The Man of Steel can be found around Shaq's home in Florida. Shaq even sports the famed 'S' on his arm. There was even a special shoe release dedicated to both Shaq and Superman in 2018.
Collecting Superman memorabilia and comics has been popular since Superman made his debut in 1938. Action Comics #1 is, in my opinion, the key book. While Marvel Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 certainly are worth their weight in gold, Action Comics #1 birthed the modern comic book and superhero.
Copies of Action Comics #1 seldom come up for sale, but when they do it's a big deal. The last sale for a blue label CGC graded copy was in January of 2022 when a 6.0 sold for $3,180,000. Prior to that, a 3.0 sold for $1,638,759 in December of 2021.
Superman #1 is another key that commands serious money but is easier to find than Action Comics #1. A blue label CGC 1.0 has a one-year average of $122,325. A blue label CGC 1.5 has a one-year average of $198,600. Higher up on the grading scale, a blue label CGC 5.0 has a one-year average of $697,500. These two books will always command high prices -- and it won't be long until more mid-grade Superman #1's hit that million-dollar threshold.
But not all Superman collectibles are worth millions of dollars. In fact, if you want to start your own Superman collection you don't need to break the bank on a lot of vintage items.
Superman Megos:
In the 1970s Mego released a line of toys that have become synonymous with kids who grew up in the 1970s. Mego released dolls for a number of popular heroes, including Superman. Complete dolls in good shape out of their package can fetch up to $50.
Dolls in their box routinely sell for around $250 on eBay -- but certain card backs can cause a doll to go for higher.
Superman Puzzles:
Puzzles might not be on the top of everyone's want list, but vintage superhero or comic puzzles are surprisingly affordable. In December of 2022, Heritage sold a group of 4 Playskool wood board puzzles from 1979. Each one was sealed in its original shrink wrap, and the lot sold for only $52. Playskool wood board Superman puzzles are pretty easy to find and can be had for less than $20 a piece on eBay, in varying conditions.
Prior to Playskool, Whitman made a handful of wood board Superman puzzles as well, which can fetch a bit more money. In January of 2023, Heritage sold a sealed Whitman Superman puzzle for $45. That same month, a complete but worn Whiteman Superman puzzle sold for only $11. As it is with any collectible, condition matters.
Superman metal lunchboxes:
Recently Heritage had a Superman: The Movie metal lunchbox in their weekly comic auction. The lunchbox was in overall good shape, but was missing the thermos and had scratches on it. The lunchbox sold for $51 (with the buyer's fee), which was expected.
Over on eBay, similar metal lunchboxes with the thermos sell between $70 - $100, while ones without go for less. Older metal lunchboxes from the 1950s do sell for more, but again, condition matters.
