There are collectors comic books and there are trophy comic books. The better the condition the higher the value. Sometimes “the rest of us” get a chance to own great comics from the silver age or golden age because the graded examples up for auction are not up the highest grades where investors are stepping all over themselves to buy up the most expensive comic books they can find.

Heritage Auctions is a destination for all comic book collectors. This past Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction was a destination for every level of collector, multiple key issues and trophy titles in all conditions sold including multiples of X-Men #1 and Fantastic 4 #1. The two comics are trophies in higher grades that would peak the attention of collectors who pursue the finest examples of any collectible.

The high selling issue in the entire auction was an X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VF- 7.5 that went for $75,000.00. That is a high price, but imagine if it was graded above 9.0 or nearly perfect. How could any auction be disappointing with multiple examples of trophy comics featured?

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. This means collectibles are attracting the same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds. Many collectibles now cost thousands of dollars (or much more). Collectors with a passion to own a collectible for years frequently have to compete directly against investors whose only desire is to make a profit in the future.

Here are the X-Men #1 issues (Image by Heritage Auctions) that were available:

• X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VF- 7.5 off-white pages had a bid of $26,000.00 after 16 bids on January 26 and sold for $75,000.00 on January 31, 2022 after 25 bids. This was the high selling issue of the entire auction. According to the CGC census report 128 examples of the issue in CGC 7.5 exist.
• X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC GD+ 2.5 cream to off-white pages had a bid of $5,250.00 after 18 bids on January 26 and sold for $10,800.00 on January 31, 2022 after 29 bids. According to the CGC census report 476 examples of the issue in CGC 2.5 exist.
• X-Men #1 (Marvel, 1963) CGC VG/FN 5.0 off-white to white pages had a bid of $10,005.00 after 25 bids on January 26 and sold for $25,200.00 on January 31, 2022 after 38 bids. According to the CGC census report 379 examples of the issue in CGC 5.0 exist.

Here are the Fantastic Four #1 issues (Image by Heritage Auctions) that were available:

• Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel, 1961) CGC VG+ 4.5 off-white to white pages had a bid of $18,500.00 after 13 bids on January 26 and sold for $36,000.00 on January 30, 2022 after 23 bids. According to the CGC census report 186 examples of the issue in CGC 4.5 exist.
• Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel, 1961) CGC Apparent VG/FN 5.0 Extensive Restoration, “cover is a color copy” (A) Cream to off-white pages had a bid of $340.00 after 7 bids on January 26 and sold for $4,080.00 on January 30, 2022 after 30 bids. According to the CGC census report 158 examples of the issue in CGC 5.0 exist.

Collectors Dashboard noticed multiples of key comic issues in one Heritage Auction that met collectors on each level of collecting. Trophy comics are the first appearances and first issues, and as competition becomes more narrow for the finest examples of the issue Collectors Dashboard will be reporting on that. Perhaps even one day many years from now a hybrid issue restored in 2020 will be desired by an investor.