Star Wars #1
Very few collectors are unfamiliar with this classic, leading to plenty of graded copies on the market. Of the 14,978 Universal Label graded copies listed on the CGC census, the most popular is the 9.4, with 2,411 registered copies. are 9.4s, so that's what we'll be taking a look at.
This grade comes to auction pretty frequently, already appearing (9) times in October (as of 10/16). You're much more likely to come across it listed on eBay than on other auction houses, but it does appear at Heritage every once in a while.
Sales have been relatively steady, rarely falling outside an average range that's held strong for over a year. There has definitely been a hint of increased interest lately, sending the average up by nearly $40 due to a few higher-dollar sales this month.
Here's a glance at the most recent sales: $504 (10/15/23, eBay), $608 (10/15/23, eBay), $528 (10/10/23, Heritage Auctions), and $777 (10/08/23, eBay).
If we check in with sales from a year ago, we see something different than the new usual. Newsual? These values were lower a year ago than they are today. On 10/17/22, this grade sold for $408 at Heritage. On 10/25/22, a copy realized $520 and on 10/22/22, another brought in $500 - both sales through eBay.
The book definitely saw a higher boost in 2021, but since then it's held its ground and even found its way back up the chart. Any predictions about where it'll be this time next year?
Star Wars #1 (35 Cent Price)
In case anyone is unfamiliar... during the time Star Wars #1 was being released, Marvel was experimenting with a 5-cent price increase. 35-cent copies landed in a select few cities, but not for long. This makes these variants MUCH more rare than their standard counterpart. It's no surprise, then, that the values are inflated to match.
There's not a glaring "most popular" grade in the CGC census, as there are only 314 total copies listed across all grades and labels. There are (35) CGC 8.5s, which wins the title of 'Most Populous Grade' by only 10 books.
This grade has appeared at public auction a total of (4) times this calendar year, averaging just over $9k. The record high for this book is $11,500, set in the heart of the 2022 Covid recovery. The high sale of nearly $11,000 from earlier this year isn't far from that number - and a testament to the devotion to this rare gem.
If you come across this in the wild, grab it. Grab it and run.
Star Wars #1 (Reprint-30 cent)
There is no shortage of sales when it comes to the 30-cent Reprint (1977), though the price tags won't make you hold your breath nearly as much as some of the others on this list.
There are 948 graded copies registered on the CGC Census, with the most common grade landing between the 9.6 (103) and 9.4 (100). The 9.6 set a huge new record for itself just this past summer when a copy set a staggering new high of $780 at Heritage Auctions (8/29/23). The previous high for the grade was $400, set the month prior through eBay.
The 9.4 appears at auction slightly more frequently than the 9.6, bringing in a 365-day average of $254. Whether that number will be bumping up is yet to be seen, but 9.4s have brought in $300 (eBay, 9/21/23), $335 (eBay, 8/13/23), and $295 (eBay, 1/4/23) in 2023. Of course, copies have also realized below $150 on eBay during the same time period, so it's definitely one to have an eye on.
Star Wars #1 (Facsimile Edition)
In 2020, Marvel published a Facsimile Edition, which makes the rounds on eBay more often than you'd expect for a book with only 175 copies listed on the Census. Interestingly, this book started out 2023 solidly in the $60 range, but its last (4) sales have each surpassed the $100 mark.
As copies of the pricey original become held more and more tightly, I expect we'll begin to see this Facsimile Edition popping up more and more often.
Are you a Star Wars #1 fan? How many of these #1s do you have in your collection?
Tell us in the comments!
