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Six Decades of Marvel’s Avengers

Marvel Microcosm: The Avengers also had a great time watching the market change as collectors chase down
From the Fantastic Four to the X-Men, Marvel Comics has histori- their wish lists!” said ComicConnect President Vincent Zurzolo.
cally done very well with team books, giving readers the opportunity to The company closed out 2023 with strong sales from their Event
enjoy not just one or two heroes but a whole group of really cool Auction #56. The year’s earlier auctions also had a history of highlights as
characters battling some of the most powerful villains in comics. the hammer landed on reliable classics and great finds, they said.
Among their greatest success stories, both in comic book form and on 2023 started with Event Auction 53, which saw a record price realized
the silver screen, is the Avengers. for EC’s Crime SuspenStories #22 9.4 at $90,112 – eclipsing the previous
Composed of a rotating roster of Marvel’s most powerful heroes, the high sale of $72,000 for a 9.0 copy earlier in the year.
first incarnation included Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Iron Man, and Fred Ray’s Superman #14 8.0, famous for its patriotic depiction of the
the Hulk. The Hulk didn’t stick around very Man of Steel with an American eagle on his arm in front of the stars and
long, but in Avengers #4 Captain America was stripes, sold for $19,500 as the highest price paid for the grade.
revived from the Timely Comics era and entered the Captain America also got in a patriotic punch
Marvel Universe. with a copy of Captain America Comics #1 7.0
When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the selling for $300,150.
team in Avengers #1 (September 1963), it could be The company’s Event Auction #54 included a
purchased for 12¢. By 1970, Robert M. Overstreet CGC-graded Mint 9.9 copy of Iron Man #1
valued a Near Mint copy at $6 in the first edition which topped the previous record when it sold
of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. for $106,000.
It gained significant traction in the collecting Fellow superhero Thor hammered his way to a
market and ten years later it was up to $240. By $350,400 sale for Journey Into Mystery #83 9.4, the
Guide #20, it nearly tripled in value, priced at Marvel character’s first appearance.
$725, which was repeated after another decade, Cover artist L.B. Cole had a great year with
when it nearly tripled again to $2,400. Suspense Comics #11 9.8 from the Promise
Avengers #1’s value took off in the 2010s. At Collection selling for $147,000, among other works.
Guide #40 a Near Mint copy was situated at Modern Age standards – such as New Mutants
$12,500. Two years later when The Avengers #98 9.9 at $40,250 – continued their march to new
movie debuted, it doubled in value to $25,000. heights, the company reported. Teenage Mutant
Just three years after that in 2015, the momen- Ninja Turtles #1 9.8 sold for $155,250.
tum carried it to $33,000. In Guide #45, it grew Golden Age key issues reaffirmed their staying
to $45,000. With sustained, renewed, and fresh power as well. As an example, a 1.5 copy of Superman
interest in the issue and the team, a Near Mint #1 sold for $132,250, and a 5.5 double-cover copy of
copy of Avengers #1 rose to $60,000 in Guide the Atlas-era Journey into Mystery #1 7.5 from the
#53 last year. Bobby Blue Collection closed at $28,750.

Results: eMovie Poster’s From its original cover price of 12¢, Marvel Overstreet Access Expands
December Comics’ Avengers #1 (September 1963) has Overstreet Access, the online version of The
increased in value over the past 60 years to
eMoviePoster’s December Major Auction hit $60,000 for a Near Mint copy. Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, has added
several high notes, particularly in the session Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions. 135,000 variant cover editions to its data over the
that ended on December 19, 2023. The 1,296 past few months. For better or worse, variant covers
US and international movie posters, non-movie posters, and other have become a major component of the new comics market over
items saw a total of $771,099. the last decade. Whatever one may think of their proliferation,
Surprising results from the December Major Auction included documenting them has been a bit of a challenge.
The Gold Rush one-sheet for $84,900, Violent Is the Word for Curly In addition to tracking your collection with Overstreet prices,
one-sheet for $26,000, Jaws seven-sheet for $25,000, The Empire Overstreet Access (overstreetaccess.com) offers collection management
Strikes Back recalled one-sheet for $21,500, King Kong French and an encyclopedia of comic book knowledge.
one-panel for $19,612, Star Wars seven-sheet for $14,000, Attack of the Among the recent additions to its line-up, Overstreet Access
50 Ft Woman one-sheet for $11,500, Blackmail title lobby card for includes a dynamic import/export tool in open Beta testing (meaning
$6,805, and Murders in the Rue Morgue window card for $6,694. all members can use it and comment on it), the ability to track certified
The final deadline to consign to their April Major Auction is comics in your collection (including CGC or CBCS serial numbers),
February 23. first appearance links between character pages and issue detail pages,
and more.
Results: ComicConnect’s 2023 Amanda Sheriff is Editor – Digital for Gemstone
“This has been a great year for investors to build their portfolios. We’ve
Publishing. J.C. Vaughn is the President of Gemstone.

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