A Superman comic dating back to June 1938 has sold for US $3,207,852 after receiving 48 bids on eBay.
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the inaugural Action Comics marked the debut of unassuming reporter Clark Kent who fought crime with an array of super powers as his alter-ego, Superman.
No reserve was placed on Action Comics No. 1, which has been graded a 9.0 by Certified Guarantee Company (CGC), an independent comic book grading service. The rating is based on the book being kept in pristine condition, with vibrant colours and white, unfaded pages.
The only other 9.0-rated vintage comic was sold to actor Nicolas Cage for $2.1 million a number of years ago, but experts predicted this issue would break the record for the world’s most expensive.
The selling notes on the eBay auction page read: “For sale here is the single most valuable comic book to ever be offered for sale, and is likely to be the only time ever offered for sale during many of our lifetimes. There are no second chances,” the page continued.
Paul Litch, a primary grader for CGC said “the quality and preservation of the Adams Action #1 [sic] is astounding."
"The book looks and feels like it just came off the newsstand. It is supple, the colours are deep and rich, and the quality of the white pages is amazing for a comic that is 76 years old,” he continued.
Current owner, Darren Adams, has already turned down a private offer of $3 million in order to give all collectors a “fair chance” to own the comic. Part of the proceeds of the auction will go toward the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.