like this:
If dicKeys.Exists(key.Value2) = False Then
dicKeys.Add key.Value2, iterator
Or find another way not to work with the object, but with its value.