A Northern California family find realized $9.12 million at Heritage, setting a new world record for any comic book.
By Intelligent Collector Staff | November 20, 2025
A copy of Superman #1 discovered in a Northern California attic became the most expensive comic book ever sold when it realized $9.12 million at Heritage Auctions’ November Comic Books Signature® Auction.
The 1939 issue, graded CGC VF/NM 9.0 with off-white to white pages, was found by three brothers while sorting through their late mother’s belongings. The family had known she owned old comics, but the box had remained stored away for decades, protected by layers of newspapers and a climate that helped preserve the books in unusually strong condition.
The copy’s importance is difficult to overstate. Superman #1 was the Man of Steel’s first self-titled comic book, following his 1938 debut in Action Comics #1. Heritage noted that this example came from the first print run, identifiable by a small promotional spot advertising Action Comics #14 as “On sale June 2nd.” Later printings changed the language to “Now on sale.”
Condition turned the discovery into a market event. CGC graded the book 9.0, placing it at the top of the census for unrestored copies of the issue. The final $9.12 million price surpassed the prior comic-book record: the $6 million Heritage sale of an 8.5-graded Action Comics #1 in 2024.
The result is a reminder that major comic discoveries can still emerge from private hands, but it also shows how important authentication, grading and market placement are once they do. A great item still needs the right audience to become a record result.
For consignors asking the best place to sell comic books, especially Golden Age keys with rarity, condition and cultural weight, this sale is the clearest possible example. Heritage brought a family discovery to a global bidder base and turned it into the highest public benchmark the comic-book market has ever seen.
Source: Heritage Auctions press releases (October 31 and November 20, 2025).