Action Comics #1 (DC, 1938) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages....

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Action Comics #1 (DC, 1938) CGC GD/VG 3.0 Cream to off-white pages. An unrestored copy of the first appearance of Superman is what most every collector has at the top of his or her want list, and many who are not comic collectors per se still seek to acquire one because they value the pop culture significance of the piece.
Most people we talk to, who are looking for an Action #1, are seeking a low-grade copy simply because these can be acquired in the low six-figure range, while high-grade copies now run into seven figures. Then the next challenge becomes finding something in this grade range that doesn't have a major blight on the book's eye appeal. We think this copy fills the bill in that regard.
Please note that the cover is detached, something that CGC often notes on its label but did not on this occasion. But we think you'll agree that the eye appeal is just about the best that one could hope for in a Good/Very Good copy. In particular, it has no handwriting on the cover, store stamps, or the like.
Why is Action Comics #1 the most valuable comic issue in the entire hobby? Not only is it the first appearance of one of the greatest comic characters, this June 1938 issue started the Golden Age of comics. The classic cover by Joe Shuster is perhaps the most famous comic cover of all time. And then there's the fact that not that many copies have survived. While the collection that produced this book is proof that not every top-flight collection has been discovered, let alone certified, it is telling that CGC has certified just 35 unrestored copies as of this writing.
There would seem no need to write much more about the comic that "sells itself" more than any other, but we might note that we have talked to some buyers who picked up similar copies in years past when the going rate was cheaper, and all have been pleased with their purchases to say the least, while we've spoken to many more who are kicking themselves for passing up the chance and have since seen the book move out of their price range. That might be something to keep in mind when this lot comes up.
Overstreet 2014 GD 2.0 value = $130,000; VG 4.0 value = $260,000. CGC census 11/14: 6 in 3.0, 21 higher. From the Prospect Mountain Collection.