This week marks a very special moment in history. A professionally graded CGC 9.0 Action Comics #1 is currently listed on an eBay auction, and the current bid is already over $2,000,000. There are only two known copies of this caliber in existence, and this issue can be yours at the right price:
As explained in the YouTube video, CGC is a professional comic book grading company that grades its comics on a scale of 0.5-10, with 0.5 being poor and 10 being perfect. When a comic is graded by CGC, it is sealed in a plastic casing to prevent any further damage or deterioration from occurring. With older comics, it is pretty rare for a comic to have such a high grade, mainly due to the fact that comics were not meticulously taken care of and stored properly as they are today. People read comics for fun, not to expertly collect. So, a 9.0 Action Comics, which debuted 1938, is the rarest of the rare. In fact, out of the couple hundred known Action Comic #1s, there is only one other copy that is CGC graded at a 9.0. Nicolas Cage (a massive Superman fan) was actually the owner of the other copy, until he put it up for sale in an online auction in 2011. The auction yielded an impressive $2.16 million, breaking the world record for the most expensive comic book ever sold.
Why is this such a valuable issue? Well, Action Comics #1 has pretty much become the face of ‘the first comic book’. The fact that it is so old, hard to find, and stars the first appearance of Superman in his iconic car-over-head image leaves collectors dreaming of owning a copy one day. You may remember hearing of the miracle story of a contractor finding a copy inside the wall and selling it for $175,000 (it was CGC graded at 1.5).
Nobody ever imagined that older comics would have accrued the value that they have. Considering its age, it is hard to believe that any issue of Action Comics #1 could ever surpass a 9.0. The issue up for action has perfect white pages, no folds or creases, hasn’t been restored, and is in mint condition in every way imaginable. Unless someone unknowingly has one or is keeping it a secret, you won’t find an Action Comics #1 better than this.
This is a truly special moment in comic book history. Who knows when another highly graded copy will surface, or when one of the two 9.0s will be up for sale again. In order to bid on the current auction, you have to be a pre-qualified bidder, proving you have enough cash to afford the massive bid, so you can be sure that the current bids are genuine and serious. If this does break the previous record, and we sure hope it does, we can’t wait to see how high it will go.
Current Bid: $2,000,100
CLICK HERE to view the current Action Comics #1 eBay auction and HERE to see the value of some other iconic Superman comics.
Gamenomics & Comicology 