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A rare 1939 copy of Superman No. 1 has become the most expensive comic book ever sold, fetching $9.12 million at an auction held in the US state of Texas, according to the auction house.
Despite being forgotten for decades in an attic, the comic was found in near-pristine condition and set a new record for the global collectibles market.
The comic was discovered by three siblings in a cardboard box in the attic of their late mother’s home in San Francisco.
Hidden beneath layers of old newspapers and cobwebs, the issue had been stored alongside a small number of other rare comics collected by the siblings’ mother and her brother on the eve of World War II.
The siblings said their mother had told them she was saving a valuable comic collection for her children, but they had never seen it before preparing the house for sale.
The cool Northern California climate helped preserve the comic despite the absence of special protective storage.
Published by Detective Comics Inc. in 1939, Superman No. 1 is among a very limited number of known surviving copies.
A small internal advertisement allowed experts to determine that the comic came from the first 500,000 copies printed. Specialists estimate that fewer than 500 copies remain today.
The comic was graded 9.0 out of 10 by the grading company CGC, meaning it shows only very minor wear and aging.
According to Heritage Auctions’ vice president of comics, Lon Allen, the issue retained a solid spine, vibrant colors and sharp corners, characteristics rarely found in comics of its age.
The sale surpassed the previous record held by Action Comics No. 1, which sold for $6 million last year and was the first comic to feature Superman on its cover.
Allen said the discovery thrilled collectors because it combined rarity, condition and provenance in a single copy.
The three siblings, all in their 50s and 60s, declined to be identified, as did the buyer.
In a statement released by Heritage Auctions, one sibling said the comic was not merely a collectible but a reflection of memory, family and the unexpected ways the past can return.
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