Reyne Gauge: Superman Saves the Day! By Reyne Haines

August 9th, 2010 by

Who doesn’t like a happy ending?  I know I do, and I especially love it when antiques play a role in that ending.

Everyone is going through hard times and is looking to save a few dollars here and there.  Many of us have lost our jobs and there seems to be nothing on the horizon.  Some of us have dealt with collectors,  credit card fee increases, and issues obtaining loans from banks. Let’s face it; it’s not easy out there.

One struggling family recently was staring foreclosure in the face, but was fortunate to stumble across the answer to their problems; a comic book that was found in their basement.

We’ve read numerous articles lately about the record prices being achieved at auction for comic books.  Six figures have been paid time and again for some of our favorite childhood memories.

The family had lived in their home since the 1950s, and were about to lose it to the bank.  They were devastated.  As they packed up 60 years of memories, they found a box of old comic books.   Many of them were worth $10 to $30, however, there was one diamond in the lot.  It was a copy of Action Comics #1, dated June 1938.  The cover depicts the man of steel lifting a car above his head.  The original price tag; 10 cents – value today, up to $250,000.

After unearthing the box of comics, the family decided to search online for their values. They read how ComicConnect.com had brokered two Action No 1 books – one for $1 million in February and then another for $1.5 million in March.

Comics are valued by issue, but also like many other items, by their condition.  This copy was recently rated as a 5.0 VG which is a Very Good rating on a scale of 1-10 hence the lower value.

The family, who wishes to remain anonymous, is still a bit overwhelmed with their find.  They realize their luck in having found the comics, just in the nick of time.  It is as if Superman was called in to save the day.