Copy of Marvel's First 68-Page Comic Book Sold For $ 2.4 Million At an Auction

Copy of Marvel's first 68-page comic book sold for $ 2.4 million at auction, reports the New York Times.

Stephen Fishler, CEO of Comicconnect, revealed, that the Marvel Comics book No. 1, issued in 1939, was this valuable, because it is also known as the so-called a payout copy, i.e. copy in which the publisher recorded payments owed to the illustrators.

Lloyd Jacquet, who founded Funnies Inc. (company which sold comics and artworks to publishers), wrote on the cover and seven pages of the book, how much his company owed various artists.

Fishler did not disclose the name of the buyer of the first copy, but he did say, that the winner of the auction was a long-time collector of comics, in his forties, living outside the USA. According to Fishler, the buyer liked the state of the copy, as well as the story behind its recent re-discovery. 

"The fact, that this book survived was a miracle," said Comicconnect CEO. According to him, the copy was in such a remarkable condition even after 80 years, because it was hidden in a file until it was rediscovered around 1993 or 1994.

New York Times writes, that if the book left the publisher's office, in 1939 it would have sold for 10 cents, today it would cost just over $2. According to comics.org, the publisher printed 80,000 copies in October 1939 and another 800,000 copies in a month later.

Fishler also pointed out that the prices of old comic books have skyrocketed over the past few years, saying, that  they could become even more valuable with more and more film adaptations being produced.