World's Most Valuable Comic Books.

Posted by Alex in Cartoon & Comic, Mentalfloss on September 20, 2006 at 6:25 am


1 & 2. Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and Superman #1 (1939)

This is it, the comic book Holy Grail, the one that introduced the world to Superman. The cover bears the famous – if somewhat crude – drawing of Superman smashing a car against a rock. Written and drawn by Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster, the comic introduced Superman as "Champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need!" The last survivor of the doomed planet Krypton (duh), Superman could "leap 1/8th of a mile; hurdle a 20-story building … raise tremendous weights … run faster than an express train … and nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin!" Superman was so popular, he became the first character to get his very own comic book. Superman #1 hit newsstands in the summer of 1939. The Man of Steel has held up pretty well, you could say.

Action Comics #1
Cover price in 1938: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $350,000

Superman #1
Cover price in 1939: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $210,000

3. Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)

Less than a year later, an artist named Bob Kane decided to create a caped superhero of his own, one much darker, more mysterious, and more "human" than the squeaky-clean Superman. His creation: Batman. Unlike the campy ’60s TV version of the character, the Batman in this first issue was a dark, vengeful crusader who stalked the night (he watches as a bad guy plunges into a vat of acid), presaging the hero’s reemergence in the 1980s in The Dark Knight Returns. Perhaps this darkness was a reflection of the dread of war looming on the horizon in 1939? The cover proclaimed, "Starting this issue: The amazing and unique adventures of THE BATMAN!" and promised "64 pages of action!"

Cover price in 1939: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $300,000

4. Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939)

In 1939 a comic book house called Funnies Inc. approached pulp fiction publisher Martin Goodman with a proposal to provide him with ready-made comic book artwork. All he had to do was publish it. Seeing the kind of cash Action Comics and others were raking in, he agreed, and Marvel Comics was born. The first issue introduced three legendary Marvel characters: the Sub-Mariner of Atlantis, prince of the Deep; the Human Torch (a different Human Torch than the one that would become part of the Fantastic Four 22 years later – let’s not get them confused); and Ka-Zar the Great, a man who lived in the jungle among apes (strangely similar to another popular ape man whose name had a lot of teh same letters).

Cover price in 1939: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $250,000

5. Batman #1 (Spring 1940)

After appearing in 13 issues of Detective Comics, Batman and his new sidekick – Robin the Boy Wonder (introduced in Detective Comics #38) – were so popular, they got their very own comic book. Batman began as a quarterly, but that wasn’t enough for fans. Neither was a bimonthly. So, before long, readers could get a new Batman adventure every month. The first issue introduces two of Batman’s most legendary nemeses: the Joker and Catwoman. More than 63 years and over 600 issues later, Batman is still fighting villains – as well as his own demons – on the streets of Gotham City.

Cover price in April 1940: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $100,000

6. All-American Comics #16 (July 1940)

How many times has this happened to you? Man finds alien metal lantern. Man makes ring out of lantern. Man presses ring to lantern. Man has incredible superpowers over everything. Except wood, obviously. That’s the story in All-American Comics #16, a book published tangentially under the DC Comics umbrella. When regular guy Alan Scott made his ring, the superhero created was, of course, the Green Lantern. The idea of an everyday schmoe just lucking into superhero-ness proved incredibly popular. A similar idea struck gold in 1962 when a young nerd named Peter Parker got bitten by a radioactive spider (see below).

Cover price in 1940: 10¢
Estimated top value today: $115,000

7. Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962)

The word bubbles on the cover say it all: "Though the world may mock Peter Parker, the timid teen-ager … it will soon marvel at the awesome might of … SPIDER-MAN!" And writer Stan Lee (pseudonym of Stanley Martin Lieber) and artist Mike Steve Ditko could not have been more right. Spider-Man was the first comic book hero to be a regular teenager, going through the same thigns his readers were dealing with: shyness, insecurity, a crush on a pretty girl, and trouble with the popular jock (Flash Thompson). No wonder people of all ages are still true believers.

Cover price in 1962: 12¢
Estimated top value today: $42,000

___________

From mental_floss’ book Condensed Knowledge: A deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again, published in Neatorama with permission.

[Update 3/15/07: Original article written by Christopher Smith]

Be sure to visit mental_floss‘ very neat website and blog!

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COMMENT

50 comments to "World's Most Valuable Comic Books."

