Action Comics #1 Sells At Record Bid

It was an Ebay auction to end all auctions. The seller was High Grade Magic Pristine Comics. The item was Action Comics #1, with a CGC grade of 9.0, which meant the pages of the comic were the key talking point stressed in the auction’s text: “the finest known copy of the most sought after comic book in the world. A 1938 museum piece with PERFECT WHITE pristine pages.”

Action Comics #1 debuts the first appearance of Superman, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane. It is a milestone in history as its publication ushered in the Golden Age of Comic Books. Only 50 to 100 copies are known to exist, and the 48 bids placed for the book testified to how many people were willing to go all-out for this one-of-a-kind copy. The winning bid on August 24^th earned the book a record $3,207,852.00, with 1% of the proceeds donated to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to improve the lives of those living with paralysis.

Sold by Pristine Comics' Darren Adams’, this issue is the sixth comic book to sell for $1 million or more, following three other copies of Action Comics #1, a single copy of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman) and a single copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man.

“Considering the level of commitment required of the potential purchasers for this issue, we can definitely say the bidding was spirited. There were 48 bids, ending in a new world record. The $3 million has arrived,” said Robert M. Overstreet, author and publisher of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

“We have been numerous six-figure comics for more than a decade, and while the group is still small, the idea of seven-figure comic books is no longer anything new. The market has recognized with Action Comics #1 that there just aren’t that many copies in any condition of the first appearance of one of the most recognized characters in the world,” he said.

Adams announced the copy’s grade and his decision to sell in on eBay on July 23, 2014, with his company’s ad in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #44 on the day of its release.

Hats off to all those who participated in this awesome auction, and congratulations to the winning bidder!