Rare Superman comic book found in California attic could sell for $6 million

A comic found in an attic could become the most valuable ever.

A pristine copy of the first Superman comic could fetch over $6 million after three brothers found it stored in their late mother’s home.

The incredible find also unearthed five valuable early copies of Action Comics, the publication that introduced Superman to the world in its premiere issue.

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions said: “Three Northern California brothers taking stock of their late mother’s belongings in their family home during the holiday season last year discovered she had for decades held onto a cache of old comic books, tucked away in an attic beneath layers of brittle faded newspapers and cobwebs.

“Six treasured comics, kept since she and her brother bought them between the Great Depression and the looming World War II, will likely result in a life-changing windfall at Heritage’s Comic Books Signature Auction — and could include the world’s most valuable comic book.”

Three months after their discovery, the brothers contacted the auctioneers to discuss the possibility of a sale, leaving a message that crossed the desk of Heritage Auctions Vice President Lon Allen on a Sunday. Within days, he was in San Francisco examining their collection.

“They’re in their 50s and 60s, and their mom had always told them she had an expensive comics collection but never showed them,” Allen says. “It’s a twist on the old ‘Mom threw away my comics’ story.”

The copy of Superman No. 1 was issued in 1939 after National Allied changed its name to Detective Comics, Inc. — forever known to fans as DC.

Heritage Auctions says Superman has long been among the world’s most valuable comics. A copy of Action Comics No. 1 sold for $6 million last year, while a Superman No. 1 went for $5.3 million in 2022.

Experts believe the newly discovered issue, graded 9.0 by evaluators CGC for its sharp corners, bright colours, and near-perfect spine, could surpass both.

Fortunately for the family, Lon Allen says, the climate in Northern California was ideal for the preservation of the decades-old books.

“If it had been in an attic here in Texas, it would have been ruined,” he says.

According to Heritage Auctions, for the youngest of the three brothers, the discovery is more than “just a comic book.”

“This isn’t simply a story about old paper and ink,” they report him as saying. “This was never just about a collectible. This is a testament to memory, family, and the unexpected ways the past finds its way back to us.”

Heritage Auctions’ comic book auction takes place November 20-22.