1999 Comic Book News Archives
December 5, 1999: Valuable Comic Books Swiped From Conn. Home
Estimated to be Worth Hundreds of ThousandsWESTPORT, Conn. (APBnews.com) -- In a caper worthy of a front-page headline in The Daily Planet, someone has made off with two of the most valuable comic books in the world.
The stolen comics, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, were removed from a safe at a vacation home in this well-heeled waterfront community, police said.
The comics were reported missing last week, but police said because the home was not continuously occupied, the theft could have taken place several months ago.
Missing are a copy of the first Superman comic, Action Comics No. 1, valued at about $200,000, and the first Batman comic, Batman No. 1, worth at least $63,000. But experts say if the comic book is in excellent condition, demand could quadruple the value at auction.
"The value in the price guide is conservative," said Robert Overstreet, author and publisher of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. "If it is high-grade and dealers have customers who can afford it, the collectors can drive the price up four or five times that."
Superman makes his debut
The Action Comics No. 1, printed in 1938, is notable because it represents the first appearance of Superman.
"It is the most valuable comic book," Overstreet said. "It is the most sought after, the one to have over all others."
Batman No. 1, from 1940, is significant because it is the first Batman-titled book. Only Detective Comics No. 27, published in 1939, where Batman appears for the first time, is more valuable.
"They're what we call key comics," said Maggie Thompson, editor of Comics Buyer's Guide. "They are a turning point of comic books in the field."
Only a handful remain
Printed by D.C. Comics, the Superman and Batman editions came out during the golden-age of comic book publishing, which ended in 1949.
They were among the hundreds of thousands of copies printed for mass market distribution on newsstands and mass consumption among schoolboys.
Today, only a handful of these Batman and Action Comics editions remain. Of the estimated 75 copies of the Action Comics No. 1, four are in top condition. Of the 250 known copies of the Batman No. 1, 16 are in nearly perfect condition, according to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. The condition of the stolen copies is not known.
Paper drives during World War II, followed by widespread comic book burnings during the early 1950s, destroyed many golden-age comic books, Thompson said.
Each 'has some distinguishing mark'
Experts said peddling either of these comics would be like trying to pawn a Stradivarius violin.
Any top dealer would recognize the comics, making them virtually impossible to sell anonymously in the collectibles market, Thompson said.
"Each of these has some distinguishing mark that would be recognizable," said Overstreet. "They could turn up for sale in another country though."
He said most comic book thefts occur at retail stores or conventions, and that he has never heard of a theft of comic books of this value from a private home.
1999 Comic News
Listed below are all the News items archived for 1999. Archiving started in September 1999.- September 3, 1999: Super-Custody Battle!
- September 22, 1999: Superman Settlement?
- October 5, 1999: New Era for Superman books
- October 12, 1999: Dematteis Joins The Superman Family
- November 2, 1999: Superman Scribe Jeph Loeb on AOL!
- November 8, 1999: Superman Rumor On The Grapeline
- November 12, 1999: DC Comics Voted No.1 Comic Book Publisher of the Century
- November 21, 1999: Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary Sign Exclusive Contracts with DC
- December 5, 1999: Valuable Comic Books Swiped From Conn. Home
- December 13, 1999: Able to Leap a Techo-Organic Building...
- December 20, 1999: Looney Tunes/DC Universe Crossover Back On Schedule
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