Gotham City Gold Rush!

Above: Jeremy Bishop, owner of Gotham Comics in Onehanga, Auckland, holding valuable early 'Batman' issues owned by a private collector. Picture by Peter Meecham, from an article in the Sunday Star Times/Stuff.co.nz.

The recent record-breaking auction sales of key 'golden age' (1930s - late '40s) comics in the last two weeks has captured public attention, making international news and sparking new interest in the comics collecting market.

Above: 'Action Comics #1', featuring the first appearance of 'Superman'.

Two weeks ago 'Action Comics #1' (1938), the first appearance of 'Superman', became the first single comic book to sell for $US1 million (NZ$1.42m), smashing the previous record-setting sale for the same issue the year before for $US317,000 ($NZ451,000).

Above: 'Detective Comics #27', featuring the first appearance of 'Batman'.

Not to be outdone by the blue boy-scout, only days later this record was topped by a copy of 'Detective Comics #27' (1939), featuring the first appearance of 'Batman', which went for $US1,075,500 ($NZ1.5m).

Above: 'Detective Comics #38' (1940), featuring the first appearance of Robin.

Above: 'Batman #1' (1940), the first issue of his on-going series.

In the picture from the article Jeremy is holding up a copy of 'Detective Comics #38' (1940), featuring the first appearance of Robin, and 'Batman #1' (1940), the first issue of his own comic book series. The private collector also owns 'Batman' issues 2-4, which individually could be worth thousands. You can read the original article HERE, and the article on the 'Action Comics' sale HERE.

If you have an elderly relative who was fond of the 'funny books', now might be the time to pay them a visit (...and clean up their attic or garage for them while you're there!).

-AK!