DALLAS — 1941’s “Captain America Comics No. 1” sold at a monumental price Thursday, becoming “one of the world’s most valuable comic books,” said Heritage Auctions, which is based in Dallas.
Like Superman and Spider-Man’s debuts, Captain America sold for more than $3 million. It’s the fourth-highest auction price sold for a comic book.
Captain America’s debut comic was auctioned off for $3.12 million. The comic was Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s finest copy, with a 9.4 Near Mint grade from Certified Guaranty Company.
The comic book’s bid started off at $1,825,000, then quickly shot up to $2.2 million. After the auctioneer made the last bid, attendees applauded.
Heritage Auctions set another record with Kirby’s splash page from August 1964’s "Tales of Suspense" No. 59, Captain America’s first solo Silver Age story sold for $630,000 — “the highest price ever paid at auction for a ‘King’ Kirby original,” according to Heritage Auctions. The 10-page story was offered at the auction for the first time, including Stan Lee as an author. It sold for $975,600.
“Every time I looked up during the comic art portion of the session, a new record was falling, and with the comic books, that trend continued,” said Heritage Auctions Vice President Barry Sandoval. “We knew this was a selection of truly exceptional material, and we’re thrilled bidders agreed with that.”
Also, a CGC NM-9.2 copy of the Fantastic Four's 1961 debut at Heritage Auctions marked the first time the Marvel family surpassed the million-dollar mark.
“The Fantastic Four is the first family of Marvel Comics,” said Consignment Director Aaron White, “and these results only underscore their importance in the comic book hobby.”
Due to many auction records set within the first session of the four-day event, Heritage brought in a total of $13.1 million.