CGC-certified Batman #1 Soars to $1.476 Million

A Batman #1 graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) realized $1.476 million in a Goldin Auction sale on September 18. The Golden Age rarity raced past its minimum bid of $250,000 to become the fifth CGC-certified comic book to realize a price over $1 million this year.

Batman #1 graded CGC 8.0 and pedigreed to the Larson Collection. Realized: $1.476 million Click images to enlarge.

Graded CGC 8.0, this particular example is one of the highest graded by CGC in Universal Grade. A grail among Batman collectors, the Spring 1940 book introduces infamous villains Catwoman and the Joker.

This example is pedigreed to the Larson Collection, one of the hobby’s earliest recognized pedigrees. The collection belonged to Lamont Larson, who amassed over 1,000 Golden Age issues dated from 1935-1941.

The market for CGC-graded books this year has shown exceptional strength. Less than two weeks before this sale, an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 9.6 shattered the record for any comic book; the Silver Age Spider-Man rarity realized $3.6 million. The other CGC-graded comic books to surpass $1 million this year are:

• an Action Comics #1 graded CGC 8.5 that realized $3.25 million early this year
• a Batman #1 graded CGC 9.4 that sold for $2.22 million in January
• a Detective Comics #27 graded CGC 5.0 that sold for $1.125 million in June

Other CGC-certified highlights in the Goldin sale included:

• an Amazing Fantasy #15 graded CGC 8.5 that realized $707,250
• an Avengers #1 graded CGC 9.6 that realized $369,000
• a Journey Into Mystery graded CGC 9.4 that realized $319,800
• an X-Men #1 graded CGC 8.5 that realized $158,400
• a Superman #1 graded CGC 1.0 that realized $137,760
• an Incredible Hulk #181 graded CGC 9.8 that realized $87,330
• an Incredible Hulk #1 graded CGC 7.0 that realized $75,030

All prices realized include the buyer’s premium.

Related Links:

• CGC-graded Batman #1 Sells for $2.22 Million
• Holy $1.12 Million! Another CGC-certified Batman Comic Realizes Seven Figures
• Shattering the Record, CGC-certified Amazing Fantasy #15 Realizes $3.6 Million!
• Up, Up and Away! CGC-certified Action Comics #1 Sells for a Record $3.25 Million