Heritage Auctions said that a 1939 copy of Superman No. 1 sold for $9.12 million in Dallas on Thursday, Nov. 20. The purchase set a new world record for a comic book, shattering the previous high mark from a copy of Action Comics No. 1 that sold for $6 million.
The first-edition comic earned a Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) grade of 9.0, making it the highest-graded unrestored copy ever offered.
"What a momentous day," says Heritage Auctions vice president Lon Allen. "I'm thrilled for our consignor. 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."
Three brothers in California discovered the comic while searching through their late mother's attic in 2024. Beneath old newspapers and cobwebs, they found six valuable comic books that their mom and her brother bought in the 1930s.
Heritage Auctions said the Northern California climate helped preserve the comics in near-mint condition.
"They're in their 50s and 60s, and their mom had always told them she had an expensive comics collection but never showed them," Allen said in October. "It's a twist on the old 'Mom threw away my comics' story."
The comic is especially valuable because it marks the first full-title debut for Superman.
"This new record may someday be remembered as an early stage of popular culture collecting's trajectory into the upper reaches of the auction field," said Heritage Auctions co-founder Jim Halperin. "The value and historical importance of these objects are becoming even more well-known to collectors all over the world."
Despite an original print run of 500,000 copies, Superman No. 1 is rarely found in great condition because many readers followed the book's instructions to cut out a Superman pinup.
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