It finally happened; a silver age book broke the 1 million dollar barrier. A copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 recently sold for a whopping $1.1 million dollars, marking the first time in history a Silver Age comic book has breached the one million dollar price mark. Amazing Fantasy #15 featured the first appearance of the acclaimed comic book superhero Spider-man.
Three times last year this absurdly high amount was conquered. The first time was for an 8.0 graded copy of Action Comics #1 at exactly one million dollars (c’mon tell me you don’t hear Michael Myers as Dr. Evil saying one million dollars). This issue featured the first appearance of Superman. 
The second one, which sold only a few days later, was Detective Comics #27 for $1,075,500.00. This book features the first appearance of Batman and was also graded by CGC as an 8.0. If you want to know the investment mark up for this book, if I recall correctly the book was purchased in the late 60’s for about a hundred dollars. Remember, a hundred dollars in the late 60’s for a comic book was down out right insane.
It didn’t take long for Superman to regain the championship and the right to be in the Guinness book of world records for most expensive comic book when Action Comics #1 sold for 1.5 million dollars, this time it was an 8.5 graded copy.
These books would never have reached these astronomical prices it weren’t for third party grading. I wrote before in a journal on the CGC registry, and the following is a portion of that journal….
I have purchased a few CGC books that I spent more than I wanted too (and even more than I should) but I am happy with them and have no desire to sell them (at this time) and I hope that whoever did purchase them (referring to the million dollar books) enjoys owning them as a collector rather than selling them as an investor. Now just let me know when an Amazing Fantasy #15 or Fantastic Four #1 hits that illustrious million dollar mark and maybe then I will be a bit more awestruck.
So there it is, Amazing Fantasy #15 in an illustrious 9.6 sold for 1.1 million dollars. That is a book so near perfection from the early 60’s that my mediocre 3.5 copy of Daredevil #1 feels so…..used. This book was purchased privately through Comicconnect.com, which also happened to sell the Action Comics #1 in the 8.5 condition. I have to wonder what they plan on attaining next to sell.
On a personal note I love that the world of Comic books are getting so noticed, the fact I have a chance to see my characters on screen, and that this never would have happened without people spending what they do on comics to have these movies see screen time. There would be no Superman movies, no Batman movies, nor X-men, Amazing Spider-Man and even….brace for it… Howard the Duck, if people didn’t love these characters.
I still like to read the books, and as of last year I finally placed Amazing Fantasy #15 on the list of books I have to own. Mind you, I will be very happy purchasing a very well read copy ungraded by CGC so I can read it first and wonder what it must have been like spending my hard earned .12 cents and be introduced to Peter Parker…. And yes after I read it, I will send it into CGC to get graded. When I do, I’ll let you know.
How in Stan Lee's name does a copy of AF #15 stay at a 9.6 grade for almost half a century? Not that an 8.5 copy of Action #1 isn't baffling, but damn.
As our resident CGC guy, I have to ask – what do you think of comics selling for $1,000,000.00? I mean to me, it's kind of cool that these books are even worth that much in the first place, but at the same time just take a minute to imagine yourself saying "I'll spend a million dollars on a comic that I'd have to be insane to read". Because as huge of a Spidey fan as I am, even if I had that kind of money, I don't think I could do it.
What can I say, my bank gave me a good interest rate. As for how I feel about it reaching such a lofty goal, eventually it will be the norm. First off, here cannot be that many of them is such a high grade, whether it is an Amazing Fantasy #15 in a 9.6 or an Action Comics in an 8.5. I have been following a book that I want, Daredevil #168 in a 9.8 but from the day it first sold at $3,305 (I'll have to recheck my numbers) to recently in January at $515. If more of these appear in such a grade it would lower the prices a considerable amount, not to mention the validity of CGC as a grading company.
I do enjoy collecting CGC comics, but I do also question how they grade and would love to be able to attend a seminar on their process. I love reading these 4 color books first and foremost, but as far as collecting them I just want to get the best out there that I can afford and apparently that happened with the anonymous buyer who purchased the Amazing Fantasy #15.
If I had the money I would never spend that much on it. I would have liked to have searched for a raw copy, read it, and then send it in for grading. Kind of what I would like to do when I upgrade my copy of Daredevil #7, currently the one I own would most likely be graded as a 1.8.
And since you mentioned Stan Lee's name, could you imagine how much this would have sold for if it were signed by "The Man" himself?
Forget dollar amounts, my friend. If they ever come across a 9.6 graded copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 signed by Stan Lee and/or Steve Ditko, we're moving into the territory of "$1 million and my firstborn"-type bids.
Most I ever paid for a comic book was $75, Tales From The Crypt (Feb-Mar 1951)