Action Comics No. 1
A rare Action Comics No. 1, found inside the walls of a Minnesota home, sold for $175,000 at auction. DC Comics

The extremely rare Action Comics No. 1, published in 1938, is coveted by collectors because it features the debut of Superman. One of them was found, in all places, inside the walls of a Minnesota home.

The home was abandoned before being purchased by a contractor named David Gonzales, notes ComicConnect. Gonzales spent years renovating homes and gutting interiors and did the same to his newly purchased house that was built in 1938. After tearing down the walls, he and his crew discovered old newspapers being used as insulation as well as the extremely rare comic featuring Superman’s first appearance.

The comic was in less-than-ideal condition for the serious collector but the backstory added some value to Gonzales’ copy of Action Comics No. 1. Based on a standardized 10-point scale, the Action Comic No. 1 that was sold at auction was given a 1.5 grade and went for $175,000, far below previous records for Superman’s debut. Also, the cover of Gonzales’ copy was torn, a result of an argument with his wife’s aunt, reports the Associated Press.

A near-pristine copy of the comic, with a grade of 9, was sold by the New York-based ComicConnect for $2.161 million in 2011. A similar copy, with a grade of 8, was sold for $1.5 million.

According to ComicConnect CEO Stephen Fishler, there are only about 100 copies Action Comics No. 1 left. Despite the poor condition of Gonzales’ copy there was plenty of interest considering the opportunity to obtain a relatively affordable piece of American pop culture history.

The winning bidder was not identified, but 51 bids were placed for the Action Comic No. 1. Fishler said the winning bidder wanted a non-pristine of Action Comic No.1 and valued the copy’s unique backstory, notes AP.