Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: avengers, jack kirby

The Rising Importance of Avengers #1, Up for Auction

It's difficult to remember this now, but the Avengers have not always been household names among Marvel Comics properties.  The team and (many of) its members took a back seat to the likes of X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four.  But that has changed since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and in particular the debut of The Avengers movie in 2012.  In less than a decade, Avengers films have accounted for four of the top 11 films all-time at the box office.  Likewise, the first appearance of the team in Avengers #1 from 1963 has experienced surging demand.  A CGC 9.6 copy went for a record $369,000 in September 2021, but even other solid grades have experienced significant gains. For example, a CGC 7.0 copy which could be had for under $1,000 20 years ago will run $15,000 or more today.  There's an Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white pages, as well as a more affordable Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction this week at the 2021 November 14-15 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122146 at Heritage Auctions.

Avengers #1 was created by the legendary team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with inks by Dick Ayers. It's the first appearance of the Avengers team, which featured Thor, Wasp, Ant-Man, Iron Man, and Hulk in this debut issue cover-dated September 1963 (Captain America would join the team in Avengers #4).  The group went on to become one of the core titles of the Marvel Universe. There's an Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white pages, as well as a more affordable Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages up for auction this week at the 2021 November 14-15 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122146 at Heritage Auctions.

The Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC FN/VF 7.0 Off-white pages. The origin and first appearance of the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, and Wasp), "Earth's Mightiest Super-Heroes", as well as appearances by Loki, the Teen Brigade, and the Fantastic Four. Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers cover and art. Currently the #13 book on Overstreet's list of Top 50 Silver Age Comics. Overstreet 2021 FN 6.0 value = $3,680; VF 8.0 value = $10,200. CGC census 11/21: 125 in 7.0, 224 higher.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 262329001 and purchase grader's notes if available.

 

The Avengers #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 0062368011 and purchase grader's notes if available.

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