A major trade has recently taken place in which two of the best known CGC graded copies of Fantastic Four #1 were traded for the price of $175,000. The 9.6 graded copy had been in the personal collection of Marvel Silver Age collector and Pedigree Comics owner Doug Schmell for many years, while the 9.4, widely recognized as the second finest known copy in existence, was owned by a prominent Silver Age collector. The two collectors valued the 9.4 Fantastic Four #1 at $250,000 and the 9.6 at approximately $425,000, making a difference of $175,000 after the trade. The trade is believed to be the highest valued one on record for two comic books, and took place Friday, April 18, 2008 at the New York Comic Con after months of negotiations.

According to Pedigree Comics the 9.6, which was the third book ever graded by the CGC when they opened their doors back in the beginning of 2000 and the only copy of Fantastic Four #1 ever to receive a Near-Mint Plus 9.6 grade, came from an original owner collection surfacing out of Texas, which also unearthed a 9.4 copy of Fantastic Four #2 and a 9.2 copy of Fantastic Four #5. The book was bought in December 1995 from Showcase New England, along with the Fantastic Four #5, and had been in Schmell’s private collection until now.

The CGC-certified 9.4 example, one of only three currently in Near-Mint grade, was purchased raw from the Pacific Comic Exchange back in 1994. It too was one of the earliest comics submitted to the CGC for certification and was the first Fantastic Four to garner a 9.4 grade. It is still in its original, “old” CGC holder and has been in the prominent Silver Age collector’s possession since the day it was first purchased. This same collector also owns the single highest CGC-certified copies of Incredible Hulk #1, Amazing Spider-Man #1, Journey Into Mystery #83, Strange Tales #101, and Tales to Astonish #35, and along with Schmell, owns the top certified examples of X-Men #1, Avengers #1, Avengers #4, Daredevil #1, Tales of Suspense #39, Fantastic Four #12, and many other great Silver Age Marvels.

Both books can be seen, and potentially purchased, in the Vault section at pedigreecomics.com. For any questions or comments regarding the Fantastic Four #1 comics or any other ultra high grade keys in the Vault, contact Doug Schmell at 516-422-1120 or 561-596-9111 or email him at DougSchmell@pedigreecomics.com. All inquiries are kept confidential.