Blog

No, this isn’t a joke, it’s happened again. A copy of Action Comics #1 has just sold at auction for 1.5 million dollars. That’s $1,500,000! This not only beats the previous best for this issue of $1,000,000, it also brought in more than the $1,075,000 that a copy of Detective Comics #27 recently fetched. With its eclipsing of Batman’s first appearance, this issue now holds the record for the most expensive comic book ever sold. This makes three comics, going for over a million dollars each, within a few weeks of each other. Wow! Who would’ve thought we’d see the day?!?

Jackson Pollack’s Number 5, 1948 better watch out, we’re coming for your #1 spot on the most expensive painting list. Only $138,500,000 to go, and comics will be king of the art heap! No, don’t laugh. In the past few weeks, the highest amount that a comic book has sold for has gone up by over a million dollars. Prior to this year’s sale of Action Comics #1 for $1,000,000, the record was a measly $350,000. That wouldn’t even get you a seat at the table in today’s high end comic market. Recession, what recession. I guess the guy who just kicked his wife out of their bed so that he can curl up with this fine copy of Siegel & Shuster’s masterpiece hasn’t heard about it.

More than likely however, this sale will stand as the record holder for quite a while. Books like this one, in such great condition, don’t pop up every day. This copy has been chased for several years. Now that it’s been sold, it’ll probably be unattainable for another few years. This one was sold by ComicConnect.com, the same people who sold the one-time record holder, Action Comics #1 for $1,000,000 earlier this year.

… this particular Action Comics #1 is literally the single most valuable comic book on the planet.

— Vincent Zurzolo

This particular comic is in great condition, receiving a CGC grade of 8.5. This is the highest un-restored grade that a copy of this book has ever received, and this copy is the only one to attain that high mark. No doubt this is what contributed to the high sale price. Well, that and the currently forming trend to drop a million dollars on rare comics. How did one of these comics survive for over seventy years in such great condition? Well, it spent fifty years of its life stuck in a stack of movie magazines from the thirties! This protected it from light, bending, and all of the other harmful things that can damage a comic. The stack of movie magazines was purchased several years ago at an antique auction in Pittsburgh, with nobody knowing that Superman’s first appearance was waiting amongst the stack. That guy has the best comic buying story ever.

So, here are the top five most expensive comic book sales.

1. Action Comics #1 (Grade 8.5) — $1,500,000
2. Detective Comics #27 (8.0) — $1,075,000
3. Action Comics #1 (8.0) — $1,000,000
4. Marvel Comics #1 (9.0)– $350,000
5. Flash Comics #1 (9.6)– $350,000

Well, that’s it, unless of course there’s another million dollar sale next month. Anybody have a Near Mint copy of Thrill Comics #1 lying around?

Eli Anthony
eli@comicattack.net