Whatever You Do, Don’t Toss Those Old Comics: Attic Find Shatters World Record With $9.12 Million Superman Sale

In a story straight out of a comic book itself, three brothers cleaning out their late mother’s attic struck historic gold — or rather, heroic gold — when they uncovered a pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1, the legendary first appearance of Superman. The comic sold this month for a staggering $9.12 million at a Texas auction house, setting a new world record as the most expensive comic book ever sold.

The discovery unfolded in their mother’s long-closed San Francisco attic, where the brothers were sorting through boxes of keepsakes she had stored away for decades. Hidden beneath layers of yellowed newspapers, dust, and cobwebs sat an unassuming cardboard box that would change everything.

Inside was a small trove of Golden Age treasures — rare comics collected by their mother and her sibling in the late 1930s, just as the world was on the brink of World War II. Among them was Action Comics No. 1, published in June 1938, a cultural milestone often referred to as the “Holy Grail” of comic books.

“We almost tossed the whole box without opening it,” one of the brothers said in a statement released by the auction house. “It looked like nothing but old papers. Thank God we didn’t.”

The issue’s extraordinary condition stunned experts. Despite being nearly 90 years old, the comic had been shielded from light, moisture, and handling — a preservation accident that kept its colors vivid and its pages crisp. After grading, it landed among the highest-quality copies ever recorded.

The Texas auction house reported fierce bidding from collectors around the world, pushing the final price to an unprecedented $9.12 million. Until now, no comic had ever crossed the $7 million threshold.

“This sale isn’t just a record,” the auction house said. “It’s a reminder that iconic pop-culture artifacts continue to grow in historical significance — and value.”

The brothers, meanwhile, say they plan to split the proceeds and preserve the other comics found alongside Superman’s debut. And they have a message for anyone clearing out a family home:

Check every box. Twice.

Because sometimes, beneath the dust and cobwebs, history is waiting — and it may be worth millions.