There is a massive X-Men auction happening over at Heritage with the biggest of signed X-keys ready to break records, including a Giant-Size X-Men #1 9.8 signed by Stan Lee and Len Wein.

PIECE DE RESISTANCE

You read that right: a Giant-Size X-Men #1 graded at a remarkable 9.8. There is no question that alone should make for record-breaking news later this month. It will be somewhat of a rarity in itself, as there have only been two universal-label GSX #1 9.8s sold this year. The first was in January, and it brought in over $20k, while the latter sold for $60,000 in April. 

The thing is, this one is double-signed by the legendary Stan Lee and Len Wein, creator of Wolverine and Swamp Thing. Remember that before GSX #1, the X-Men were on the verge of being canceled. When it was published, there had not been a new X-Men story printed in years. This was a last-ditch effort to keep the title afloat.

Having such a high grade signed by two major names like Lee and Wein takes the rarity to an entirely new level. Of the 204 graded GSX #1s on the CGC’s census data, only nine of those are part of the CGC Signature Series. Just three of those have been auctioned online since 2011, the most recent of which was June 17, 2020. On that day, that particular signed copy brought $16,091. 

With today’s market, there is no doubt that this one will launch into orbit by the time the auction ends later this month. The only question is how high it will go? I would not at all be surprised to see it rival or exceed that $60k benchmark set in April.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL

Amassing nearly 800 graded comics, the auction features mostly X-Men titles. These span from the Silver and Bronze Ages to some modern issues, but there are plenty of Ms. Marvel and other titles to meet the needs of an assortment of buyers. What makes this auction particularly special is that many of these are part of the CGC Signature Series program. The autographs are from some of the greats of the business. They include Lee, Wein, Chris Claremont, George Perez, Jim Lee, and many other heavy hitters of the industry.

Similar to an eBay-style online auction, this one is open for proxy bidding until June 26. The comics are being sold individually and not as a massive lot, but if you want to bid on all 792, I am sure Heritage will be just fine with that. If you win, you’ll probably make their Christmas card list for eternity.

Conclusion

These days, the X-Men market is hotter than ever. From the major to the minor keys, everything is breaking records left and right. Add a CGC-witnessed signature from an X-Men alum to the mix? The value could double depending on the comic and the grade.

It will be exciting to see where these end up, and we can be sure that we will see many new record sales by the time this one is over, and not just from that GSX #1.

This auction closes on June 26th.

What do YOU think the auction results will be? Let us know in the comments!