An original copy of Superman #1 has just set a new auction record by selling for an astonishing $9.12 million (£7 million). This inaugural edition of the Man of Steel’s adventures hit newsstands way back in June 1939. Together with the incredible sale hosted by Heritage Auctions, it was an opportune time. This auction house, based out of Texas, dubbed the comic the “pinnacle of comic collecting.” The price didn’t just set a new record, it did so by a staggering $3 million over the previous highest-priced comic book.
This was the very first Superman #1 comic book, recently uncovered in a Northern California attic buried under a pile of yellowing old newspapers. This discovery was only one book of a series of six comic books that had been kept hidden in a cardboard box covered in cobwebs. It was kept in surprisingly mint condition, a gift from the cool, dry Northern California climate. The comic graded an unprecedented 9.0 on a 10-point scale by CGC, the foremost third-party comics grading service. As a component of this new holistic score, this score is a 10.
Heritage Auctions commented that the price sale attests to the increasing appreciation of vintage comics as important collectibles. Last year, Action Comics No. 1, the comic in which Superman first appeared, sold for $6 million. Superman #1 now occupies that spot solidly as the most valuable comic to ever change hands.
The comic’s last known owner was the mother of three brothers who found it last Christmas. She has loved the comic all her life. She purchased it at a time between the Great Depression and the onset of World War II. The youngest brother shared insights into their family’s history, stating, “As the years unfolded, life brought about a series of losses and changes.” As he explained, the daily struggles of life meant that the box of comics sort of got lost in the shuffle until their recent rediscovery.
The brothers shared their feelings of amazement and joy at discovering such a valuable piece of history in their mother’s attic. Mr. Allen, one of the brothers, humorously remarked, “It’s a twist on the old ‘Mom threw away my comics’ story.” He continued that if the same comic had been stored in an attic in Texas, it would probably be destroyed by now.
Reflecting on the emotional significance of the find, the youngest brother stated, “This isn’t simply a story about old paper and ink. This was never just about a collectible. This is a testament to memory, family and the unexpected ways the past finds its way back to us.”