2009 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

Action Comics #1

February 26, 2009: Rare "Action Comics #1" Up For Auction

First editions of "Action Comics #1" are very hard to come by, indeed quite rare, and whenever a previously unknown copy is discovered it sends shockwaves through the comic book collecting world. DigitalJournal.com reports on a copy of "Action Comics #1" that is about to be auctioned off online...

    Twelve years [after Superman debuted in 1938], another event almost didn't happen: A 9-year old boy spots a copy of Action Comics #1 in a second-hand book shop priced at 35 cents. After a round of begging and pleading to his reluctant father who thought that spending 35 cents for a 10 cent comic was down-right silly, the book was purchased. That little boy (now 67 and who wishes to remain anonymous) held onto his beloved Action Comics #1 for the next 58 years.

    "It's the Holy Grail of comic books," said Stephen Fishler, one of the leading experts on collectible comics and founder of New York's Metropolis Collectibles, the largest dealership of vintage comic books. (Fishler created the 10-point grading scale that's become the industry standard for evaluating comic books.)

    "This is the one that started it all. There was no such thing as a super hero before it. No flying man. Comics weren't even that popular. It's the single most important event in comic book history. Siegel and Shuster launched something massive."

    Fishler, along with partner Vincent Zurzolo, will manage the auction of Action Comics #1 via their online marketplace, ComicConnect.com.

    "Lots of kids bought comic books in the '50s, but almost all of them eventually tossed them out," said Fishler. "This guy understood its value and took good care of it -- that almost never happens either."

The auction for this copy of "Action Comics #1" will run from Friday, February 27 and wraps up on Friday, March 13 at ComicConnect.com.



2009 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News

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