We’re back with another look at our Chartbusters! These are the comics that sold for the highest prices in the month of August. It was a month of oddballs, with many books that haven’t made our Chartbusters list, or haven’t made an appearance in a while, showing up. Let’s dive deep to determine what these sales tell us about the market for the comics every collector wishes they could own.
Star Wars Variant
A variant of the book that started the Star Wars universe in comic book form topped our list of August Chartbusters. A 9.4 graded copy of Star Wars #1 (35 Cent Price) sold in the August 8 Heritage auction for $40,800. That’s down 19% from the previous sale for $50,400 in April 2023 and down 28% from the peak price of $56,400 set in November 2022. In fact, it’s now at the same price as that paid in 2021. With only 14 copies in the 9.4 grade, it should continue to be a five-figure comic as it has for the past decade. However, don’t be shocked if the value continues to slip in the next sale.
EC Crime
A 6.0 graded copy of Crime Patrol #15 took the second spot in our August Chartbusters list with a $28,800 sale in the August 23 Heritage auction. It’s the first recorded sale in nearly two years for the first appearance of the Crypt Keeper, and the second highest price paid for any grade. The record holder is one of four 9.8 graded copies that sold in April 2022 for $36,000. Considering that this most recent sale was for a 6.0, it has to be seen as a definitive increase in value, despite the fact that this is the only recorded sale in the grade.
The awesome George Evans cover for Crime SuspenStories #23 came in at number four in our August Chartbusters. A 9.4 graded copy sold for the first time in nearly 18 years when it went in the August 23 Heritage auction for $26,400. It demolished the previous record of $2,300 set in February 2023 when a 7.5 sold for $2,300. The 9.4 is one of only five in the grade. There is one 9.6 in the CGC census, which should be a huge sale if it ever comes up in an auction.
More Golden Age Sales
A Nazi cover by Paul Gustavson made an appearance in our August Chartbusters when a 1.8 graded copy of Amazing Man Comics #22 sold in the August 2 Heritage auction for $24,000. One of only 19 copies in the CGC census, it’s the second big sale of this issue this year. A 2.0 went for $43,200 back in April. The record holder is the lone 7.5 going for $69,000 in 2022. The highest graded 9.0 copy last sold in 2003 for just $5,750.
Another rare Golden Age sale was a 7.0 graded copy of Headline Comics #11 going for $21,600 in the August 2 Heritage auction. It’s the highest price paid for any copy and marks a continual increase in returns for this book. There are only 16 graded copies and two higher grades – 9.0 and 9.4 – have never sold. Along with Headline Comics #8, this issue is one of two World War II covers in the series published by Prize that have been garnering attention from collectors.
Interesting eBay Sales
It’s been a while since a copy of The Walking Dead #1 made our Chartbusters list, but one did so last month when a 9.9 graded copy sold in an August 10 fixed price eBay sale for $23,459. It’s the highest price ever paid for a copy of the first issue in the seminal series and 40% more than the $16,800 paid in an April 7 Heritage auction. We’ve mentioned this before, but collectors and investors should be wary of pressing the Buy It Now button; in today’s market you almost always overpay.
The same can be said to a slightly lesser extent for a 4.0 graded copy of Incredible Hulk #1, which sold in an August 31 fixed price eBay sale for $23,000. While that’s less than 2022 and 2023 prices for the grade, it’s still 6.5% more than a buyer paid when they won a 4.0 in the April 2 Heritage auction for $21,600.
