🖊️ 13—Comic Legends

 TREASURES

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Treasure Resources: This list serves as a compact archive of comic treasure discoveries—a quick reference for journalists, researchers, and enthusiasts. It highlights how high-value comics continue to surface in everyday places.

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Comics — 13 Finds, $99 Million+ (Reported)

A few legendary examples from this list include:

  • Worth Millions — Storage Find
  • $3 Million — Chest Find
  • $9 Million — Attic Find

Overlooked for years, these discoveries show how valuable treasures can be—even when hiding in plain sight. The list features illustrative examples, not a comprehensive ranking.

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13—Legendary Finds

1. Golden Age Comic Collection — $50 Million — Basement Find

📽️ 📅 2021 Report: In 1977, in Denver, Colorado, USA, a struggling young comic dealer discovered what’s now considered the most valuable comic treasure ever found—a pristine archive of 18,000+ Golden Age comics hidden in a basement. Acquired for a modest cash offer, the Edgar Church Collection rose in value over time, with estimates topping $50 million. Full story in a thirty-minute video.

    █ Video: 🔗 Key Collector Comics / YouTube


    ▌Research: Tools • Lists
    ▌Related: Basement • Collectible • Book

    2. Action Comics No. 1 — $15 Million — Storage Locker Find

    📰 📽️ 📅 2026 Report: A rare copy of Action Comics No. 1, which introduced Superman, sold privately for $15 million, setting a record. Originally priced at 10 cents in 1938, it was bought in 1996 for $150,000 by Nicolas Cage. Stolen from his home in Los Angeles, California, USA, it was recovered in 2011 after being found by a man who had purchased the contents of an old storage locker in Southern California. About 100 copies are known.

    █ Story, video, and images: 🔗 AP News


    ▌Research: Tools • Lists
    ▌Related: Storage • Superman • Collectible

    3. Promise Collection — $10 Million+ — Attic Find

    📽️ 📅 2021 Report: A treasure trove of 5,000 Golden Age comic books—valued at over $10 million—was discovered in boxes that had been stored for decades in a family attic in the USA. Originally bought off newsstands in the 1940s by a boy who later went to war and never returned, the comics were safeguarded by his brother in honor of a promise. The rare pedigree collection featured near-mint classics. Full story in a two-minute video.

      █ Video: 🔗 Heritage Auctions / YouTube


      ▌Research: Tools • Lists
      ▌Related: Box • Collectible • Book

        4. Superman No. 1 — $9.12 Million — Attic Find

        📽️ 📅 2025 Report: Three brothers in San Francisco, California, USA, discovered a remarkably preserved 1939 copy of Superman No. 1 while cleaning their late mother’s attic. Originally sold for 10 cents, the rare issue—Superman’s first solo comic—sold at auction for a record $9.12 million. Full story about the discovery in a two-minute video.

        █ Video: 🔗Associated Press / YouTube


        ▌Research: Tools • Lists
        ▌Related: Attic • Comics

        5. Comic Collection — $3.5 Million — Basement Closet Find

        📰 📅 2012 Report: In Virginia, USA, a man discovered a collection of 345 comic books in a basement closet, initially unaware of their value. The collection, which included some of the most prized comic book issues, sold for about $3.5 million. Key highlights include a 1939 Detective Comics No. 27, featuring Batman's debut, and a 1938 Action Comics No. 1, marking Superman's first appearance.

        █ Story and images: 🔗 Today


        ▌Research: Tools • Lists
        ▌Related: Closet • Collectible • Book

        6. 1938 Superman Comic — $3.2 Million — Magazine Stack Find

        📽️ 📅 2021 Report: In the United States, a rare 1938 Superman comic—originally priced at 10 cents—was discovered buried in a stack of old movie magazines purchased at an auction in the 1980s. The comic had reportedly remained unnoticed in the stack for about 50 years before its discovery. It later sold for a record $3.2 million. Full story in a short video clip.

          █ Video: 🔗 CBS New York / YouTube


          ▌Research: Tools • Lists
          ▌Related: Auction • Superman • Collectible

          7. 1938 Superman Comic — $3.2 Million — Estate Sale Find

          📰 📅 2014 Report: In the USA, a rare 1938 Superman comic, reportedly found at an estate sale after being stored in a cedar chest for 40 years, fetched $3.2 million at auction. Its value was highlighted by its rarity—one of the few surviving copies from an original run of 200,000—and its exceptional condition, earning a 9.0 rating on the CGC scale.