  1. Britt
    September 20th, 2006 at 7:29 am

    Yeesh, my dad has all of those Spiderman comics, including the #1.

  2. Rover
    September 20th, 2006 at 3:46 pm

    Re: Amazing Fantasy #15 - the artist's name is Steve Ditko, not Mike.

  3. Alex
    September 20th, 2006 at 5:01 pm

    Thanks Rover - my copy of mental_floss' Condensed Knowledge book had the error - it's corrected now!

  4. Alex
    September 20th, 2006 at 5:03 pm

    And Britt - so, if your dad bought it at $0.10 cover price in 1938, he would have a return of 350,000,000%! Not a bad investment at all!

  5. stan
    September 20th, 2006 at 10:31 pm

    I'm stock piling my New Universe titles-

    Those multiple copies of Star Brand and Dakota North are gonna be a great investment.

  6. rob
    September 20th, 2006 at 10:54 pm

    If you want some real data on the value of the world's most valuable comics, I'd like to point out the list I keep:

    http://comics.drunkenfist.com/top.shtm

    It deals with specific copies and will offer a little more perspective on the actual values of top copies.

  7. Frank
    September 20th, 2006 at 11:36 pm

    I like the commentary on each comic and the pictures of the covers. I never knew that "Batman" was originally called "The Batman". I love reading about these kind of things and I find the comics interesting. One of the first things i noticed however, was how the cover price of a comic book only went up 2 cents in a matter of 24 years. I'm sure the price increases over those years came slow, and the kids buying these comics were working very hard and saving all month long to buy them. It is really a shame that a comic book could cost more than $5 today, and if a child shows interest in it the parent quickly buys it so the child will actually read a "book" instead of playing video games and watching T.V.

  8. Swifty
    September 21st, 2006 at 12:05 am

    Hmmm. I wonder how much that Superman: Wedding Album would cost some day.

  9. ravi
    September 21st, 2006 at 6:43 am

    A great collection. I wonder what is the criteria for setting the price ? Is there a standards body or committe which decides what the price should be for a particular comic book ?

    I have enjoyed reading comics books throughout and still enjoy them. Reading comic books is a definite stress buster after a hard day's work.

  10. Augie De Blieck Jr.
    September 21st, 2006 at 7:48 am

    Ravi - there is no standards body for comic pricing. It's all market-dictated. There are a couple of price guides out there, whose numbers will vary from month to month and title to title. They'll disagree, although that's largely through methodologies used in coming up with their numbers and not purposeful agendas. Some take eBay auctions into account. Others weigh CGC-graded comics into the equation.

    The average Marvel and DC comic these days is $2.99, although much of that has to do with economics of scale, distribution, paper prices, etc.

  11. otis wildflower
    September 21st, 2006 at 12:40 pm

    Bought a VF copy of Amazing Spiderman #129 for like $5 and sold it for $200 about 3 years later, not too shabby...

  12. Brasil Guy, not z, is "s"
    September 25th, 2006 at 12:12 am

    Hey, are you north american (USA), EUA(in BRA)???

    Thise 10¢ (Cents) are a fortune in 30'decade, today it is approximade to new 2~3 dollars.

    I'm a brazilian and know your money, than may you, it's kiding.

  13. Kelly Bradshaw
    October 3rd, 2006 at 8:04 pm

    I have the reproduction of Batman #1 Limited Collectors Silver Mint Series. Is it worth anything?

  14. Keith Ferguson
    October 12th, 2006 at 1:09 am

    A few years ago a got a bunch of comic at a Dollar store. They were all Marvel issues, in a plastic bag 3 for a $1. and in the third bag I opened was a copy of Ghost Rider #1, that comes out to be .33, and was listed in the current price guide, at $75.00 that was pretty cool. I need to get a new price guide and check my collection of over 3500+ comics.

  15. patricia
    December 4th, 2006 at 7:58 pm

    HELP!
    Does anyone know the value of Archie comic # 153 March 1965 ????
    thank you!

  16. 280frek
    December 7th, 2006 at 12:01 pm

    i have some raer comic bookes some dats go back to 1930 all the way up to 1939 superman bat man and fore

  17. Gee
    December 18th, 2006 at 5:03 am

    Hi people, could anyone help me?? i have marvel comics from the mid 70's, avengers in running order (about 8 of them). 2 spiderman comics and wanted to know what sort of price i could get for them. thank you

  18. Ereahdeh
    January 5th, 2007 at 10:43 am

    I have a question for all you experts. There are a number of sites that give prices, such as StashMyComics.com and ComicsPriceGuide.com
    Ok, so in ComicsPriceGuide.com, there's the usual prices for books I want to sell, then they have another set of prices for the same books using CGC Comics Guarantee, LCC, at cgccomics.com which is actually double the regular resale price. Has anyone else come across this and is it worth the investment to get comic ratings guaranteed to get a higher price?

  19. Mal
    January 7th, 2007 at 11:52 pm

    Oh won'tl all you geeks and nerds just drop dead!

  20. Bad Cat!
    January 29th, 2007 at 6:20 pm

    In general, only your really expensive comics are worth having graded. There is a significant cost to grading, so you wouldn't want to do it for every book you have.
    Also, grading comics means they get sealed in a plastic case. If someone wants to have AND read the comic, they likely won't buy a graded copy. However, if you have a comic worth a fair amount (like any of the issues above), it is completly worth getting graded.

  21. sue
    February 17th, 2007 at 5:29 am

    a friend of mine has some marvel hero comics with british prices on them.. Titans Team Up... 401 spiderman....368 marvel super heros ... some hulk .. and green hornet.. most likely forty years old....would they be worth anything....

  22. lorraine
    February 27th, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    I have a superman comic book dated 1939. Its a picture of superman in the center within a oval yellow cover marked 10cents. Its 64 pages.I have had it more years than I can recall. Its a large size, still in great shape some bends on the corners. Can any one tell me its value?Thanks

  23. Paul
    March 2nd, 2007 at 8:15 pm

    Lorraine,

    I'm guessing that you're just joking around, but if by some fluke you happen to be serious, the comic could be quite valuable. Let's see, 10 cent cover price...I'd be happy to give you a $100.00 for it. That's a 1000% return! :)

  24. Jürgen
    March 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm

    where have you taken the pictures of the comic books? Wow. Jihhhaaaa! Jürgen :-)

  25. Rone
    April 13th, 2007 at 7:50 pm

    I think british and us comics are of equal value. proof: at least 10 marvel uk books offered on ebay equated in bucks equally.

  26. Stupid
    June 20th, 2007 at 5:36 pm

    Here is a thought...

    An asset is only worth something if you can create or expect to create a positive cash flow from it.

    IE

    Owning a business is good because you expect to be paid from the earnings

    Owning a house is good because you can rent it out and receive rent

    Owning stocks are good becuase you might get paid a dividend (or not and you are simply hoping for appreciation)

    Even investments like gold, diamonds, art, baseball cards, and comic books can be good because they might go up in value. My impression of the current collector market though is that they are all bad investment! If I buy superman #1, it is rare and could very well appreciate more than my WACC (weighted average cost of capital...aka, my opportunity cost). If I buy anything modern though, the chances of it appreciating at a faster rate than my WACC are low. Buy new comics because they are fun! They suck as an investment.

    If you want to buy a collectible though, it is only worth it if you are going to get better than your WACC (5% in a CD...10% in the market), otherwise it is a losing proposition. Furthermore, in most cases, you have no idea whether a modern collectible will be worth what you paid for it in 10 years or nothing.

    As a teenager, I got caught up in the speculating hoopla of thr late 80s/early 90s. How many copies of X-Men #1 did I buy anyway? I was young and dumb. More importantly, the comic companies hid their production numbers from the public so I was at a great disadvantage. Oh ell, live and learn.

  27. Rackjobbing
    July 1st, 2007 at 8:25 pm

    Very nice comics.

    I want to buy them.... :-)

    Pete

  28. Rich
    July 15th, 2007 at 6:37 pm

    Stupid fun fact: the original "Human Torch" was an android.

  29. not with stupid
    July 22nd, 2007 at 10:35 pm

    Stupid is right, modern comic books are a poor investment. Flooded market and all. I saw where pre WWII comic are worth more because of rarety. Same as stupid had over 1,000 in the 80's(still have a complete collection of Warlord). Went to buy some for my son not too long ago, now they are too expensive and shorter. Alex great pictures and nice blurbs about each one.

  30. Alex
    July 28th, 2007 at 7:18 am

    Thanks not with stupid - what made these comics so valuable is their rarity. New comics are printed in such abundance that they're unlikely to be valuable any time soon (or at all).

