While the stock markets are roiled by many uncertainties in 2025 — climate challenges, tariffs, inflation and global events, to name a few — there’s one investment sector that seems to hold its own year after year: vintage comic books and related ephemera.
Comics now rank alongside coins and sports cards as a mainstream investment category. I love collecting comic books, but I also love that investors can build collections with confidence that they’re diversifying their assets.
A lot of collectibles lose value as they turn into remnants of some other era. In contrast, comic books have a proven and enduring appeal. We’ve seen how characters from all kinds of genres continue to be revisited in movies, television and video games. There are decades of comic books that can become the cornerstone of a new collection.
Comics from the Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s are setting new records at any grade on the CGC grading scale.
A 2024 ComicConnect auction included a grade 6.5 copy of Batman’s debut in “Detective Comics #27” that sold for a record $1,825,088. That was more than double the price of similarly graded copies from just 10 years before. A recent private sale for “Tales of Suspense#57” saw the comic — featuring the first appearance of the arrow-slinging hero Hawkeye — selling for $210,000, double the price paid for the exact same copy just two years before.
Late last year, a restored “Action Comics #1” (graded 9.0), featuring the first appearance of Superman, broke the record for restored books at nearly $795,000.
Collectors understand that those comics are real pop-culture artifacts, and there won’t be many more chances to buy these books in any kind of preserved condition. At the same time, new records are being set for high-grade books from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
These comics are out of reach for most investors, but there are several emerging areas of collecting that remain accessible to those whose pockets are not quite as deep.
Foreign Comics
Comic collectors are going global in one of the hobby’s hottest new trends, as fans and investors alike seek foreign editions of beloved classic comic books. Foreign comics are a literal new world for fans to discover, as they revisit classic books that offer all types of variant covers, and sometimes even variant storylines.
It’s important to remember that these comics from other countries aren’t reprints, either. These are the original editions that introduced other regions of the world to America’s most beloved pop-culture icons.
For example, Japanese readers were introduced to Superman with a Japanese-language version of the comic book, “Superman #1.” A copy, with a CGC grade of 3.5, recently fetched a record price of $6,775 in a ComicConnect auction.
Restored Comics
Comic collectors recognize a restored comic book as one that has been enhanced by processes and added materials to return its appearance to an original state. Restoration is controversial in the world of comic book collectors and investors, with some arguing that it preserves important cultural artifacts, while others deem it unethical to tamper with a book’s true condition.
That said, restored comic books are in demand among discerning collectors. As the prices for unrestored comics increase, so will those for restored copies, but they are comparably more affordable.
Restoration is nothing new in the world of collecting. Paintings, furniture and jewelry in the hands of experienced conservators can not only preserve their value, but make them last for future generations. Collectors and investors shouldn’t automatically dismiss restored comic books.
Artwork
If your client is an art collector, original or reproduced artwork in the comic genre ranges from tens of dollars to thousands.
Comic book art was created to tell a story, and then be discarded after the publication was read. But much was not thrown out. And when collectors discovered it wasn’t thrown out, they wanted to possess and collect it.
A colorful signed and numbered lithograph of “Dazzler,” by Frank Cirocco, was available on ComicConnect for just $75. If you were a fan of “Transformers: Robots in Disguise,” you can own an incredibly detailed drawing by Dheeraj Verma for $175.
Bigger ticket items in 2024 included original cover art by Jack Kirby for “Fantastic Four Annual#11,” sold for $241,500 and a signed page from “Strange Tales Annual #2,” which fetched $70,150. The page, a rare collaboration between Kirby and fellow legend Steve Ditko, showcased Spider-Man and Johnny Storm.
Rules for Collectors
If a client is interested in collectibles, this is one investment they can genuinely enjoy. Another big plus, especially for beginners: There’s room in the market for everyone. Collectors don’t need a big budget to make some solid investments, just a smart strategy. Here are the basic rules:
Set a budget and stick to it.
Learn about the market. See what’s selling and for how much. Anyone can access decades of a comic book’s accurate sales history. You don’t get that kind of security in niche categories like glassware or toy trains.
Scope out the trends. Talk to experts. Follow the auctions or attend a comic con – they’re held all over the country. (Fanscon.com has a list searchable by state.)
Know the “blue chip” superheroes. They include Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Flash, Green Lantern, The Avengers, Thor, Wonder Woman and X-Men. Over time, key issues featuring these popular characters have appreciated by 25% to 100% in value.
Expand your knowledge beyond the big names. This makes for a savvier investor. For example, some heroes from the Golden Age (1930s-1950s), such as Catman, Black Terror, The Destroyer and Phantom Lady, remain popular (although they’re no longer in print).
Look beyond superheroes. Consider vintage books featuring characters like Little Lulu, Richie Rich, Millie the Model or Mickey Mouse and his Disney colleagues.
Consider the investing timeframe. Long-term investors should select comics that traditionally have shown slow, steady growth — i.e., pre-1985 books.For short-term investors, look for books that are just starting to get hot, and be poised to sell quickly. The short-term market can be volatile. For example, those who bought“Green Lantern #7”— the first appearance of Sinestro — shortly before the 2011 movie came out saw huge profits … if they sold quickly. But if they waited too long, they took a loss, because the movie flopped.
Keep in mind: Issues that feature a character’s first appearance or death — or even a popular artist or writer’s first publication — are generally better investments, even with low-graded comics.
Know that else counts. it’s not just a comic book’s significance that determines its value. Condition and rarity matter. But nothing is set in stone. New copies do still come to light out of the blue, so rarity can be a moving target.
Protect those investments. Store books in a cool, dry place, using acid-free backing boards and resealable Mylar or polypropylene bags. Be aware that Golden Age, Bronze Age and Modern-era books are different sizes.
“Raw” or “slabbed”? Comics graded by companies like CGC are returned to you in a hard plastic case (slab). The upside: The existing quality will be maintained. The downside: Grading costs money. Before sending comics in to be graded, one must consider the cost and likely return. It may more remunerative to sell books “raw” (unslabbed and ungraded).
Stay on top of pop culture/movie trends. In 2025, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is releasing a reboot of the “Fantastic Four” and “Thunderbolts,” which brings together characters from “Black Widow,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” From the DC Universe, the much-anticipated Superman reboot comes out in July, followed in October by “The Batman, Part II.” Disney will also release a new Tron film, this time about an AI program entering the real world (What could possibly go wrong?).
Comics are serious, solid investments. The market is strong and diverse, with comics from various genres and time periods appreciating in value. And when times are uncertain, tangible investments like comic books can be especially appealing. But the most compelling reason to invest: It is super fun.
Vincent Zurzolo is CEO ofNew York-based Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, andComicConnect.com the premier online vintage comic auction house.He and his business partner, Stephen Fishler, hold five Guinness World Records for the most expensive comics and collectibles ever sold. Contact:Lekas & Levine PR, 847.327.9530,JoannePR@aol.com.
