Inside the Guide: Top 20 Golden Age Comics in 2015

It’s only been seven years since Gemstone published The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #45, but a lot has changed in that time. When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, many places in the US and abroad were effectively shut down. Since people weren’t spending their disposable income on vacations or even going to the theater and restaurants, a lot of collectors started purchasing higher value items from their want lists. That snowballed with media attention, and in turn brought a cadre of collectors who approach the hobby from an investment angle. These and other factors contributed to some astounding prices for high value comics, not least of all from the Golden Age.

Comics that have sold for $1 million or more have risen exponentially since 2020, including multiple copies of Superman and Batman’s first appearances. A copy of Marvel Comics #1 has sold for over four-times its value in the Guide #45 and Wonder Woman’s debut surpassed the $1 million mark despite being on the lower end of this list.

Below are the Top 20 Golden Age books in Near Mint value as reported in 2015’s The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #45.

#1 – Action Comics #1 – $2,500,000
#2 – Detective Comics #27 – $1,800,000
#3 – Superman #1 – $900,000
#4 – All-American Comics #16 – $650,000
#5 – Marvel Comics #1 – $525,000
#6 – Batman #1 – $500,000
#7 – Captain America Comics #1 – $330,000
#8 – Action Comics #7 – $275,000
#9 – Pep Comics #22 – $250,000
#10 – Detective Comics #31 – $210,000
#11 – Action Comics #10 – $185,000
#11 – Flash Comics #1 – $185,000
#13 – Whiz Comics #2 (#1) – $175,000
#14 – Detective Comics #29 – $170,000
#15 – Action Comics #2 – $165,000
#15 – Archie Comics #1 – $165,000
#15 – More Fun Comics #52 – $165,000
#18 – Detective Comics #33 – $150,000
#19 – Adventure Comics #40 – $140,000
#20 – All Star Comics #8 – $135,000