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ACTION COMICS (1ST SERIES)

Publishers: NATIONAL PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS / DC COMICS

Dates: 1 Jun 1938-257 Oct 1959(ND); 258 Nov 1959-904 Aug 2011

Issues: CLICK HERE to view issues, super-size cover images and values in 9 grades

AS WITH ALL ISSUES/TITLES IN THIS GUIDE, VALUES SUGGESTED ARE FOR 'RAW' COPIES. THIRD-PARTY GRADED COPIES CAN FETCH SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ESPECIALLY IN HIGH GRADES.

Action Comics #1 features the origin and 1st appearance of Superman, the most iconic, famous and influential comic book superhero of them all. The first appearances also of Lois Lane and Zatara the Magician. This comic has made headlines around the world recently with a series of spectactular sales.

The title has become fantastically collectible in recent times, particularly the very early ones (if you can afford them!) right through the early (#200-300) and late Silver Age/Bronze Age (#301-499). Interest slackens off perhaps after #500 and we ignore the terrible Action Comics Weekly! #258-467 are available as pence copy variants.

A 8.0 Very Fine copy was the first comic to reach the fabled 'million dollar comic' mark in Feb 2011. This was followed by a sale of $1.5m for the highest graded 8.5 copy a month later. In June 2011, a 6.5 Fine Plus copy fetched $625,000. And on Dec 1st 2011, all this was shattered by a 9.0 copy fetching $2,161,000. Absolutely incredible. That someone would have that much money to spend on a comic. And I thought the £10,000 ($16,000) that I paid for my copy back in 1986 was a ridiculous sum!

The first officially distributed issue of Action Comics in the UK was #258 cover-dated Nov 1959. It is thought that a small number of issue #257 came over as market testers or possibly as the previous month's 'makeweights' in the distribution parcels along with #258. I recall seeing a pence copy #257 but it was a long time ago and I can't remember where exactly. Issues prior to this were Non Distributed in the UK at the time so are always cents copies.

Jan 2018: noted collector Graham Arthur send me a photo of his UK Variant copy - a rare thing of beauty indeed. Take a look under the individual comic details.

It is worth noting that Detective Comics #272 cover-dated October 1959 may also have come over to the UK is some quantities. And I have recently learned that Strange Adventures #109 cover-dated October 1959 was test-distributed in the north of England only (thanks to Paul Stephenson for that information. He was there. He saw a copy).

The first few years of Action Comics distribution were pretty healthy with no obvious scarce or even less common issues in the UK, not until #334, the first 80 page giant issue dated Mar 1966.

UK Variant copies: #258-315 have a 9d cover stamp. #316-325 have a large 10d cover stamp. #326-353 have a small 10d cover stamp. #354 to have a 1/- (one shilling) cover stamp. #392#393-402 have a 5p cover stamp (#402 it's printed). #403-413 have a seven and a half pence cover stamp. #414-427 have a 6p cover stamp. #428-430 have a 7p cover stamp. #431-445 have an 8p cover stamp. #446-467 have a 10p cover stamp.

Action Comics became the first mainstream super-hero title to reach 900 issues in (cover date) Jun 2011. A great achievement! I am counting down the days to issue #1000.

On Dec 1st 2011 a 9.0 CGC graded copy fetched $2,161,000 - a new world record! Outstanding! And we thought that the $1.5 million 8.5 copy sold mid year would be the record holder for a long time to come.

Stop Press: 24th August 2014. A 9.0 with a white pages accreditation sold on eBay for a new world record $3,207,852. The five million dollar comic book is not too far away?

There is also a copy floating about on eBay USA of 1 1958 Action Comics #1 issued for the SE Asian market. The vendor keeps asking silly money for it....

Superman only appeared on intermittant covers at first as the publishers weren't sure he'd be successful! Numbers 1, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17, 19 onwards.

Apr 2021: Comic Connect achieved a world record at the time of an 8.5 CGC graded copy selling for $3,250,000.

Jan 2023: the Rocket CGC 6.0 copy sold for $3.55 million in a private deal brokered by Comic Connect.

Action Comics #1

Action Comics #1 South East Asia

Action Comics #7

Action Comics #10

Action Comics #13

Total value for all issues of this title listed:

Condition	PR 1.0	FR 1.5	GD 2.0	VG 4.0	FN 6.0	VF 8.0	VF/NM 9.0	NM- 9.2	NM 9.4
Issues	551	963	963	968	968	968	968	968	968
Total £	137,200	274,520	414,150	827,710	1,320,300	2,099,820	4,902,860	6,644,610	8,192,900	Total title value in pounds in UK markets
Total $	171,790	343,730	518,510	1,036,500	1,654,030	2,632,100	6,142,950	8,324,500	10,263,640	Total title value in dollars in US markets

Note: some PR issues may have no value. Selected issues in FN, VF or VF/NM may not exist in some titles.

ACTION COMICS (1ST SERIES)

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Total value for all issues of this title listed: