Sales are fueled by a renewed interest in superheroes due to blockbuster movies and the Covid-19 pandemic, which has fueled the desire for collectibles, said Barry Sandoval, vice president of Heritage Auctions, in an interview. late Thursday. He recalls the suspense in February 2010, when Heritage sold his first comic for over $1 million, a copy of Detective Comics No. 27, Batman’s debut.
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“The Covid-19 era has more or less led to a general explosion of collectibles,” Sandoval said. “That’s part of it. Part of it is that with each passing year, people get a better sense of what the scarcity of these things is at a high level. Thirty years ago you might have been a little more reserved because you didn’t know how many other beautiful specimens there would be.”
The movies didn’t hurt, Mr. Sandoval said. In just over a decade, the Captain America movie franchise has had three popular additions: “Captain America: The First Avenger,” in 2011; “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” in 2014; and “Captain America: Civil War,” in 2016. According to IMDb, the films grossed more than $2 billion.
“Even if you buy something just because you love it, without thinking about resale or investment or anything like that, you always feel a little more comfortable thinking, ‘Oh, okay – if I had to get rid of I can either get my money back or make money from this,” said Mr. Sandoval. “The fact that Captain America has starred in so many recent movies, I think, gives people a better comfort level.”
The copy that was sold on Thursday also had many advantages. It came from a respected collection known as the San Francisco Pedigree Collection and was in near mint condition, Mr. Sandoval said. In addition, he said, the original issue of Captain America has held a special place in the hearts of comic book fans.