A rare, high-grade copy of Action Comics #1, where iconic superhero Superman made his debut in 1938 is currently being auctioned for sale on eBay. Retailer Darren Adams, owner of Pristine Comics in Washington, has put Superman’s first appearance in a comic book on eBay, attracting bids of up to $1.75 million after two days passed in the 10-day auction period. There are less than 50 copies of the issue that are known to still exist and many, after spending years in dusty, moldy garages and attics are not in the best condition. What makes this copy the “holy grail” of comic books not just for its place in history but the issue was awarded a grade of 9.0 from the Certified Guaranty Company, the highest grade ever assigned to a copy of Action Comics #1 issue by CGC and a sign that the 76-year-old comic is still in super condition.
The only other copy of Action Comics No. 1 that garnered a CGC rating of 9.0 went for $2,161,000 in 2011. Sold by actor and Superman fan Nicolas Cage, that issue had cream-colored to off-white pages, while the issue now on auction through eBay has pure white pages and is deemed in “pristine” condition.
This issue now available for bidding was described by eBay as “The finest known copy of the most sought after comic book in the world. A 1938 museum piece with PERFECT WHITE pristine pages.”
Adams already turned down a private offer of $3 million because he wants to give all collectors a fair shot at getting their hands on every nerd’s version of the holy grail.
