One of the most interesting parts of collectible comics is taking a look at some of the most popular and most expensive vintage comics and series of all-time. The ones that make the list are of course very noteworthy, and most likely everybody has already heard about them in some form or another. Some comic books have even sold for more than $1 million, showing just how high the limit is for the value of the most sought after comics.
There are many different factors that can go into making a particular comic or a particular series very popular, sought after and expensive. Typically, the first issues of long-running and well known series are extremely valuable, as are the first appearances of big comic book stars, even before they had their own individual series dedicated to them.
Other factors that can make a comic very popular and sought after include special mistake editions, rare events or occurrences that mark a major moment in a series, or that were later undone in future issues, the artist who did the comic, and much more. Of course, as with all collectible comics, the condition of the comic book goes a long way towards making one particular issue very expensive and sought after or not.
When you think about the most popular collectible comics and series of all-time, you think about the classics. The list includes Batman, Superman, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, CaptainAmerica, Spiderman and many others. Additionally, the series that spawned these characters, such as Action Comics, Detective Comics and Flash Comics are all extraordinarily popular for collectors.
So what are the most expensive collectible comics of all-time? There are dozens and dozens of comics that have been sold for more than $100,000, but only a few to have broken the $1 million mark. At the top of the list is the first issue of Action Comics, sold for $1.5 million, an astonishing figure. The second most expensive is the 27th issue of Detective Comics, which sold for $1.075 million. This might seem like a random issue to go for that price, but it's not. It's the first appearance of Batman, making it extremely valuable!
The third millionaire comic book issue is actually another copy of Action Comics #1, selling for a cool $1 million. It had a slightly lower grade than the other one which sold for more. What's interesting is that the next two issues on the all-time most expensive list are also issue #27 of Detective Comics, both selling for well over half a million dollars, but having lower grades than the one that sold for over $1 million. Even further, almost all of the top 25 most expensive collectible comics ever come from only a handful of issues, including the aforementioned Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #27, and a few other gems, such as Flash Comics #1 and Marvel Comics #1.
The sky is definitely the limit for how expensive the right collectible comics can be worth. The most popular of all-time are the classics, the first issues of well known series, and the debut issues of notable characters.