Three brothers clearing out their late mother’s California loft last Christmas stumbled on a discovery that would change their lives: an original 1939 Superman comic, one of the earliest issues ever produced.
The comic, found in pristine condition inside a cardboard box beneath old newspapers, has now sold for a record-breaking $9.12 million, making it the most expensive comic book ever auctioned. Texas-based Heritage Auctions described the sale as the “pinnacle of comic collecting”.
The brothers uncovered six vintage comics in total, including Superman #1. Their mother had kept them since buying them with her brother between the Great Depression and the start of World War Two. Heritage Auctions vice-president Lon Allen said the family had long heard about the valuable collection but had never seen it.
Northern California’s cool climate helped preserve the comic so well that grading service CGC awarded it a 9.0 rating, surpassing the previous top graded copy. The sale price easily beat the previous record of $6 million for *Action Comics No. 1*, the 1938 issue that first introduced Superman.
One of the brothers said the box had been forgotten for decades as the family navigated major life changes. He described the rediscovery as more than a financial windfall, calling it “a testament to memory, family and the unexpected ways the past finds its way back to us.”
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