  31. Laura
    November 13th, 2007 at 5:39 am

    omg! i knew that collectors comics were expensive - but $350,000! blimey thats loads of $$$$'s there.
    peace out babes
    x

  32. brian30bc
    November 24th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    the idea that new comics are printed in too great of number to ever be worth anything is exactly what has made comic books of the past valuable. eventually, they get beat up, eaten by little brother, or just thrown away with other childhood toys (also of some value).
    Is it a risky investment? less than playing the market, because it is a known factor that there will be less, of good quality, over time.
    Is it a stupid investment? not if you enjoy the collecting and maybe reading, and it's a much cheaper speculation than trying to play the stock market.
    So, what should you buy? buy what you like, and enjoy them, but take care of them too. many years down the road you may have one of the few surviving issues of the next big score.
    but if your buying things that already have a high value, beware and know what your buying, there are a lot of hustlers out there trying to pass of reprints as original copies.

  33. Breeanna Lopez
    January 25th, 2008 at 8:09 pm

    I wann find hulk

  34. Joan
    February 17th, 2008 at 1:32 am

    You tell evry one about Comic Books that cost 12cents
    or higher, what about the ones that cost only 2cents.
    Is there a value on them?

  35. Brandi
    February 26th, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    My boyfriend has the first issue of Superman dated 1938 with the green car on the front ..... his father left it to him , it is in mint condition kept in those protective sleeves since he was young ... we were in total shock when we saw the suggested value here !!! I mean we knew he had it but had no idea the worth !!!... as well his father left him the entire Silver Surfer Collection... any idea where we can find out what that is worth?

  36. pranju
    March 6th, 2008 at 9:40 am

    I have the PDF version o the first Action comics

  37. TRAVIS
    May 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pm

    HOW MUCH IS A 1973 MARVEL TEAM-UP FEATURING SPIDER-MAN AND THE BLACK WIDOW WORTH.

  38. The REAL Chad
    November 8th, 2008 at 8:26 am

    I got to believe that the first appearance of Spider-Man is worth WAY more than the first appearance of the Golden Age Green Lantern!

  39. staunton
    March 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    Just to answer a lot of the same questions, the Wizard guide book could tell you how much the comics are worth roughly. And yes, today's comics are not as valuable because of the high circulation. However the dealer incentive comics have the real value nowadays.

  40. kevin
    March 16th, 2009 at 8:34 am

    Have 1939 Superman #1 comic. How would I go about selling?

  41. Andres
    April 28th, 2009 at 9:25 am

    My name andres i live in New Mexico, and i have alot comics in real good condition.. So if any of out are interested email me back...Some of my comics are from 1950s.. So email back before they all go...

  42. Jeryl
    April 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    Hello, My name is Jeryl and if anyone is interested I have the very first Superman Action Comic. if you are looking for one my e-mail is jeryl.mapp@yahoo.com

  43. david baker
    May 16th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    I have a legacy of superman #1 1993 its an autographed limited edition # 2041/ 0f 2500 but i cant find a price for its value can anyone tell me where to look?

  44. Nathan McMahon
    July 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am

    i have an Action annual 1980, i wonder how much that will be worth in 20 years... not much!?

  45. Mahendra
    August 7th, 2009 at 7:38 am

    Hi all, if I find those comics up there listed where and to whom should I contact with to sell and how to go about it? plz shed some light here, cheers.

    Best

    mahendra

  46. Gauldar
    August 7th, 2009 at 8:47 am

    You also have to take into concideration the conidition of the collectors item, to actualy be able to sell one it has to be "mint" or "near mint" condition, or else it won't hold to value and restrict the chance of even finding a buyer.

  47. Mahendra
    August 7th, 2009 at 9:53 am

    if so I find then ib crisp condition, who do I look for? whose's buying? plz cud some one detail me here plz. cheers.

    best

    Mahendra

  48. hippo king
    August 20th, 2009 at 9:06 pm

    Why would the "green lantern" wear such a baggy outfit, if not to hide his enormous crotch area?

  49. jamie ramos
    September 9th, 2009 at 6:54 am

    wow! My neighbors dad has a couple of those including superman #1, but he sais he wont sell them when i ask about them. Didnt know they were worth tht much

  50. dakota
    September 20th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    those are probably not the origanles so dont get to hiped up ok ive seen copies of them!!!


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