Action Comics #1 on ebay

[griffin]

Checking out ebay at the moment, you might have seen the banner advert at the top of the pages for Action Comics #1 (the first comic with Superman, from 1938).
The Auction still has 7 days to go (http://www.ebay.com/itm/311050328393), and is already at US$1.7 million (only pre-approved bidders too, so no fakes)... and is thought to be the best known copy in existence, so could well double that amount. (it looks so clean for a 76 year old comic, as if it was just printed yesterday... but it has been authenticated by a comic grading company that has graded about 60 copies of this comic in their 14 year history)

Aside from the curiosity of how much it ends up selling for (which for comic fans, this will be an historic moment seeing the most expensive comic ever), the auction has some sample pages from the comic, which are an interesting read. (the story is terrible, but I'd never read the first issue before)
Plus, there is a youtube video embedded into the listing that gives a short history of this particular comic, and who the seller is (a comic store owner who bought it 30 years ago).

I wonder if ebay has ever sold anything more expensive than this... which could be why they are promoting it in their top banner (or the seller paid for it). Either way, the sale fee (likely to be about 4% on this one) will earn ebay a lot of money... and a lot more than the charity is getting for their name to help promote the sale (only 1% is going to the Christopher Reeve foundation).

[jazzcomp]

Wow!

[Omega Metro]

Gotta have rocks in the head to spend that sort of money on a comic. I find it hard to justify spending even $5 on a comic.:)

[Paulbot]

I'm looking for two people to go in on this auction with me. If we win we'll share the book. One person can have it Mondays and Thursdays, the second person will get it Tuesdays and Fridays, and I will take it Wednesdays and Saturdays.

[kup]

Gotta have rocks in the head to spend that sort of money on a comic. I find it hard to justify spending even $5 on a comic.:)

You have to enjoy them to understand their value. If I were a billionaire, I would not think twice about bidding.

It's an exemplary example of the beginning so pop /geek culture.

[BruiseLee]

I'm looking for two people to go in on this auction with me. If we win we'll share the book. One person can have it Mondays and Thursdays, the second person will get it Tuesdays and Fridays, and I will take it Wednesdays and Saturdays.

If we're talking Radioactive Man then we have a deal! :D

That's a crazily pristine copy of Action #1. When I was collecting comics reckon most of them will wouldn't even score a CGC 9 by the time I got them home...

[millhouse]

If we're talking Radioactive Man then we have a deal! :D

That's a crazily pristine copy of Action #1. When I was collecting comics reckon most of them will wouldn't even score a CGC 9 by the time I got them home...

That's exactly it. a CGC 9 is mindblowing.

Anyone thinking Nicolas Cage will go for it?

[lancalot]

Wow that amazing ..!! love the video that included as well with the auction... now that a good sell... :cool:

[komikskolektor]

That's exactly it. a CGC 9 is mindblowing.

Anyone thinking Nicolas Cage will go for it?

Nick Cage Sold his a few years back.

[millhouse]

Nick Cage Sold his a few years back.

Didn't it get stolen first, then found, and so the insurance company owned it?

[UltraMarginal]

That's pretty cool, it seems to be a year or rare exclusive collectors items going up on eBay. I love watching this stuff, I wonder if some day I might be able to bid on something like this.

I need two people to go in with me, (to rob a bank first:D)

[theshape]

Going To be interesting to see the final price. Apparently this copy was an 8.0 that was pressed into a 9.0. That will make the guy $1 mil and they don't have to disclose it (doesn't count as restoration)

[griffin]

Since the buyer would be crazy to open the sealed CDC case, it is purely an investment (and boasting) purchase. In another 30 years it will be worth even more.
(but it can also be a bit like a pyramid scheme or the share-market - the last person left holding the stock when the market crashes loses everything)

[Trent]

I wonder if some day I might be able to bid on something like this.

Not on an engineer's salary :p

[UltraMarginal]

Not on an engineer's salary :p

:( yeah:(
maybe I'll become an international arms dealer or something instead:p

[theshape]

:( yeah:(
maybe I'll become an international arms dealer or something instead:p

Ah nice Nicholas cage reference there :)

[BruiseLee]

Going To be interesting to see the final price. Apparently this copy was an 8.0 that was pressed into a 9.0. That will make the guy $1 mil and they don't have to disclose it (doesn't count as restoration)

They should use this in an ad for Yellow Pages...

[5FDP]

So expensive but soooooo awesome :cool:

[Sky Shadow]

Going To be interesting to see the final price. Apparently this copy was an 8.0 that was pressed into a 9.0.

What does that mean, Shape? They drycleaned it or something?

[UltraMarginal]

Ah nice Nicholas cage reference there :)

ha, didn't even mean it at the time. I'm so funny:D:rolleyes:

[theshape]

What does that mean, Shape? They drycleaned it or something?

Its a controversial form of restoration. They put the book through some sort of machine that flattens it out. In this case its bumped it up one grade and virtually doubled its value. Everyone thought it was an unknown copy but its not. I want to win that 70million lotto now he he

[griffin]

Its a controversial form of restoration. They put the book through some sort of machine that flattens it out. In this case its bumped it up one grade and virtually doubled its value. Everyone thought it was an unknown copy but its not. I want to win that 70million lotto now he he

Is there a link to an article that claims this occurred with this issue, because I tried searching for a dispute or controversy, but failed to see anything on this auction.

For anyone interested in some extra homework, this is a link (http://www.comicconnect.com/bookDetail.php?id=432101) to the previous record issue of US$2.161 million in 2011, and an article (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/nicolas-cage-superman-comic-record-2-million-sale-267770) that claims it was Nicholas Cage's copy (describing how it went missing for 11 years from a robbery).

