Superman Comic Found in Attic Breaks Record With $9.12 Million Sale
Rare Superman No. 1 comic sets $9.12 million record at auction, discovered in a California attic.
A rare copy of Superman No. 1, discovered in a California attic, has become the most expensive comic book ever sold, fetching an astonishing $9.12 million at auction. The 1939 issue marks Superman’s first solo title and is now a historic benchmark in the comic book and collectibles market.
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The comic was found in 2024 by three brothers in northern California while sorting through their late mother’s attic. Buried under old newspapers in a cardboard box, the issue had been purchased by their mother when she was nine years old in San Francisco. Although she had told her sons she had “rare comics somewhere,” the discovery came as a surprise.
Despite being 86 years old, the comic was in pristine condition, earning an unprecedented 9.0 grade on the industry’s 10-point scale—making it the highest-graded known copy of Superman No. 1. Only seven known copies hold a grade of 6.0 or above.
The sale shatters the previous world record set last year, when an 8.5-graded copy of Action Comics No. 1—the 1938 debut of Superman—sold for $6 million.
Originally, Superman No. 1 saw print runs of 500,000, followed by 250,000 and 150,000 copies, but intact issues are extremely rare. Many were damaged or discarded, and the comic encouraged children to cut out the cover for use as a poster.
Considered one of the “big three” alongside Action Comics No. 1 and Detective Comics No. 27—which introduced Batman—the issue holds monumental cultural significance.
Lon Allen, vice-president of Heritage Auctions, called it “a momentous day,” adding:
“Superman No 1 is a milestone in pop culture history, and this copy is not only in unprecedented condition, but it has a movie-worthy story behind it. I was glad to see the price reflect that and am honored Heritage was entrusted with this iconic book.”
Superman was created in 1933 by teenagers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who sold the rights to DC Comics for just $130, earning $10 per page of artwork—a stark contrast to the superhero’s soaring value today.
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