comic books

Spider-Man Comic Book Sells For $1.1 Million

Filed under: Auctions

The comic book market continues to boom as the first comic book to feature Spider-Man sold for $1.1 million through comic book auction house ComicConnect.com, the same house that sold a 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, featuring Superman's debut last year for a record $1.5 million. Action Comics No. 1 originally sold for 10 cents and the Marvel Spider-Man sold for 12 cents in 1962. The copy that sold is in excellent condition and the cover shows Spider Man swinging by a web. Early comic books from the 1930s to 1950s are often called Golden Age comic books. The Spider-Man comes from what is known as the Silver Age this sale may end up raising the prices of other Silver Age books. Spider-Man remains popular with the public. A much-maligned and very expensive Spider-Man show is on Broadway and the movie franchise is being rebooted.

Tags: comic book collecting, comic books, ComicConnect.com, spider-man

Archie Comic Book Sets New World Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

He's no Superman or Batman but Archie Andrews, the lead character of the Archie comic books, proved he can hold his own on the auction floor. At Heritage Auctions' Feb. 24-25 Signature Vintage Comics & Comics Art Auction a CGC-certified 8.5 copy of Archie Comics #1 brought a world record price of $167,300 (including 19.5% Buyer's Premium). It's a record for Archie but is also the highest price ever paid for a non-superhero comic book. It sold to a West Coast collector who has been collecting Archie comic books for decades and was looking for a copy of Archie Comics #1 in top condition.

"Archie may have a ways to go to catch the likes of Superman and Batman, his Golden Age counterparts," said Lon Allen, Managing Director of Comics at Heritage, "but you can bet that collectors sat up and took notice when this comic brought that price. This amount exceeds the priciest of Spidey and Hulk comic books we've sold, which brought in excess of $125,000 each."

There's more in store for Archie Comics. Jon Goldwater, CEO of Archie Comics, recently gave an interview about the future of the brand saying he wants to make Archie and the gang a reflection of what's going on with kids today in high school. The comic introduced a gay character, an interracial romance and other changes. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that Archie Comics is also working with the legendary Stan Lee, co-creator of most of Marvel's superheroes, on a secret project. Keeping the brand in the public eye is also good for the value of the earlier comic books.

The Heritage auction reached a total of $4,270,483, with more than 2,375 bidders vying for 1,262 lots. More of the original artwork of Scrooge McDuck, done by his creator, Carl Barks,was also up for sale. Barks' Business as Usual, 1976, a painting of Uncle Scrooge in his massive money bin went for $179,250 and other Bark's paintings including also sold well.

Other items that sold well included R. Crumb's original art for the two-page story, "Kitchen Kut-Outs," from Zap Comics #1 which went for $47,800. The five original production proof pages from Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of "The Bat-Man" in 1939, found in 1975, in an old steamer trunk destined for the landfill brought $69,011 altogether, with the proof for Page 3 – the first time we see "The Bat-Man" – bringing the most at $19,120.

Tags: archie comics, batman, comic book, comic book collecting, comic books, heritage auctions

Anti-Communist Comic Books Are A Collector's Find

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

When discussing comic books on this website I've mainly mentioned superheroes but that's not the only type of rare comic book that does well at auction. Heritage Auctions' upcoming Vintage Comics and Comic Art auctions feature another shadowy section of the comic book world. The sales include a large selection of esoteric comic books from the collection of Pennsylvania collector Todd Warren. Mr. Warren's collection delves into an intriguing subset of the comic book world, anti-communist comic books.

Blood Is The Harvest, shown at right, is from 1950, and shows a Red Army firing squad on the cover aiming their guns at blindfolded peasants. This comic is a rare book. According to Steve Borock, Consignment Director at Heritage supposedly only 13 copies exist. The auction also includes If The Devil Would Talk, another rare one with only 80 existing copies and The Red Iceberg, with a cover that shows a giant red iceberg (representing communism's spread) with an Uncle Sam figure in a rowboat. Other comics from Mr. Warren's collection include similar themes with titles such as How Stalin Hopes We Will Destroy America, Is This Tomorrow, Double Talk, and Two Faces of Communism. "These are a real time capsule of the Cold War days, from the time period when comics were considered one of the more effective ways to reach a mass audience," Borock said. A same grade copy of Blood Is The Harvest last sold at Heritage for over $3,000 back in 2003. This one should do at least as well.

Tags: Anti-communist, Comic Books, Heritage Auctions, Rare Comic Books

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Rare Batman Pages Saved From Trash Could Sell For Thousands

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

We've seen several copies of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of "The Batman" sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars but what price will the original 1939 production proofs for pages 2-6 of Detective Comics #27 fetch? The original art for the comic book hasn't surfaced but these rare pages, part of Heritage Auctions' Signature Vintage Comics & Comic Art Auction on February 24, are perhaps the next best thing. A proof page in comics is a test run of the uncolored page.

