The March 13-15 Hake’s Americana Auction hit a mark of $2.35 million, as well as setting a record for the largest number of bidders ever for that auction house. Notable amongst its 2,332 lot event – with 2,275 of that number being comic book lots – stood several notables that accounted for a signification portion.
Up for action during the three-day event were items from both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, known before the Silver Age of Comics as Timely Comics. Specifically, a CGC 4.0 copy of 1939’s Action Comics #7 – Superman’s second cover appearance – sold for $124,025 while 1939’s Detective Comics #27 – the first appearance of Batman in “The Case of The Chemical Syndicate” – sold for a whopping $569, 275. In Marvel’s camp, a CGC 7.0 May 1942 issue of Captain America Comics sold for $55,050. Hake’s President, Alex Winter, noted, “This particular issue of Captain America is especially desirable to collectors because it features the great Stan Lee’s first work for Timely.” The work in question is the text-only short story entitled “Captain America Foils the Traitor’s Revenge.”
Further, it was from there that Stan began his legendary writing and editing career, eventually forging the Marvel Universe during the 1960s alongside artists Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr., and others. Coincidentally, another of Lee’s works at the advent of the Silver age was also a massive contributor. Thor, The God of Thunder’s first appearance and origin in a CGC 7.0 copy of 1962’s Journey Into Mystery #83 was sold for $19,745 – just shy of its projected $20,000 estimation. It’s within those pages that Lee and Kirby’s take on the Norse mythological figure laid the foundations for the popular character’s exploits.
Of this year’s turnout, Winter digresses, “We knew ahead of time that it was going to be a barnburner. Two weeks before the auction closed, absentee bids had already surpassed one million dollars. Interest was at an all-time high for so many categories, especially rare comic books, Star Wars figures and political memorabilia.”