[theshape]

They were discussing it on the cgc boards (awesome board if you like vintage comics)

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7927200&fpart=1

[griffin]

Hmmm... someone said it used to be 8.0 but doesn't say how they know, and someone else says it was pressed, but also doesn't say how they know.
I had another look on the ebay listing to see if I missed it being mentioned but still couldn't see anything.
Those two people appear to have significant history on that site, so maybe they are just referring to something that only hardcore comic collectors know about... kinda like hardcore collectors of Transformers have an idea of who owns the rarest Transformers (like those Gen2 Stunticons).

[theshape]

Yeah can't be 100% sure. But that is the site for comics like this. There was another huge thread on there about it. The action #1s are all accounted for. Apparently this was the 'dentists' copy. He bought it in the early 80s for around 20k :o

[Sinnertwin]

Yeah can't be 100% sure. But that is the site for comics like this. There was another huge thread on there about it. The action #1s are all accounted for. Apparently this was the 'dentists' copy. He bought it in the early 80s for around 20k :o

i think i may be reading the thread that you're referring to. I'm up to page 26 of 87. i really should be asleep but this is interesting stuff... like the graders notes, The Dentist, Church copy. It'sall Greek to me, but very interesting.

[Sharky]

thats a nice payday for ebay too with their fees...

[nexusnixx]

They were discussing it on the cgc boards (awesome board if you like vintage comics)

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7927200&fpart=1

Wow read only 2 pages but it felt like I was in room with rocket scientists!! Ha ha

General consensus feel the upgrade of grading is sort of rip off

[Sinnertwin]

And it's over 2 mil. with just under 5 days to go.
+/- 3.25's my guesstimate.

[MayzaPrime]

Lets start a pool...

I am on 2,900,092

Winner is the closest within $1000

[5FDP]

Lets start a pool...

I am on 2,900,092

Winner is the closest within $1000

$2,900,091 :D

[GoktimusPrime]

Every time I go to Martin Place, I can't help but think of this scene from Superman Returns. ;)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/superman_car_zpse2999823.jpg
That, and this scene (http://voidlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Matrix.gif) from The Matrix. :D

[Sinnertwin]

Well, it's currently sitting at just under 2.2mil with two days to go.
It'll heat up in the last hour, but did they make a mistake by knocking back the 3 mil that was offered to them?

[Sky Shadow]

Well, it's currently sitting at just under 2.2mil with two days to go.
It'll heat up in the last hour, but did they make a mistake by knocking back the 3 mil that was offered to them?

Who knows how real that offer was, though. And suspect this will still go mad in the last ten seconds - we ain't seen nothing yet.

[Sinnertwin]

Who knows how real that offer was, though. And suspect this will still go mad in the last ten seconds - we ain't seen nothing yet.

That may be the case, they are in the game of selling afterall.



Lets start a pool...

I am on 2,900,092

Winner is the closest within $1000

Lets have a bit of fun with this
Welcome to The 1pm, One Guess, One Prize Draw.
Post your one final amount guess by no later than 1pm AEDST 24/08 & the closest amount within $1000 gets one MoSC One-Step Changer basic figure posted to them :)

Mayza Prime
2,900,092

5FDP
2,900,091

Me
3,250,000

Lancalot
2,600,000

Trent
3,350,000

christalcase
3,177,000

theshape
3,400,000

Starscream77
3,497,116

Reflector
6,100,000

Griffin
3,141,592.65

And it's1pm. That's that then :)

[lancalot]

My guess 2,600,000

[Trent]

3.35mil ;)

[christalcase]

$3,177,000

[theshape]

Lets go 3,400,000 :p

[Starscream77]

$3,497,116.00 is my wild ass guess

[Reflector]

$6.1mill of course :)

[griffin]

For the geeks out there... $3,141,592.65
;)

[Sinnertwin]

The time to get your guess in has now come to an end.
Thanks to all who had a go :)

[griffin]

The view counter at the bottom of the auction is over 3/4 million... so I'm wondering if it it will just clock over to zero soon, just because a seven digit counter would have never been considered necessary by ebay before.

[Sinnertwin]

Wow.
With 14 minutes to go it was sitting at
2,402,038
1 minute
2,600,100,
30 seconds
2,700,100
and in the last 5 seconds finished at
$3,207,852.00 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/311050328393)

By my calculations, with a difference of $30,852, our winner is christalcase :)

$3,177,000

[Trent]

Very impressive. Obviously a long term investment.

[Initial_G]

Super crazy end price! what a serious "what the! o_O" snipe at the end there lol

[MayzaPrime]

I was watching it with some of my work colleges, I won a 6 pack cause I bet that there would be a bid within the last 5 seconds to push it over 3 mil. :D

[5FDP]

Very impressive. Obviously a long term investment.

For that price it would want to be an investment for several life times. I can only dream about the things I would spend 3 mill on.

[kup]

For that price it would want to be an investment for several life times. I can only dream about the things I would spend 3 mill on.

Clearly whoever got it, 3mil is but pocket change.

[5FDP]

Clearly whoever got it, 3mil is but pocket change.

Unless the person who bought it comes forward, we won't know for sure. I've come across several people in the past that have made purchases which would lead you to believe that they could afford it, but to them, the opportunity to own a once-in-a-lifetime collectable was too good to pass up no matter the cost.

[Reflector]

i thought it would go for a lot more. Ah well, i still cant afford it haha

[griffin]

I was curious to see if the counter at the bottom would clock over or not, but I think it broke instead... it was at 964,289 when I looked two days ago, after being at about 700,000 the day before, and it is still at that number. (I remember the number because I thought it was weird that it was the same number when I reloaded the screen the other day)