          █ Story and image: 🔗 BBC


          ▌Research: Tools • Lists
          ▌Related: Estate Sale • Superman • Collectible

          8. Comic Collection — Worth Millions — Family Storage Find

          📽️ 📅 2023 Report: In the United States, a man discovered one of the country's largest and most valuable comic book collections stored in his late father's home and three shipping containers. The collection, amassed over 50 years and consisting of over a million items, includes some of the world's most sought-after comic books and memorabilia. With one comic alone valued at over $300,000, the collection is likely worth millions. Full story in a five-minute video.

          █ Story and images: 🔗 CBS Detroit / YouTube


          ▌Research: Tools • Lists
          ▌Related: Storage • Collectible • Book

          9. Merrimack Valley Collection — $1.4 Million+ — Cardboard Box Find

          📰 📅 2026 Report: The Merrimack Valley Collection was a remarkable discovery: an original-owner trove of Golden Age comics reportedly stored in a cardboard box for 75–80 years. The comics generated at least $1.43 million in reported auction sales. A CGC 9.0 Captain America No. 1 led at $716,750; the collection also included the first nine Batman issues.

            █ Story, links, and press kit images: 🔗 Heritage Auctions


            ▌Research: Tools • Lists
            ▌Related: Box • Collectible • Book


              10. Paper Boy Collection — $1.3 Million — Basement Find

              📽️ 📅 2026 Report: In Los Angeles, USA, a woman discovered the value of the Golden Age comic collection she inherited from her father, originally bought with paper-route money in the 1930s and later found in a Maine basement. The “Paper Boy Collection” sold for $1.3 million, led by a rare 1939 copy of Detective Comics #27, featuring Batman’s first appearance, which sold for $683,200. Full story in a 25-minute video.

                █ Video: 🔗 Retro Games Plus  / YouTube


                ▌Research: Tools • Lists
                ▌Related: Basement • Collectible • Book

                11. Action Comics No. 1 — $436,000 — Basement Box Find

                📽️ 📅 2010 Report: In the U.S., a family facing foreclosure saved their home after discovering an original copy of Action Comics #1—the first Superman comic—while packing. Bought for 10¢ in 1938, the comic was found in a basement box and estimated at $350,000-$450,000 before auction. It later sold for $436,000, providing an extraordinary financial lifeline. Full story in a two-minute video.

                  █ Video: 🔗 Metropolis / MSNBC / YouTube


                  ▌Research: Tools • Lists
                  ▌Related: Basement • Superman

                  12. Detective Comics No. 27 — Worth $250,000 — Attic Find

                  📰 📅 2007 Report: A near-mint copy of Detective Comics No. 27 (1939), featuring Batman’s debut, was discovered in an attic in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, USA. Considered the second most valuable comic in the world at the time, it was reportedly worth up to $250,000. It was found while cleaning out old belongings.

                  █ Story and image: 🔗 The Denver Post


                  ▌Research: Tools • Lists
                  ▌Related: Attic • Collectible • Book

                  13. Action Comics No. 1 — $175,000 — Wall Find

                  📽️ 📅 2013 Report: A rare Action Comics #1, featuring Superman’s 1938 debut, was discovered inside the walls of a house in Hoffman, Minnesota, USA. Originally purchased for 10¢, it was expected to fetch $150,000 at auction but reportedly sold for $175,000. Fewer than 100 copies are known to exist. Full story in a two-minute video.

                    █ Video: 🔗 On Demand News / YouTube


                    ▌Research: Tools • Lists
                    ▌Related: Random • Superman • Collectible

                    These discoveries reveal the untapped potential of everyday spaces as hidden treasure troves. Explore the top 40 treasure topics below ↓

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                    █  Stuff  |  Spots  |  Legends


                    1. Antique
                    2. Art
                    3. Attic
                    4. Auction
                    5. Barn Find
                    6. Basement
                    7. Bizarre
                    8. Book & Script
                    9. Box & Trunk
                    10. Camera & Photo
                    11. Car & Motorcycle
                    12. Closet & Cabinet
                    13. Clothing & Fashion
                    14. Coin & Banknote
                    15. Collectible
                    16. Comic
                    17. Doll & Bear
                    18. Drawer & Dresser
                    19. Dumpster & Trash
                    20. Electronic & Tech
                    21. Estate Sale
                    22. Flea Market
                    23. Hidden in Plain Sight
                    24. Jewelry, Gem, Watch
                    25. Metal Detecting
                    26. Music, Vinyl, Memorabilia
                    27. Musical Instrument
                    28. Online
                    29. Pottery, Glass, Ceramic
                    30. Random
                    31. Shed & Garage
                    32. Shelf & Mantel
                    33. Shipwreck
                    34. Showbiz
                    35. Sports
                    36. Storage Locker
                    37. Thrifting
                    38. Toy
                    39. Video Game
                    40. Yard Sale


                    █  Stuff  |  Spots  |  Legends

                    Page Notes

                    Last updated: October 2, 2026

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