Posted in: Comics, Comics History, Recent Updates | Tagged: all star comics, golden age comics, HRL, Pristine Comics, sensation comics, wonder woman

Merciful Minerva! eBay's Wonder Woman Auction Event

Without a doubt, Wonder Woman is one of the hottest superheroes right now, thanks in large part to the box office record-breaking movie. But even before that, she's always been in the public eye. Her appeal is universal, and her importance in comic book history can't be ignored.

Currently on eBay — from Pristine Comics — are three of the most important Wonder Woman comics of all time. More so, they are also the highest graded copies of each book. The Wonder Woman #1 even boasts white pages with a 9.0 grade, which is incredibly impressive for a book from 1942. Currently this wonderful copy is sitting at $128,100.00. There's also a Sensation Comics #1 CGC 9.6 with off white pages, sitting at $175,671.33, and last but certainly not least: All Star Comics #8. Wonder Woman's very first comic book appearance, a pristine CGC 9.4 with off white to white pages, sitting at $400,701.00. These auctions for these pristine books ends shortly, so if you're the lucky winner to gets them, color me jealous.

So how did these books come to be? Pristine Comics owner Darren was kind enough to answer that for me:

"The unique and ideal circumstances of the origin and retention of this collection seriously defies odds that can never be duplicated or replicated. These books never even made it to the newsstands, as the original  owner of this collection was a Mom & Pop store grocer who bought his comics from a magazine distributor and took them directly to his home where they remained undisturbed, for over 70 + years. That just doesn't happen! It's not reality but a fantasy! It's something dealers dream of finding, and collectors dream of owning! If it were to happen, it would  yield some spectacular results, and such is the case with this collection.

About six months before the start of World War II in 1941, The owner of the small Mom & Pop began collecting a select group of superheroes in their various titles. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, some Fawcett titles featuring Captain Marvel, and a single Timely title called Captain America Comics.  He continued collecting for roughly 4 years right before the end of WWII in 1945… then he quits. ln all, his collection contained approximately 400 books, the scarcity and condition of which I, as a collector, may never see again." 

"Sometimes, when I talk about a collection and the story behind it, reality hits me and I ending up wanting it for myself. I talk myself out of selling it.  When I think of the millions of Golden Age comic books that were thrown away, recycled for the war effort, or just plain deteriorated over time, and then I see the quality of the books in this collection, it just blows my mind!"

"Anything could have gone wrong over the course of 75 years to destroy these books. Whether it was water, fire, rats, accidentally being thrown away, grand children, great grand children, moving, literally anything. It defies odds to have survived and remained in their original conditions.  Yet here they are today, 70-76 years later in 2017, being made available to the public for the very first time.  This is a HUGE find for our hobby and goes to show collections like this still exist out there just waiting to be saved and preserved.  Speaking of preservation!  There is a reason why the top 3 books are graded and preserved by CGC and frankly, it's because they are the absolute best in the industry.  It was a proud & exciting moment to get their feedback once they first laid eyes on these books."

"We will be releasing other comics from this collection this week on eBay  … Such as a Single Highest Graded Copy of Captain America Comics #13 … and more !!" 

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