What Is the Value of the 'Superman' Comic Book Found in the Attic? "Could Break All-Time Records"

Discovered While Sorting Through Their Mother's Belongings in the U.S.
Published Before World War II

An old comic book discovered in the attic of an American household is expected to be a collectible item worth several billion won.

On November 7, the New York Post, a local media outlet in the United States, reported on a comic book that will soon be up for auction. This comic book was found in the attic of a family home as part of the belongings left by the mother of three brothers living in Northern California at the end of last year.

Superman #1, published in 1939, found in an American household. Photo by New York Post

The six comic books, buried under old newspapers and dust, were all copies of Superman #1, published in 1939. The brothers’ mother purchased them with her uncle just before the outbreak of World War II. This magazine marked the first public appearance of Superman, who has since become an iconic American character.

Three months after discovering the comic books, the brothers decided to discuss whether they could put them up for auction and contacted Heritage Auctions, a major auction house. Ron Allen, Vice President of Heritage Auctions, told the media, "Fortunately, the climate in Northern California was ideal for preserving books that are decades old. If these comic books had been stored in a Texas attic instead of California, they would have been completely ruined by now."

Auction experts have noted that this Superman comic book has maintained nearly perfect preservation, with vivid colors and sharp corners. As a result, its value as a collectible could break previous auction records.

Comic magazines have previously fetched high prices at auction. Last year, Action Comics #1 was sold for $6 million (about 8.6 billion won), and in 2022, Superman #1 was auctioned for $5.3 million (about 7.6 billion won).

Heritage Auctions plans to put the comic books up for auction from the 20th to the 22nd of this month. The brothers emphasized, "This comic book is not just old paper and ink or a collectible. For us, it holds precious memories."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.