After months of hype and speculation about PSA's entry into the business of grading comic books, the first sales of PSA-graded books are appearing on the secondary market. GoCollect has blogged about PSA graded comics several times including about PSA's integration into its platform and PSA's slab and label design.
Will they sell for more or less than CGC-graded slabs? While it's still too early to tell, it looks like at least initially they are selling for a premium. Let's take a closer look at a few key issues, including the first sales of PSA slabs of Batman #423, DC Comics Presents #26, and even a conserved copy of Incredible Hulk #181, the holy grail of the Bronze Age.
A PSA 9.0 Batman #423 sold for $185.
Famous because of its classic Todd McFarlane cover, Batman #423 is a significant Copper Age key issue. Even though it doesn't include the first appearances of any major characters, CGC 9.8s typically sell in the $1,300 to $1,700 range. During the "comic boom," a 9.8 reached an all-time high of $3,200.
So how does this PSA 9.0 stack up? As a baseline, let's take a closer look at the value of a CGC 9.0 copy of Batman #423. According to GoCollect, the FMV of a CGC 9.0 is $170, but it's 30-day average is $196. During the height of the comic boom, a 9.0 once sold for $216 before entering correction territory in 2022 and early 2023. Its value has remained mostly steady since mid-2023 demonstrating a pattern of consolidation at around $200 (i.e., investors typically being willing to part with a 9.0 for that amount, but not for less):
In comparison, this PSA 9.0 copy of Batman #423 sold for $185 on August 20 on eBay; that sale is right in line with the 90-day average for CGC 9.0s. While it's a bit higher than the FMV for a CGC 9.0, it's also lower than the most recent sale of a CGC 9.0 ($196 on August 8 on eBay). While this is just one sale, this particular sale is definitely competitive with CGC sales.
A PSA 8.5 DC Comics Presents #26 sold for $150.
This PSA slab of a major key issue from the Bronze Age, DC Comics Presents #26, also sold on August 20th on eBay:
DC Comics Presents #23 is, of course, significant because it contains the first appearances of Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven -- key founding members of the New Teen Titans. CGC 8.5 copies don't sell very often; only one 8.5 has sold so far in 2025 for $175 back in February 2025. Today, according to GoCollect, the FMV of a CGC 8.5 is $150 -- the exact amount that the PSA 8.5 copy for on August 20th. Again, we're seeing that PSA can compete with CGC.
A PSA 4.5 Conserved Incredible Hulk #181 sold for $2,250.
Based on these early sales, it appears that collectors aren’t afraid to send major key issues to PSA including Hulk #181 which, of course, features the first full appearance of Wolverine.
Pricing this issue is a little tricky since it received a Conserved label from PSA. Similar to a Restored label, a Conserved label is provided when a comic has received professional work that preserves the original material and does not add anything new such as color touch, replacement cover, glue). If, for example, color touch was added, then the book would receive a Restored label. Books with Conserved labels typically sell for less than Universal labels, but more than those with Restored labels.
As a baseline, let's check the value of a CGC 4.5 Universal copy of Hulk #181. After reaching an all-time high of $4,761 during the "comic boom" of 2021, the value of a 4.5 has dropped precipitously during the past four years. Today, its FMV is $2,250. More importantly, its 30-day average of $2,234 is roughly the same as its one-year average which suggests that it may have finally reached bottom:
In terms of conserved copies, the last time a CGC 4.5 conserved copy sold was well over two years ago in May 2023 for $2,933. That book sold closer to the beginning of what has became a three-year bear market; it'd probably sell for well under $2,000 today.
In comparison, the first PSA 4.5 slab of Hulk #181 sold on eBay for $2,250 on August 14 -- precisely the FMV of a CGC 4.5 Universal blue label:
In other words, it appears this Conserved copy sold for a premium.
GoCollect's "Compare" tab compares CGC, CBCS, and PSA values in one table.
Although we have very little sales data, it looks like PSA is off to a good start. You could make the case that these elevated values for PSA-graded comics are inflated because there's little supply at the moment and values will come back down to earth once the novelty wears off. We'll see if that happens, but this initial data suggests that PSA will be able to compete with CGC.
Once more PSA values roll in, collectors will be able to quickly compare their values against CGC (and CBCS) using GoCollect's new "Compare" tab. Below is the Compare tab for some of the values for Hulk #181:
