Silver Age Marvel Dominates Chart in May
First appearances of Marvel characters in the Silver Age were the chart toppers in May, with Amazing Fantasy #15 leading the pack. A 5.0 graded copy sold in the May 2 Heritage auction for $49,200. That’s down slightly from the previous sale in this grade, $50,400 in a March 21 Heritage auction.
Since topping out at $84,000 in a May 2022 Heritage auction, the value in the 5.0 grade has dropped 41%. Prices do seem to be levelling off a bit, though; the past five sales dating back to December 2022 have averaged $49, 645.
A 5.5 graded copy of Incredible Hulk #1 comes in at number 2 on the Chartbusters list in May. It sold in the May 16 Heritage auction for $33,600. The sale is a mixed bag for this grade. It’s up a bit from the previous Heritage auction sale in this grade: $31,200 on January 16.
However, it’s down considerably from an April 20 eBay best-offer sale for a slashed $52,500. Auctions definitely appear to be the way to go if you’re a buyer in this market.
Other Marvel Silver Age chart toppers in May included a 6.0 graded Amazing Spider-Man #1 selling in the May 16 Hake’s auction for $22,844 (down 22% from the previous sale), a 6.5 graded Tales of Suspense #39 selling in the May 2 Heritage auction for $18,600 (down 38% from the previous sale), and a 5.0 graded Journey Into Mystery #83 selling in the May 23 Heritage auction for $15,600 (down 20% from the previous sale).
Classic Joker Cover and Pep Comics Top Golden Age Chart
A 7.5 graded copy of Batman #11, the first Joker cover in the series and a classic by Jerry Robinson was number 1 in our May Golden Age chart. Selling in a May 24 eBay sale for $14,833, it sets the record in the grade, topping the previous sale in a 2016 ComicConnect auction for $8,400 by an enormous 77%.
Three issues of Pep Comics were big sellers in the May 4 Heritage auction, filling in the next three slots in our May Golden Age chart. A 2.5 graded copy of Pep Comics #20 sold for $13,200. It’s the first recorded sale in this grade. A 7.5 graded Jon Berk collection pedigree copy of Pep Comics #11 sold for $10,200 and set a record in the grade.
Rounding things out was a 2.5 graded copy of Pep Comics #26, the first appearance of Veronica Lodge, selling for $10,800 and also setting a record in the grade.
First Wolverine Climbs Only to Fall Once More
A 9.0 graded copy of Incredible Hulk #181 sold in a May 6 eBay auction for $12,137. It looked like a turnaround in the grade for this book.
However, subsequent sales of 9.0 copies in a May 9 Heritage auction for $10,300 and in a May 17 eBay auction for $8,900 caused the 30-day average to drop to $8,900, down 7.7% from the 90-day average of $9,638.
First Turtles Number 1 with a Bullet in Copper Age Chart
A 9.2 graded copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 sold in a May 28 eBay auction for $21,320, more than four times any other Copper Age sale in May. While that looks initially impressive, the sale continues the freefall for the Turtles’ first appearance in this grade. Since peaking at $36,000 in an October 2021 Heritage auction, values in the 9.2 grade have dropped 41%.
Do you track the big sales of comics? What do you think the May numbers reveal about the state of the hobby? Let us know below.
