ComicLink reported that they have brokered a sale for an Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man, in the rarely available condition of CGC 9.2 for a record price of $460,000. This exceeds the price paid for a CGC 9.4 example in February 2016, which went for $454,100.
“Amazing Fantasy #15 remains the undisputed holy grail of the Silver Age for most collectors. Spider-Man is the single most popular Marvel character and his first appearance from 1962 continues to be in incredible demand,” ComicLink President Josh Nathanson said. “It really demonstrates the tremendous investment potential that vintage comic books like this can have when you consider that in less than a year, this CGC 9.2 example outsold a CGC 9.4 that had previously set a record for that grade level. Amazing Spider-Man is the most collected title in the industry and no collection is complete without the book that started it all. I encourage investors seeking rare, high dollar books like this one, to reach out to me for exclusive purchasing opportunities, and for owners of such books to let me know what they may be considering selling. I have assisted top buyers in acquiring the best books for their collections since 1996.”
Only 11 out of the 2,627 examples of Amazing Fantasy #15 graded by CGC in the company’s history have graded within the Near Mint grading tiers of CGC 9.2 or higher. According to the latest CGC census, there are four 9.6 examples, four 9.4 examples, and only three 9.2 examples. That means only 0.4% of all graded copies that have come in within the Near Mint grading tiers.
While Amazing Fantasy #15 had a healthy print run, its 1962 publication date puts it very early in the period when comic books were just beginning to be saved by collectors for posterity. This copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 lacks the Marvel chipping (scoop-shaped color loss among the edges of the comic) that is very common on copies of this issue along with other Marvel titles of the time. “This 9.2 is a copy that any high grade collector would be thrilled to have in their collection,” Nathanson said.
Despite the fact that Spider-Man has been an enormous star for Marvel for over 50 years and has been the star of five motion pictures over the past 15 years, it appears his popularity is still rising. Spider-Man's integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with Captain America: Civil War in the summer of 2016 created a huge boost for the already very popular character. The new actor playing Spider-Man, Tom Holland, has been a big hit with audiences so far. With this year's already highly anticipated solo movie Spider-Man: Homecoming featuring Holland opening on July 7, Spider-Man mania is poised to hit an all-time high level this summer. The movie features Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Michael Keaton as the Vulture.
“There is a palatable buzz around Spider-Man right now that is causing great excitement around his early appearances. The sky really is the limit as far as how high values can go for high grade copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 in the years to come,” Nathanson said.
