Today we are going to tell you a real story about three brothers who found an old Superman comic in their mom’s attic. The most important thing about this is that this comic is very valuable because it’s Superman No. 1 from 1939, one of the most important and rare comics in the world, and it is the most expensive comic sold ever. Even though it’s a small paper object, it represents family memories, luck, and the cultural importance of the first popular superhero. So, let’s find out more about this story.
The amazing attic finding
Three brothers were cleaning their mom’s house, who had passed away, in San Francisco. While they were sorting through old belongings, they went up into the attic, a place where people usually store forgotten items. There, hidden in a cardboard box covered with dust and old newspapers, they found a collection of comic books. Their mother had mentioned this collection before, but they had never actually seen it.
One of the comics happened to be Superman No.1, published in 1939. This comic is so special because it belongs to the first generation of stories of the popular superhero. Out of the 500,000 copies that were originally printed, there’s only 500 left today in the entire world.
As you can imagine, this was a surprise for the brothers. They never thought something so valuable could be kept for years at their mom’s attic. What’s more, they explained that it was more than a comic for them, it was a memory of their mom and their family history.
Why is the comic so valuable?
Superman is considered the first great superhero in popular history. It marked an era and it set the path for the rest of the comic heroes that exist today. This is why the first comics Superman appears are considered historical treasures. So, the comic is so valuable for three reasons:
- It’s rare: Out of the 500,000 copies printed in 1939, fewer than 500 remain.
- It is in excellent condition: It received a grade of 9/10, which is incredibly rare for such an old comic.
- Superman is a historic character: His importance makes collectors willing to pay huge amounts for anything related to him.
The good thing is that the cool and dry climate in Northern California helped keep the comic in amazing condition. This kind of weather preserved the bright colors and kept the structure intact. Normally, old comics are bent, torn, or stained, but this one stayed almost perfect for decades.
Breaking-record auction
Once they realized the importance of the comic, the brothers contacted Heritage Auctions, a well-known auction house in Texas. Experts there inspected the comic, authenticated it, and prepared it to be sold.
When the comic was auctioned, it was sold for $9.1 million and it became the most expensive comic book ever sold. Before this, the record belonged to a copy of Action Comics No. 1—Superman’s first appearance—which sold for $6 million in 2024. Another copy of Superman No. 1 had sold in 2022 for $5.3 million.
Lon Allen, vice president of Heritage Auctions, explained that this discovery was almost like a miracle. He said that a comic stored in an attic could easily be lost, thrown away, or damaged in countless ways. Because of this, finding it in such good condition and so well preserved made it even more special.
So…
The story of the Superman No. 1 found in an attic is a perfect example of how something that seemed like a common object can turn into a true treasure. You never know when you can find something valuable, maybe in a flea market?