CGC-certified Action Comics #1 Realizes $384,000

Look! Up in the sky! It was another sky-high finish for the first appearance of Superman, which was among hundreds of books graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) in a recent Heritage Auctions sale. The Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction was held January 9-12, 2025.

The top book in the auction was an Action Comics #1 graded CGC 6.5 Restored (lot 91003), featuring the first appearance of Superman, which realized $384,000. In the 1940s and 1950s, Superman soared to cultural prominence as an iconic American superhero. During these decades, Superman was not just a comic book hero but also a radio, television and film star, symbolizing hope and justice during World War II and the post-war era. Today, Superman remains a cultural icon, consistently popular through comic books, movies, television shows and merchandise.

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While this comic has always been a top-seller (and an example currently holds the record for highest price realized of all time), Superman comics are surging in popularity now due to the upcoming film, which stars David Corenswet as the latest actor to wear the cape.

Other CGC-certified comics in this auction included:

• a Suspense Comics #3 graded CGC 4.0 (lot 91018), which realized $156,000
• a Detective Comics #38 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 91028), which realized $132,000
• a More Fun Comics #52 graded CGC 6.5 (lot 91012), which realized $108,000
• an Action Comics #7 graded CGC 6.0 Conserved (lot 91004), which realized $75,000
• a Captain America Comics #1 graded CGC 8.0 Restored (lot 91008), which realized $72,000
• a Batman #1 graded CGC 1.5 (lot 91052), which realized $72,000
• a Fantastic Four #48 signed by Stan Lee graded CGC Signature Series 9.8 (lot 91010), which realized $69,000
• an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 91121), which realized $69,000
• a More Fun Comics #73 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 91089), which realized $66,000
• a Batman #1 graded CGC 1.0 (lot 91053), which realized $63,000
• an All-Star Comics #8 graded CGC 5.5 (lot 91006), which realized $55,200
• a Black Cat Mystery Comics #50 File Copy graded CGC 9.4 (lot 91007), which realized $55,200

Prices realized include a buyer’s premium.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety 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 home media, including Betamax tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.