From 1985's Overstreet #15.
The biggest news of the year was when the pristine-mint "Mile High" copy of Marvel Comics No. 1 sold for a staggering $35,000! This does not mean that every high grade Marvel No. 1 will sell within this range. In fact, three other high-grade copies changed hands in the $20,000 to $24,000 range. Obviously, possessing the most perfect copy of the most valuable comic book is worth a premium which that collector was willing to pay. We cannot close our 1984 books on "Mile High" just yet. More record prices were set at year's end. The "Mile High" copy of Action #1 sold to a dealer for $20,500 and Action Nos. 2-13 for $29,500. The dealer resold the set to a collector. The cash/trade value received for the No. 1 was set at $25,000. The "Mile High" copy of Batman No. 1 sold for the projected price of double the 1985 guide mint price. The "Mile High" copy of All-American No. 16 sold for triple the guide's mint value.
Based on the guide that year, the Batman #1 sold for something like $11,400 and the All American #16 sold for about $9000.
Was there ever a better year for books changing hands in the history of the hobby? All of those Church books? Even the recent $1,000,000 sales don't really compare because they aren't the legendary level of the books that traded hands all those years ago. Look at the roll call:
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The best Action #1 and the most valuable comic book in the world today. By any realistic measure a $3-5,000,000 comic book.
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The best All American #16 and a potential seven figure book.
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The best Marvel #1 and one of the ten most valuable comic books in the world.
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The best run of early Actions. Many or alll of which are likely worth more than six figures.
- Potentially the best Batman #1. If it is, it would also potentially be a seven figure book.
What a year!
