Captain America Comic Book Prices
Value of Captain America Comics
Political attitudes and policies may change all the time, but Captain America comic book prices always remain strong. That’s because the star-spangled hero has been serving as an inspirational figure of freedom and democracy for over 70 years. Titles such as Captain America Comics, Tales of Suspense, The Avengers, and Steve Rogers: Super Soldier have sold hundreds of millions of copies during that time, and they’ve been purchased by comic fans in 75 nations.
As I kid, I remember attending a promotional event at a local mall where Captain America and Thor were scheduled to appear. You could have your picture taken with the heroes and get a few comics for a nominal fee, and I still have my issue that was signed by Captain America, himself. The younger version of me didn’t really care that this underpaid guy in a costume wasn’t the real Cap; all that mattered was seeing that cool shield in person.
While several men have worn the outfit of Captain America over the years, the most enduring version is that of Steve Rogers, a scrawny young man who wanted nothing more than to serve his country during World War II. Rejected because of his poor physical condition, Rogers was eventually accepted into a secret government program and exposed to the Super Soldier serum. The resulting process endowed him with heightened physical abilities, and he wasted no time in taking the fight to the Nazis.
At the beginning of the Silver Age of comics, Cap was brought back into Marvel’s continuity when he was found in a block of ice and unthawed. He became a member of the Avengers and has been a mainstay of the company ever since. Along with his indestructible shield and a lifetime of combat experience, he battles supervillains and anyone who would seek to squelch freedom around the globe.
Now that you know a little about the man behind the mask, let’s take a look at some of the more notable Captain America comic book prices.
Price Guide for Captain America Comic Books
The following price guide for Captain America comic books should serve as a reminder of some of the more collectible titles currently available.
The Timely Comics Era
Published one year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the release of the first issue of Captain America Comics was a controversial event that sold over a million copies. It was a labor of love for writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby, and the cover depicting Captain America punching Adolph Hitler in the face was a clear commentary on events that were taking in place in Europe at the time.
The debut of Captain America is currently valued at $250,000. In 2004, a copy graded at 8.0 sold for $60,000, while another brought in $46,000 in 2005. The second issue is estimated to be worth $36,000, although a 9.2 copy sold for $103,000 in 2009. As these prices demonstrate, the market for collectible comic books is often driven more by what a buyer is willing to pay than the official estimate.
Issue #3 of Captain American Comics is also noteworthy, as it features the first work that Stan Lee did for Marvel (Timely would eventually morph into Marvel Comics). This issue has an estimated worth of $28,000.
Issues 4 thru 10 all have a value of at least $10,000, with Joe Simon doing his last work on the title in issue #10.
The 74th and 75th issues of Captain America Comics were actually known as Captain America‘s Weird Tales, and these books are worth $14,000 and $4,000, respectively. During the era of Timely Comics, Captain America would become their most popular character and appear in titles such as All Select Comics, Marvel Mystery Comics, USA Comics, and All Winners Comics.
Atlas Comics Revival
By the early 1950s, Timely Comics had transformed into Atlas Comics, and the company tried to resurrect Captain America (along with the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch) in the pages of Young Men #24. Cap would wind up appearing in five issues of this comic, with #24 being the most valuable at $4,000.
Other appearances took place in Men’s Adventures #27-28, both of which are valued between $1,000 and $1,500. The Captain American Comics title was also revived for four issues before being cancelled. Each of these titles is worth $2,400.
Marvel Comics and the Silver Age
When the Silver Age of comics began, both Marvel and DC were testing the waters to see if they could reboot or revamp characters from the Golden Age. Captain America was a natural choice, and he made his official reappearance in the pages of The Avengers #4.
The debut of the Silver Age Captain America is a hot title, with a current value of $6,000. In 2011, however, a copy graded 9.6 sold for an impressive $91,500.
In Tales of Suspense #58, Captain America showed up to battle Iron Man. The issue is worth $700 in near mint condition, and it led to the book being split between the two on a monthly basis. Artwork during this period was done by Jack Kirby.
With the #100th issue of Tales of Suspense, the title was transformed in the comic book known as Captain America. This transitional issue is worth $620, and other notable issues of Captain America include: the first appearance of the Falcon in #117 ($160), the final Silver Age issue in #120 ($40), and a showdown between Cap and the Hulk in #230 ($12).
The first volume ended with issue #454 in 1996, and it was followed by Volume Two (1996), Volume Three (1998), Volume Four (2002), and Volume Five (2005). Other Captain America titles to keep an eye out for include the following: Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield?, Captain America and the Falcon, Captain America: The Chosen, Captain America: Reborn, Captain American: Sentinel of Liberty, and every major crossover from Secret Wars to Civil War.
As long as people cry out for freedom and battle against persecution, Captain America comic book prices will continue to increase in value. The film series won’t hurt prices, either, especially when you factor in Cap’s appearance in the sure-fire blockbuster known as The Avengers, which is scheduled for the summer of 2012. The quest for personal freedom is a timeless struggle, which means that Captain America will be around for a long, long time.