We’re back with another look at our Chartbusters! These are the comics that sold for the highest prices in the month of December. ComicConnect had a big auction in December and there were some interesting sales through Comic Book Addiction. Let’s dive deep to determine what these sales tell us about the market for the comics every collector wishes they could own.
Golden Age Firsts
Topping our December Chartbusters list is a 9.0 Restored copy of Action Comics #1 that sold for $794,650 in the December 17 ComicConnect auction. Considering that 40% of the copies in the CGC census are restored and those restored copies outnumber universal ones in the higher grades, it’s worth tracking sales as they come up more often than universal graded copies. It’s the first sale in the grade, so we’ll have to look elsewhere to determine if it points to rising or shrinking values. Our closest comparisons are an 8.5 Restored copy selling for $350,750 in a 2022 ComicConnect auction and an 8.0 Restored copy that went for $576,000 in an April 2024 Heritage auction. The trendlines, in general, point to rising values for this seminal issue.
A 2.5 graded copy of Batman #1 sold in the same ComicConnect auction for $120,000. This marks the continuation of decline in value in the grade from a peak of $270,000 set in a 2022 ComicConnect auction. That’s a 55.6% decrease in just two-and-a-half years.
A similar fate befell a 4.0 graded Whiz Comics #2 (#1) when it sold for $77,178 in the auction. The previous sale for $105,800 occurred in a 2022 ComicConnect auction. While the decline wasn’t as steep, it’s still a 27.1% loss in value.
One of only three 3.0 graded copies of Detective Comics #1 sold in the auction for $74,001. It was the first sale in the grade since one last went in a 2010 Heritage auction for $16,133. Of course, it sold for a huge gain, improving on the previous sale by 358.6%.
Marvel/Atlas Record Setters
Two Marvel/Atlas first issues sold through Comic Book Addiction in December and set records in the process. The first was a top-of-census 9.4 graded copy of Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos #1. It set a record with a fixed price sale of $120,000 on December 22. That blows away the previous high of $80,500 for a 9.2 set in a 2022 ComicConnect auction.
On the same day, the lone top-of-census 9.0 graded copy of Rawhide Kid #1 sold in a fixed price sale for $15,000, setting a record. The former record holder was a 7.5 CBCS graded copy which sold for $4,000 in a May 2024 eBay fixed price sale.
Other Record Setting Sales
A few rare high grade Golden Age comics sold in the ComicConnect auction. The only 9.4 graded copy of Miracle Comics #4 sold for a record smashing $17,833. One of only 14 graded copies, the sale destroyed the previous high price of $4,560 paid for a 5.5 in an August 2024 Heritage auction.
A 9.2 graded copy of Mystery Men Comics #15 sold for $14,628. This also set a record for the lone highest graded copy and bests the previous sale of the exact same copy. It sold for a then-record $4,300 in a 2017 ComicConnect auction.
Finally, a 9.4 Pedigree copy of Master Comics #7 sold in the auction for $11,500. It is by far the highest graded copy, with the next being a 7.0. The sale set a massive record, dwarfing the previous high of $750 for a 6.5 graded copy set in a 2015 ComicConnect auction.
