CGC-graded International Comics Realize Strong Prices in Recent Sales

Following on the heels of ComicConnect’s strong auction results for international comics on August 22, 2023, several other record-breaking sales have occurred.

The Sky Ott family, considered one of the foremost experts on international comics, brokered a deal for a CGC 7.5 Lebanese copy of Incredible Hulk #1 (1965) for $20,000. Published by Al-Mouassasah Al-Arabiyya, this is the earliest International edition of Incredible Hulk #1, a rare edition with a very low print run. It is to date the highest grade in the CGC Census, with only four copies graded so far.

Mr. Ott commented, “This rare edition was a test publishing and there were only a few hundred ever produced. Shortly thereafter this publisher went out of business. This is years before most other countries worldwide published this historic cover, if at all.”

Several other CGC-graded international comics immediately sold through eBay after the ComicConnect auction ended, including a CGC 9.8 Spanish edition of Amazing Spider-Man #300, which fetched $6,000. This is currently the single highest graded copy in the CGC Census out of a total of 21 graded copies. Copies of El Sorprendente Hombre Arana, Mexico’s original series of Spider-Man, also brought record prices on eBay that week. A copy of #148 and #149, both graded CGC 7.5, sold for $2,070. Issue #128 from this title is famous among collectors for containing an original story featuring the marriage of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy in a dream sequence. A CGC 6.5 copy of #128 shattered Bronze Age records when it sold for $35,000 in 2022.

Click images to enlarge.

A CGC 6.5 copy of the Mexican version of Fantastic Four #1 also sold on eBay for $1,000. It was released in Mexico in 1980, nearly 20 years after its US counterpart signaled the birth of the Marvel Age.

“This moment is historically important because US vintage comic collectors have been dabbling into the international key comic space over recent years,” Mr. Ott continued. “Now you have highly experienced vintage comic collectors with serious scale capital coming into a market broadly steeped in horror and science fiction, as well as superheroes.”

CGC will continue to monitor and report on the fast-growing base of international collectors and record-breaking prices.

About International Comic Grading

CGC follows the same grading standards for international comics as it does for American comics. For some terrific examples of CGC-graded international comics, check out the CGC Gallery of Certified International Comic Books.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes.

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