Superman is arguably the most well known superhero in the entire world, serving as the archetype for the modern comic book protagonist, so when it comes to collectors, old school Supes is always an absolute treasure. Now you can have the chance to own literal pieces of history as an auction has gone up for bits of Superman's very first comic, Action Comics Number One. That's right, you can get in on the action (pun intended) of perhaps the most important comic book in existence.
Launching back in 1938, the first issue of Action Comics forever changed the genre of pulp fiction, shifting the focus away from detective stories and into the more fantastical, setting the groundwork what most people think of when they think about comic books today. Written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster, the issue is the debut of the world's very first superhero, long before his weakness to kryptonite or even his ability to fly. This success is ultimately what catapulted the company into becoming the comic book powerhouse everyone knows today as DC Comics, full of other groundbreaking characters and even more zany Superman adventures that carry on to this day.
Saying that this auction will leave the winning bidder owning pieces of history is actually quite literal, as the auction is actually for, well, pieces of Action Comics Number One. No you did not just misread that, this auction isn't for a full comic, but actual parts of it. This might sound absurd to some, but honestly, that's just the world of collectibles.
The pieces are little bits of the comic that flaked off, including a full staple, as a rare copy of the Superman book was being looked over by professional consignors. As of 2012, Comics Buyer's Guide estimated that only 50-100 original copies of Action Comics #1 exist, meaning that these flakes are insanely valuable. Not only are these scraps extremely rare, but these are the first pieces to be officially certified and graded by the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC). For those that don't know, the CGC is highly regarded as one of the utmost authorities when it comes to inspecting the authenticity of comics and other high end collectibles.
Right now the auction is up to $230 USD, with a total of fifteen bids so far, however it is very important to note that at the time of writing this article, there is only about two hours left to get involved. If you want to act, you better act fast, and you can get to the auction through this link here. With the holidays right around the corner, and some already happening as you're reading this, these bits of Action Comics Number One make for the most mind shattering gift that you could purchase any Superman fan or hardcore comic collector.