The Most Valuable Non-Superhero Comic Might Surprise You But the Prices is Only Going to Go Up
While there are no shortage of categories for collectibles, one of the most interesting—and often expensive—is comic books. With decades of issues across many, many genres, comic books have no shortage unique and sought after issues and series for fans and collectors to seek out. But while superhero comics are among the most sought after and frequently make headlines when rare, unique, or even just really cool issues sell for astronomical amounts at auction, non-superhero comics are just as coveted and pretty valuable in their own right though when it comes to the most valuable comic beyond the world of capes and crusaders, you might be surprised by what it is—and how accessible it could be.
Back in 2011, a copy of Archie Comics #1 from 1942 sold at auction for a record price of $167,3000. The book, a CGC-certified 8.5 copy remains the highest certified sale of the issue to date. While that price might not seem wild when on first glance, given that it’s been 15 years since the sale and the fact that there are limited copies of that issue in such good quality, if the book were to go up for auction today it could very well bring in much much more, with some estimates suggesting it could be worth as much as $500,000.
Archie Comics #1 Isn’t Quite as Valuable as Some Big Superhero Comics (But That Bodes Well For Collectors)
What makes Archie Comics #1 interesting in terms of collectibles beyond its place in comics history—the book is notably the first appearance of Mrs. Andrews and also contradicts the origin of one of Archie’s key characters, Veronica, from Pep Comics #26—really is that last known sale price. While the 8.5 copy did garner a tidy sum, lower graded copies of the same issue are a little more available and much, much more affordable. In 2022, a CGC 3.0 copy sold for just over $20,000. A 2.5 copy is currently available on eBay for around $24,500 while a .5 is also up for sale for $19,500. Those are prices that are much more accessible for many collectors as compared to superhero comics collectibles, making the issue something of a reasonable entry point for those wanting to get in on the vintage comics game.
That accessible, reasonable entry point in terms of price is key here because it’s something that won’t last. Early Archie comics are exceptionally rare. Not that many were published originally and even fewer have survived to modern day in complete, presentable condition. Even in a lower grad of condition, it’s a key issue that is only appreciating in value year over year, making it stunningly affordable in the grand scheme of comics collecting. And that value is something that we could see skyrocket in the near future. This week it was announced that an adaptation of Afterlife with Archie, a 2013 horror Archie Comic written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is headed to Disney+ in 2027. While the vintage Archie comic and the horror comic are wildly different things, the series could prompt a surge in popularity for Archie overall—something that would drive demand and prices up.
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