The pages were rescued in 1975 from an old steamer trunk sitting on a curb awaiting trash pick-up in Queens. Sharp-eyed Mario J. Sacripante saw the trunk outside of the building where he lived, and Bob Kane, Batman's creator, had also lived for many years. Sacripante had an idea about what he had found and later learned that Kane had lived there. The treasure trove also includes original Bob Kane sketches, gag panels, art class notebooks and an incomplete copy of Detective #27. "Holding some of these pages next to the printed comic I was struck by the details of the art that are better visible here," said Barry Sandoval, Director of Comics Auction Operations at Heritage. "Very little original comic book art from the 1930s has survived, so this is probably the closest a collector would ever get to owning original art from one of the most collectible comic book stories ever."

Tags: batman, comic book collecting, comic books, detective comics 27, heritage auctions

Superhero Museum Collection Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

In 2007, the American Superheroes Museum opened in Indianapolis, Indiana. Unfortunately, it didn't stay open long. it closed within a year amid financial difficulties and since that time the collection has been offered and then removed from auction twice. Antique Helper Auctions in Indianapolis has announced a special session featuring select items from this collection on January 22. A notice on ArtFix Daily says that this is considered to be the second largest collection of Superman-related objects and memorabilia in the world. The collection was started more than 50 years ago when the founder of the museum first started collecting. It contains Superman costumes worn by George Reeves, Christopher Reeve and Dean Cain. Some of the Superman costumes from this collection were displayed at the Indiana State Museum in 2006, during the IMAX screening of Superman Returns.

The items that are up for sale have come to the auction house after seizure by court order. The oldest costume was reportedly worn by George Reeves (1914-1959) in the old Superman television series. Although it has been estimated at over $100,000 in past auctions, it will be auctioned off without reserve as will all of the lots. Along with the costumes, film stills, movie posters and collectibles will also be sold including a large assortment of other superhero-related memorabilia, including Batman, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman.

Tags: american superheroes museum, christopher reeve, comic book, comic books, george reeves, superman

Comic Bought For 10¢ Sells For Over $492,000

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

We've seen a couple copies of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman, fetch big prices at auction but they usually go through the hands of several collectors before the big payday. Not this one. Sacramento, California resident Robert Irwin, 84, bought his copy of the first appearance of Batman for the cover price, 10 cents, back in 1939 when he was 13 years old. The comic book sold at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas on November 18, 2010 for $492,937. The price exceeded pre-auction estimates by 20%. When the bidding ended Irwin joked, "I wish that I had one more book." The copy was purchased in a telephone bid by a buyer who wishes to remain anonymous.

Irwin discovered the comic book was still in his possession six years ago and turned down a $100,000 offer for it from a collector. It's the only comic book he kept from his youth. The winning bid, $492,937.50, includes the 19.5 percent buyer's premium paid by all winning bidders in the auction.

Tags: batman, comic book, comic book collecting, comic books, detective comics, Detective Comics 27

Another Rare Batman Comic Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Lately it seems like rare comic books might just be the best investment of all. A Batman comic bought for $1,200 could sell for over $400,000 in an August 5-7 auction at Heritage Auction Galleries. The CGC Certified VF-7.5 Detective #27 was bought by college student in Hawaii in 1974 at a bookstore. He later tracked down the woman who had sold the comic to the bookstore and found out that she had bought it off a local newsstand in 1939, before Hawaii was even a state. The comic book is in an unrestored condition and has had just these two owners.

Earlier this year, Heritage sold another comic book documenting Batman's first appearance for $1,075,000. That blockbuster price brought forward the anonymous consignor of this most recent version. He plans to use the proceeds to help pay for his son's college education. "We think this could become just the second comic to top $400,000 at auction," said Ed Jaster, Vice President of Heritage Auctions.

Tags: batman comic, comic book, comic book collecting, comic books, detective comics, rare comic, rare comic books

$1.5 Million Comic Book Sale Puts Superman Back On Top

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Wow, it took just a little more than a month for the record for the most expensive comic book to be absolutely shattered. Last month a comic with the first appearance of Batman sold for an amazing $1,075,500, breaking the $1 million record set by the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, featuring Superman's debut. Superman is back on top once again with a new sale and a new record, $1.5 million. Action Comics No. 1 originally sold for 10 cents and it is estimated that there are around 100 copies of the comic still in existence although condition varies.

