If you’ve got a stack of old comic books, you may want to take a closer look—especially once you find out what some editions have sold for in the last few years.
Before we delve into the list, allow us to explain one thing. In 2000, a new way of grading comics came along. Next to the sale prices below, you’ll also see a CGC rating. It represents the condition the comic book is in, on a scale of 1 to 10. A rating of 1 means “fair,” while a rating of 10 means “gem mint.”
The Top 10 Most Valuable Comics in the World
Without further ado, here are the top 10 most valuable comic books ever sold, according to Comic Book Resources.
10. “Incredible Hulk” #1, CGC 9.2 — $326,000 This 1962 comic book is the creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. There is only one known copy in better condition than this one, which sold in August 2014.
9. “Captain America Comics” #1, CGC 9.2 — $343,000 This comic book cover shows Captain America punching Hitler in the face, which is even more interesting considering this comic came out a full year before the United States entered World War II. Its creators, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, received death threats after the comic was published.
8. “Marvel Comics” #1, CGC 9 – $350,000 This is the first comic book published by the company that would later become Marvel Comics. That fact makes this a very important comic book, which could have sold for significantly more money if it were in better condition. According to Comic Book Resources, prices typically double for every 0.2 increase in quality above and beyond a score of 9.
7. “Tales of Suspense” #39, CGC 9.6 — $375,000 This comic book marks the first appearance of Iron Man. It’s original sale price in 1963 was 12 cents.
6. “Flash Comics” #1, CGC 9.6 — $450,000 This comic book sold in 2010 for what was, at the time, the second highest price ever paid.
5. “X-Men” #1, CGC 9.8 — $492,937 This cover bills the X-Men as the “strangest super-heroes ever.” A previous copy of this comic, with a CGC rating of 9.6, sold for less than half the price of this copy.
4. “Batman” #1, CGC 9.2 — $567, 625 This is the first issue of the Batman series. It sold in 2013 after a bidding war—and is one of the few comics to fetch more than a half million dollars.
3. “Detective Comics” #27, CGC 8 — $1,075,000 If you’ve caught onto the CGC rating system, you’re probably wondering how a comic rated only an 8 could fetch this much money. Here’s why: Batman, who made his first-ever appearance in this comic book.
2. “Amazing Fantasy” #15, CGC 9.6 — $1,100,000 This comic book features the first-ever appearance of Spiderman. The original sale price? 12 cents.
1. “Action Comics” #1, CGC 9 — $3,207, 852 The superhero behind this astonishing price is, you guessed it, Superman. This copy sold on eBay in 2014. It is believed that there is one “Action Comics” in existence with a grading of 9.2, but it has never been officially graded. If it’s true that prices typically double for every 0.2 increase in quality, that comic book could sell north of $5 million.
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