A Captain America Comics number one that sat in a cardboard box for roughly 75 to 80 years has sold for $716,750. The sale was part of Heritage Auctions’ September comics events, which together brought in more than $18 million, according to Heritage’s results report as published by Art Daily.

The comic, graded CGC 9.0, led the Comic Books Signature Auction. It came from the Merrimack Valley Collection, a recently discovered trove of Golden Age treasures.

Bought Off The Rack, Then Left In A Box For Decades

Heritage vice president Aaron White said the original owner of the collection kept the books in a cardboard box for 75 to 80 years. He added that “the condition of the books was stunning.”

White also called the find “a wonderful discovery.” Comic fans know that Golden Age books survive in high grade only when someone tucks them away and forgets them.

According to Comic Basics, the original owner bought the books off the rack. That makes this a rare case of the first people to own the comics also being the last.

A Four-Day Sale Pushed Past $18 Million

The Comic Books Signature Auction ran September 24 to 26 and totaled $8,425,785. The Comic Art Signature Auction ran September 25 to 27 and added $9,748,344.

Together, Heritage says, the two sales brought in $18,174,129 over four days.

The comic art side had its own fireworks. Jerry Robinson’s cover art for Detective Comics number 68 from 1942, the first cover appearance of Two-Face, led the art auction at $475,000.

The Rest Of The Box Did Well Too

Captain America Comics number three, graded CGC 9.4 and described as the second-finest known copy, sold for $268,400. It came from the same Merrimack Valley Collection.

Batman number one, graded CGC 2.5, brought $158,600 from that collection, and Batman number nine, graded CGC 9.0, made $103,700.

Other comic book results included:

• Wonder Woman number one, CGC 8.5, at $158,600.
• Fantastic Comics number three, CGC 2.5, at $134,200.
• The Avengers number four, CGC 9.8, at $134,200.
• The Walking Dead number one, CGC 9.9, at $56,120.

Rick Akers, Heritage’s vice president of comics, said it was exciting to see elite-condition examples of modern keys get such outstanding results. In other words, newer books in top shape are drawing serious money too, not just the 1940s ones.

The Art Pages And Paintings That Went Past Six Figures

Elektra’s first story appearance, page four of Daredevil number 168 by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson, brought $450,000. Jim Lee’s cover for X-Men number six from 1992 sold for $437,500.

Carl Barks’ 1974 oil painting Pick and Shovel Laborer made $275,000. A Gary Larson Far Side piece from March 15, 1985, sold for $112,500, more than double Heritage’s previous Far Side record of $51,600.

Why The Price Was Big But Not The Biggest

Comic Basics points out that the $716,750 is not the top price ever paid for the issue. A CGC 9.4 copy sold for $3,120,000 at Heritage in April 2022, and that same copy had sold for $915,000 in 2019. The previous record before that was $343,000 in 2011.

The issue has earned its place. According to Comic Basics, it contains the first appearance and origin of Captain America and Bucky, along with the debut of the Red Skull.

What To Check If A Dusty Box Of Old Comics Belongs To You

Begin gently. Old newsprint is brittle, so handle each book by the edges, support it with a flat board and never bend a cover to see inside.

Check the cover for the title, the publisher and the number. Golden Age books from the early 1940s, such as Captain America, Batman and Wonder Woman, are the ones to set aside first, but later issues in good shape can matter as well.

Do not clean, press, tape or repair anything. Amateur fixes cost more value than the original wear. Store comics upright or flat in acid-free bags and boards, away from heat, damp and sunlight.

Take clear photographs of the covers and the interior pages. Then ask a reputable comics dealer or an auction house for an opinion. Grading by a company such as CGC can matter for high-end books, as every lot above shows, but get advice before you pay for it.

Why Golden Age Finds Still Surface After Eight Decades

The Merrimack Valley Collection shows how these discoveries usually happen. A young buyer picks up a few comics at the newsstand, tucks them in a box and moves on with life, and nobody opens the box for generations.

Heritage’s description of a collection kept in one cardboard box for 75 to 80 years is a reminder that storage matters as much as age. Boxes in dry, dark, steady conditions protect paper far better than basements, garages and attics that swing from hot to damp.

If you inherit a collection, take a careful inventory before you do anything else. List each title, issue number and condition note, and photograph the covers. That list will help any dealer or auction house give you a faster, more accurate opinion.

Finally, do not rush. Heritage’s four-day sale shows how many serious bidders gather around a strong consignment, so a patient seller with good photos is in the best position.

The warm part of this story is that a person once bought a comic for pocket change and kept it safe. The spicy part is that the next one could be in your family attic right now, still in the box.

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