10-Cent Original Superman Comic in Pristine Condition Auctioned for $3.2 Million
SEATTLE—August 25, 2014—One of the greatest rarities of comic book collecting, a nearly-flawless example of Action Comics No. 1—which introduced the world to Superman—sold in an eBay auction Sunday for a shade above $3.2 million, according to CNN Money.
The total take of $3,207,852 is reportedly the highest amount paid for a comic. This particular specimen is rated a 9.0 on a 1 to 10 scale by comic book grading firm Certified Guaranty.
CNN Money, citing Websites that follow the comic book industry, say the book—which sold for 10 cents when it was purchased in 1938—was won by online auctioneer comicconnect.
Darren Adams, who sold the comic and owns Pristine Comics in Seattle, said this particular comic book was purchased off the newsstand by a West Virginia resident who kept it in a cedar chest. In a video on his Website, Adams explained that the high-altitude location and the cool, dry and dark environment helped to preserve the comic's condition-sensitive pages.
A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Christopher Reeve starred as the Man of Steel in four Superman movies before a horseback riding accident left him paralyzed in 1995. Reeve championed spinal chord injuries prior to his death in 2004.