The issue that sold on Monday through auction web site ComicConnect.com had been secreted inside an old movie magazine for years and was in better condition that the $1 million copy that sold earlier. The pristine issue was bought from a private collector and then sold by Stephen Fishler and Vincent Zurzolo, the co-owners of ComicConnect.com. Will this record sit for a while? ComicConnect.com co-owner and COO, Vincent Zurzolo thinks so. He says that "this particular Action Comics #1 is literally the single most valuable comic book on the planet."

[via Art Daily]

Tags: comic books, ComicConnect.com, most expensive, most expensive comics, superman

Pow! Batman Beats Superman With Big Auction Result

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

It's been an exciting few weeks in the world of comic book collecting. First we heard that a rare copy of the first Batman comic book had surpassed the previous comic book record price, $317,000, paid for a first Superman comic by John Dolmayan, drummer for the rock band System of a Down last year. Then another copy of the first Superman comic came out of nowhere to zoom to the top again. A copy of the 1938 edition Action Comics #1 sold through the website ComicConnect.com for $1 million.

But never count Batman out. The Heritage Auctions sale wrapped up and the Detective Comics #27, cover date of May 1939 sold for an amazing $1,075,500 including buyer's premium. The comic is one of the finest known surviving copies of the issue and was sold on behalf of an anonymous consignor who purchased it for $100 more than 40 years ago. There are probably a lot of people digging through old collections right about now, as these two big sales will galvanize an already popular area of collecting.

Tags: batman, comic book collecting, comic books, ComicBookCollecting, ComicBooks, comics, heritage auctions, HeritageAuctions, superman

Rare Comic Book Sale Puts Superman Back On Top

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

A rare copy of the first comic book to feature Superman sold this week for a record breaking $1 million. Considered by many in the market to be the "Holy Grail" of comic books, the 1938 edition Action Comics #1 was in excellent condition and was originally sold for just 10 cents. It features Superman lifting a car on its front cover.

The sale went through the website ComicConnect.com and was between a private seller and private buyer. The $1 million sale price smashes the previous record of $317,000 set last year for another Action Comics #1 issue (in lesser condition) and looks like it will hold its own against the Batman auction coming up soon.

Source

Tags: comic book, comic book collecting, comic books, ComicBook, ComicBookCollecting, ComicBooks, rare comic books, RareComicBooks, superman

Exploring The World Of Comic Book Collecting

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Recently a reader sent Luxist a note regarding comic book collecting and the value of a particular Spiderman comic. I'll confess I wasn't much help except for steering him toward a couple of the more well-regarded comic book guides. But on our sister blog WalletPop you can get some real advice on comic book collecting. WalletPop's Jason Cochran sat down with a bunch of respected figures in the comic book world: artist and writer Phil Jimenez from Marvel's Astonishing X-Men; Paul Litch, vice-president of Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), a grader of comic books ; Laura Hudson, a blogger from the ComicsAlliance.com website; and Kevin Frost, who is a back-issue buyer for Midtown Comics, one of the busiest comic stores in America. The discussion is fascinating not just for anyone with an interest in collecting. Should you get your comic books graded? It may make a big difference in terms of price. Are those old comic books in the attic actually worth something and is comic book collecting a good investment? Like the world of sports collectibles, the comic book market is subject to a lot of different factors. While you may not make your fortune by collecting there are a few books that are worth quite a bit (last year an Action Comics #1 from 1938 sold for $317,200 in an internet auction). As with art or any other collecting, the rule remains the same, buy for love first and profit second.

Source

Tags: comic book collecting, comic books, ComicBookCollecting, ComicBooks

The World of Rare Comic Books: Amazing Spider-Man #1

by Sarah Gilbert (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

In the world of superheroes, Superman may be have the most other-worldly power, but it's Spider-Man who twinges the heart-strings. Perhaps it's his familiarity -- weren't you, too, that nerd in high school? -- or perhaps it's his tragedy, what with his unknowing part in his uncle's death. Either way, two of the most expensive comic books ever sold at auction are issues of Amazing Fantasy 15, the series in which Spider-Man was first introduced in 1962.

One of the rarest comic books still in existence in near-perfect condition is an issue of "Amazing Spider-Man #1," rare not only because of its singularity but also because of its quality. The comic book sold for only 12 cents per copy when it was published in March 1963, and is now worth over $40,000 -- not an exceedingly high price for comic books (the most valuable, first appearance of Superman in "Action Comics 1," is said to be worth $350,000) -- but extremely rare in such pristine condition.

In 2002, a comic book shop in Manhattan was broken into, and a particularly rare copy of "Amazing Spider-Man #1" was stolen, by a "gentlemanly" robber holding a duffel bag containing a rifle and handcuffs. He tied up the store owner while he picked the desired issues -- certainly a scene right out of the pages of his contraband. If only Spider-Man was real ...

Tags: amazing-spider-man, comic books, ComicBooks, comics, rare, spider-man, the rare, TheRare

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