# Valuable comic books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 28, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447 "2017-04-28T16:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/1 "2017-04-28T16:16:53Z")
I’ve never been one who read comic books but I remember reading a book as a child, I don’t remember the name of the book but it would have been late 80s early 90s, where the characters were discussing valuable comic books. One of the characters was new to comics and the other was an old “pro”, probably both were about 10 years old, and they talked about Howard the Duck number 1 being the ultimate holy grail comic. Is that comic really that rare and/or valuable? Was it ever? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/2 "2017-04-28T16:42:43Z")
I can get a decent copy on ebay right now for 4.99 Ever? Dunno…certainly never the holy grail though. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/3 "2017-04-28T16:42:50Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > I’ve never been one who read comic books but I remember reading a book as a child, I don’t remember the name of the book but it would have been late 80s early 90s, where the characters were discussing valuable comic books. One of the characters was new to comics and the other was an old “pro”, probably both were about 10 years old, and they talked about Howard the Duck number 1 being the ultimate holy grail comic. Is that comic really that rare and/or valuable? Was it ever? I do remember when it was released there was a little brouhaha about getting one and was the circulation low etc. The price was probably inflated for a little bit. But it never was over a few bucks then. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/4 "2017-04-28T16:51:20Z")
Back in the 80s, _Howard the Duck_ #1 was a top collectable. IIRC, Overstreet had it at about $16-20, which was a very high price for a comic that recent.\* When my wife bought me the entire run as a Christmas gift (along with the entire run of the original _Swamp Thing_ 🆒 ), it probably cost more than eight other issues of the comic, and was very hard to find (she got me a reprint of the story). So what happened? George Lucas. The movie was such a flop that the bottom dropped out of the market for the comic. This should be an object lesson for anyone who things collectibles are an investment. \*Older comics, of course, cost far more. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/5 "2017-04-28T20:10:21Z")
_Action Comics 1_ has been the champ of most valuable comics for quite some time. I can’t find exact details but apparently one issue sold for over one million dollars in the time frame the OP mentions. _HtD_ wouldn’t have been anywhere near as rare or dear. Why a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/6 "2017-04-28T20:39:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > So what happened? George Lucas. The movie was such a flop that the bottom dropped out of the market for the comic. > > This should be an object lesson for anyone who things collectibles are an investment. So the value… got down, America? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/7 "2017-04-28T21:08:19Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Back in the 80s, _Howard the Duck_ #1 was a top collectable. IIRC, Overstreet had it at about $16-20, which was a very high price for a comic that recent.\* When my wife bought me the entire run as a Christmas gift (along with the entire run of the original _Swamp Thing_ 🆒 ), it probably cost more than eight other issues of the comic, and was very hard to find (she got me a reprint of the story). > > So what happened? George Lucas. The movie was such a flop that the bottom dropped out of the market for the comic. > > This should be an object lesson for anyone who things collectibles are an investment. > \*Older comics, of course, cost far more. Without looking it up…the original Wrightson issues are probably…not cheap…still. The first couple of Moore ones would also probably be…not cheap. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/8 "2017-04-28T22:34:01Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Without looking it up…the original Wrightson issues are probably…not cheap…still. I got them at cover price. Twenty cents, it looks like. 😉 > [@](#): > > The first couple of Moore ones would also probably be…not cheap. Probably, but this was before Moore took over, and I was only interested in the original Len Wein run. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/9 "2017-04-29T01:02:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > When my wife bought me the entire run as a Christmas gift (along with the entire run of the original _Swamp Thing_ 🆒 ), it probably cost more than eight other issues of the comic, and was very hard to find (she got me a reprint of the story). Last Christmas, the Ukulele Lady got me a shirt. Want to swap wives? ---
**Author:** ![coolbyrne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@coolbyrne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coolbyrne)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/10 "2017-04-29T03:26:07Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > _Action Comics 1_ has been the champ of most valuable comics for quite some time. I can’t find exact details but apparently one issue sold for over one million dollars in the time frame the OP mentions. _HtD_ wouldn’t have been anywhere near as rare or dear. > > Why a duck? Not that I would wish death on anyone, but I hope I’m around the day Dave “The Dentist” Anderson goes to the big comic book store in the sky so we can finally see his Mile Hile Action #1 and more importantly, his Allentown Detective #27. If the condition of either of these comics is what people think they are, the sale value will obliterate any price we’ve ever seen. (Assuming he hasn’t tried to secretly restore them.) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/11 "2017-04-29T04:26:23Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Why a duck? Because, according to The Rule Of Cool, if you need to reference a comic, “Superman’s debut in the first issue of Action Comics” doesn’t make for snappy dialog like saying “Howard the Duck #1”. (Now I’m wondering if the OP is confused why, after he heard that on TV, and bought a dozen Howard #1s, he isn’t rich yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/valuable-comic-books/785447/12 "2017-04-29T06:07:45Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Because, according to The Rule Of Cool, if you need to reference a comic, “Superman’s debut in the first issue of Action Comics” doesn’t make for snappy dialog like saying “Howard the Duck #1”. I was musing on this earlier today for other reasons and it occurred to me that relatively few characters debut in their own titles. Of the significant characters (i.e. one or more major recent or pending films starring them _and_ who had their own comic titles): DC Superman: _Action Comics_ #1 Batman: _Detective Comic_s #27 Wonder Woman: _All-Star Comics_ #8 Green Lantern : _All-American Comics_ #16 (original Alan Scott version: the Hal Jordan version first appeared in _Showcase_ #22) Flash: _Flash Comics_ #1 (original Jay Garrick version: the Barry Allen version first appeared in _Showcase_ #4) Marvel Captain America: _Captain America Comics_ #1 Iron Man: _Tales of Suspense_ #39 Hulk: _The Incredible Hulk_ #1 Thor: _Journey into Mystery_ #83 Spider-Man: _Amazing Fantasy_ #15 Wolverine: _The Incredible Hulk_ #180/181 Daredevil: _Daredevil_ #1 The teams do a little better - the X-Men and Fantastic Four both started in #1 of their own titles. The Justice League didn’t, though (_The Brave and the Bold_ #28). I’m sure I’m overlooking a few, but as best I can tell, Captain America and Daredevil are the exception, not the rule. Even Howard the Duck wouldn’t qualify - he first appeared in _Adventure into Fear_ #19.