Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: action comics, dc comics, golden age, Sales Record, superman

Superman #1 CGC 7.0 Sells for Record $2,604,750 at ComicConnect

Published Thu, 16 Dec 2021 23:14:10 -0600

Last updated Wed, 26 Jan 2022 20:01:24 -0600

A Superman #1 CGC 7.0 has just sold for $2,604,750 at ComicConnect — the highest price ever paid for a Superman #1 in any grade, for the highest-graded copy to come up for public sale in nearly 20 years. The Summer 1939 cover-dated release by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster from DC Comics features the debut of one of the longest-running and most important titles in American comics history. The issue contains the Superman stories from Action Comics #1-4, plus new material. Notably, the new two-page origin of Superman included here contains the first mention of Krypton and Superman's foster parents.

This $2,604,750 sale of Superman #1 CGC 7.0 is particularly noteworthy because copies of Superman #1 virtually never change hands in high grade. The issue is considered even rarer in high grade than Action Comics #1. There are currently six listings for Action Comics #1 graded at 7.0 or above on the CGC census, while there are only four listings for Superman #1 in that same range. But copies of Action Comics #1 graded at 7.0 or above have come up for public sale at least seven times since 2010, while this is the first copy of Superman #1 graded at 7.0 or above to come up for public sale during that same period. The previous highest price paid for a copy of this issue was the 2017 sale of a Superman #1 CGC 5.5 for $507,500.

2021 has been a strong year across the board for vintage comics sales, and we've seen a number of record sales at the high end of the market, including an Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 9.6 for $3.6M, an Action Comics #1 CGC 8.5 for $3.25M, and a Batman #1 CGC 9.4 for $2.22M.

The first name in superheroes has always been Superman. "Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's…Superman!" Those words identified the character for decades and the big red "S" on his chest is one of the most-easily-recognized symbols in the world. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman has enjoyed decades of popularity and has been featured in cartoons, serials, movies, television shows, and pretty much anything else you can put a price tag on. As one of the top Golden Age keys, this issue features Superman's origin story, a must-read for Man of Steel zealots. Often overlooked is the historical importance of this book, which showcases three of the most important supporting characters in the Superman pantheon: Ma and Pa Kent, as well as Lois Lane.

Amazingly, this is a never-before-seen example of Superman #1 and we expect this copy to make a massive splash with collectors and investors alike. This book has only exchanged hands twice before — once off the newsstand in 1939, and then over 40 years ago to its current owner, who kept it in a temperature-controlled safe ever since. Metropolis/ComicConnect founder and COO Vincent Zurzolo said "This is by far the nicest copy of Superman #1 I've ever brought to market and is the second highest-graded copy on the census. The cover inks are rich and the interior pages supple. What a thrill that there are still undiscovered comics like this lying dormant. What makes this comic even more special is that the consignor met his wife at NYCC twelve years ago at the ComicConnect booth! Talk about serendipity." Shuster's Superman illustration on the cover looks just as sharp today as it did when this issue was released.

Earlier this year, ComicConnect broke the world record for the most expensive comic ever sold, $3.25 million for a copy of Action Comics #1. Superman is the blue-chip of blue-chip comics! Do not miss out on adding this beautiful copy of an extremely rare, important, landmark key of not just the Golden Age, but of all comicdom, to your collection.

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