Everyone wants to go from garage sale to goldmine when it comes to selling old items, especially in this economy. Now that billion-dollar comic book films are ubiquitous, almost everyone knows about flipping comic books for profit. However, you must know about the value of the comic, how the collectibles market works, and how to network with potential buyers.
Or do you?
Listen, you should at least recognize the value of any comic you want to sell. Also, you should know enough to commission the help of a collectibles expert to help you sell the comic so you don’t get ripped off. In recent years, several people have found priceless comics, or paid dollars for them, and lucked into fortunes.
Here are three stories of ordinary people who went from a potential garage sale to a gold mine without really trying.
1. Wisconsin Couple Inherit Copy of Amazing Fantasy #15
In 2023, a Wisconsin couple was sorting through the possessions they inherited from a deceased relative. Many people have a garage sale to goldmine mindset when it comes to inheritances and estate sales. However, this couple would happen upon a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man, as they went through the items.
Luckily, one of them understood the gravity of their find. Then, the couple went to a local comic book store owner and collectibles dealer. The comic was graded and found to have a 3.0 CGC grade. Even though the copy is not in the greatest aesthetic condition, it is very valuable. Near mint copies are very rare, and there is always a collector with an interest in the first appearance of Spider-Man.
They are attempting to sell it for $35,000.
2. Ultra-Rare Superman Comics, Bought for $26, Sold for $83,500
If there were a film with the title, From Garage Sale to Goldmine, it would have to feature this story. In October 2025, an Englishman began selling 48 copies of a rare Superman comic collection. He’s made over $83,500 so far. He bought the collection a decade earlier at a flea market-type sale for $26. Get a load of this:
In 1988, London billionaire Godfrey Bradman’s home was undergoing renovations. Unfortunately, his young son’s comic book collection was exposed to asbestos and had to be thrown away. To make up for it, Bradman would contact DC Comics to commission a special edition comic book that would feature Superman, his son, and a friend of his son. The comic has no number, and there was a production limit of 200.
DC Comics has done this only once in its company’s history.
After handing out about 100 comics at his son’s bar mitzvah, Bradman told the cleaning staff to dispose of the rest. One of the staff took home 48 of the comics and forgot about them. In 2015, those 48 comics came into the possession of a car dealer who sold them to the current owner out of a car trunk for about $26. The current owner, who wants to stay anonymous, did not think to check the value of the comics until recently.
The current owner put one of the comics for sale online. While the comic sold for $750, the current owner soon found out the buyer was trying to sell that same comic later for $30,000. The current owner was shocked to learn that comics were ultra-rare and that collectors have been looking for them since the 1980s. With the help of experts, the current owner is currently auctioning the comics. He has made over $83,500 selling them so far. (If only he knew of their value earlier!)
3. 3 Brothers Find Rarest Superman Comic in Attic – It May Sell for More Than $6 Million
I once wrote in a past post that too many people have “Antique Roadshow” syndrome. They think they will trip over some junk in the attic, stand up, and find something that will make them a millionaire. Well, the “garage sale to goldmine” luck could happen to anyone. Thank goodness everyone in this next story saw the value of the comics.
In 2024, three brothers were sorting through the belongings of their late mother in an attic. All of the men are in their 50s and 60s. Their mother had told them that she had a valuable collection of comics somewhere, but she forgot where she put them. Under a pile of deteriorating newspapers and junk, the brothers found six well-preserved Superman comics in near-perfect condition.
The brothers had the comics authenticated and graded by Heritage Auction. Five of the comics were early Action Comics issues that were valuable. However, one comic was very valuable. The brothers had a near-perfect copy of Superman #1 from 1939. There are probably fewer than 100 copies of this comic left in the world, with few in near mint condition.
This comic has a 9.0 CGC grade, meaning it was preserved in a way that makes it nearly aesthetically perfect. It may fetch over $6 million or more at auction.
Garage Sale to Gold Mine
Take a careful inventory of the junk in your house. Have old comics or valuable-looking items authenticated by a collectibles expert. Curb your enthusiasm and don’t spend money in your mind before the value is verified.
It is not my intent to make you believe that it is so easy to luck into an accidental fortune. What I am saying is that in this economy, you should take nothing for granted. As these real-life stories of ordinary people who became accidentally wealthy show, anything is possible.
This post includes affiliate links. If you purchase anything through these affiliated links, the author/website may earn a commission.
You May Also Like…
- Superheroes, Scarcity & Serious Value: The Top 25 Most Valuable Comic Books
- 8 Comic Books for Kids That Spark Creativity and Imagination
- Vintage Legends: The Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1950s
- Silver Age Icons: The Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1960s
- Bronze Age Gold: The Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1970s
The post From Garage Sale to Goldmine: When a $1 Comic Becomes a $10,000 Find appeared first on Personal Finance Advice.
