We’re back with another look at our Chartbusters! These are the comics that sold for the highest prices in the month of May. With no big auctions from the major auction houses eBay sales ruled the month. Let’s dive deep to determine what these sales tell us about the market for the comics every collector wishes they could own.
X-Men #1 Takes a Leap
Coming in at number one was a 7.0 graded copy of X-Men #1 going for $40,000 in a May 9 fixed price sale on eBay. The sale was nearly double the $21,600 paid for a 7.0 in a December 2023 Heritage auction. Other than this instance, sales across grades between 8.0 and 4.5 are flat or down this year when compared to 2023 prices. So, what to make of this sale? While the first inclination is that someone overpaid, it does bear further scrutiny. Of the 102 copies of X-Men #1 sold so far in 2024, this 7.0 is the singular highest graded copy. Additionally, X-Men comics have been hot of late – see any of our Hottest Comics blogs. With more than 6,300 graded copies, it’s not as if this is a rare book. However, copies 7.0 and above represent the top 9.1% of census, so, it is much harder to find in the higher grades. Did the buyer overpay? It’s worth keeping an eye on future sales, particularly in the higher grades, to see if this sale was an anomaly or the start of a trend.
Rare Silver Age U.K. Variant Sale
A 4.0 graded copy of Incredible Hulk #1 (U.K. Price Variant) went for $24,070 in a May 17 fixed price sale on eBay. It was only the second sale ever for a U.K. price variant of this comic. The price is roughly the equivalent of the prices paid for the American version of Incredible Hulk #1 in 2023, but up slightly from the lone 2024 sale for $21,600. When comparing census counts, though, the buyer may have gotten a steal. There are 2,411 graded copies of Incredible Hulk #1 in the CGC census, with 149 universal copies receiving a 4.0 grade. For Incredible Hulk #1 (U.K. Price Variant), there’s a much smaller census count of 64 graded copies, with nine universal copies receiving a 4.0 grade. Keep in mind, too, that U.K price variants were not second printings; they were printed in the same initial print run as the American copies. However, for a multitude of reasons, U.K. price variants are much harder to find. While less desirable to some collectors – likely due to aesthetic reasons – they are definitely rarer than their American cousins and potentially more valuable. If the price is right, you should definitely not shun the opportunity to pick up a U.K. price variant of a major Marvel Silver Age key.
First Silver Age Flash Steal
The steal of the month may have come in the May 27 fixed price sale of a 3.5 graded copy of Showcase #4 on eBay. The selling price of $21,000 represented a 12.5% drop from a previous sale for $24,000 in a February 3 fixed price eBay sale. In the 3.5 grade, this book had been on an upward trend since selling for $15,525 in March 2023. This recent downward trend isn’t one we see repeated in other mid to low grades; a 3.0 sold in a Heritage auction the very next day for $13,800, a 23% increase over the previous sale. In a Marvel heavy market, DC Silver Age keys are sometimes overlooked. Take advantage of these opportunities when they arise.
Golden Age eBay Sales
May also saw some sales of key Golden Age comics on eBay. A 1.0 graded copy of Detective Comics #28 – the second appearance of Batman, although he does not appear on the cover – sold in a May 23 eBay auction for $12,277. It’s the only recorded sale in this grade and the first recorded sale of an unrestored copy in any grade since January 2022. With no recorded sales of this book in 2023 and no previous sales in this grade, it's hard to determine whether this sale could be considered high, low, or for fair market value.
Not to be outdone, a 3.5 graded copy of Black Cat Comics #50 – with its classic Lee Alias drawn pre-code horror cover – sold in a May 18 eBay auction for $9,411. That’s barely budged from the price paid in a November 2022 eBay auction: $9,253. Pre-code horror books have been rising steadily – even steeply at times – over the past couple years, so it’s a bit surprising to see a sale showing little to no increase in value. Keep an eye on coming pre-code horror sales, particularly in the low grades, to determine if this sale is an aberration or if the bloom is beginning to wither from the PCH rose.
