CBCS - Comic Book Certification Service

cbcscomics.com

Steve Borock and Alec Born

CBCS is the newest third party grading service for comics, and has quickly become the second most popular company for grading comics due largely in part to Steve Borock.

He, along with Alec Born, set out to create a company that not only had a great service, but also had exceptional customer service along with being a "transparent" company. By transparent I mean a very open company that let's it's customers know what is happening within the company, whether it be turnover delays and any other problems that may arise.

For example, a problem arose with the plastics they used shortly after the company started. Instead of keeping it all hush hush and continuing business as usual, they sent out emails to everyone that was a member, and stopped putting our valuable comics into slabs that they thought were substandard. They also gave out huge discounts to everyone that submitted comics to them during that time, even though it almost bankrupt them.

CBCS has recently updated their website and isn't quite 100% functional yet. You can still submit comics, but portions of the website, like collectors sets or a census, has yet to be implemented. They say that they are working on them, but there is no timeline as to when that will be. Hopefully sometime in the near future.

CBCS grades their comics very similarly to the way CGC does. When they receive your comic, it goes through a restoration check, is looked over by a  series of graders, until finally it is seen by the head grader, in this case Steve Borock, and it's given a final grade.

Graders notes

However, there are a few differences between CBCS and their main competitor CGC. For one, you don't need to be a paid member to submit you comics to them via their website. Although CBCS does offer a paid membership tiers with perks for each level, you're not required to purchase them for the privilege of sending them your comics directly. If you decide you'd like to sign up for one of their membership tiers, or would like more information on them, click on this link here.

Another key difference, and one that I am grateful for, is that the graders notes are free and available for anyone to use. CGC makes you pay for them. This comes in handy for anyone that's looking at a CBCS graded comic online or, if you have a smartphone, at a convention to easily see why that comic got that particular grade. In my opinion, it's a great resource to have and I use it fairly often. I've included a picture of the graders notes on The Uncanny X-Men #297 Pressman Edition to give you an example of them. Also, if you'd like to know how this comic made it's way into my collection, just click the link above.

CBCS uses many different labels. The first label is the Certified label, which is the equivalent to CGC's Universal label. This label is given to comics that are in their original, off the shelf condition, that has no autographs, or any repairs or restoration done to it.

The next label is the Restored label. CBCS doesn't use colored labels like CGC does. It looks very similar to the Certified label, but it's still very easy to spot a comic that is sporting the Restored label. All you have to do is look under the numerical grade. Examples of restoration would be color touch on the cover, trimmed edges, torn pieces reattached, ect... Just like CGC, CBCS doesn't consider pressing and dry cleaning restoration.

I'm not a big fan of the Conserved label. CBCS states that "Conservation is a process used to prevent the deterioration and further destruction of a comic". I have no idea what CBCS considers to be conservation, but to me, this sounds a lot like restoration, and I consider them to be restored comics, but that's just me. Again, you can tell the Conserved label by looking under the numerical grade.

There are two labels that are color coded. The first is the yellow Authenticated Signature. This is also very similar to CGC's yellow Signature Series label. A comic that has been signed by a writer or artist, either at a convention or other special event, in the presence of a CBCS authorized witness, will get this yellow label.

CBCS teamed up with CSA Comics to create this final label, the red Verified Signature label. I, for one, think this is a great idea. For all of those comics that were autographed long before grading companies existed can now be verified as authentic signatures and receive a proper label, rather than being slapped with a green Qualified label at CGC. If you'd like to know more about the verification process, just click this link here.

There are other advantages to using CBCS. Even though they recently increased their grading fees, it is still cheaper than using CGC. I recently sent in some comics to CBCS. It cost me $300 to have eight Silver Age book graded by them. The same books would have cost me $480 to be graded by CGC. You can check out their pricing page here.

There is a drawback to using CBCS as well. At this moment in time, CBCS graded comics aren't selling for the same prices as CGC, but that is slowly changing. Values for both are starting to even out a little bit more now that more people are starting to trust the services from CBCS. However, there are still a lot of people out there that will pay more for a CGC graded comic than a comic at the same grade with the CBCS label.

In closing, CBCS still has a way to go to catch up to their competitor, but they are heading in the right direction. Their commitment to customer service and their hard work to try and keep their turn around times on time, make them an easy company to like. I'm looking forward to the day that they get their website up and running at 100%, but until then, I will patiently wait.

Sign up to CBCS here

Updated 6/13/2017
Due to a huge backlash over their redesigned "rivet" labels, CBCS once again came out with another new label. I haven't seen these labels in person yet, but the over consensus is positive. Check out these new labels in the video below.

Allentown Collection

The Allentown Collection gets it's name from Allentown Pennsylvania, the town from where it was discovered , or should I say rediscovered, in 1987. Although it's a relatively small collection of 135 comics, it boasts some of the highest grade key issues from the Golden age there is. Some say that the nicest looking copy of Detective Comics #27 is from this collection. I guess I'll have to take their word for it because I'm pretty sure that I will never lay eyes on it. I'm not sure if this copy has been graded or not. If it has been there's either no information on it or it hasn't been available on the market for a while. Most likely, the owner has it stashed away in a nuke proof vault behind a wall of lasers and robots with machine guns.


The original owner bought all of these comics right off the rack in the late 30's to early 40's when he was a young lad, which is one of the criteria of a pedigree. Many years later, he rediscovered his collection in his mothers closet as he was cleaning it out. He was sure that she had thrown them out long ago, but there they were.

Eventually the collection was bought by James Payette and Stephen Fisher for the small price of $70,000. That may sound like a lot, but when you think about how much the collection is worth, 70 grand really isn't that bad. At least for how much it's worth today. I'm not sure what these comic were selling for in the late 80's. Much less than they are now I'm sure.

Detective Comics #38

With this collection being so small, it's very hard to find any copies from it on the market. Occasionally you will see one pop up on sites like ComicConnect or Heritage Auctions. If you do happen to find one, you should expect to call your bank and ask for a loan, because they are going to be expensive.

A couple highlights of the comics that have already been graded in this collection are, Detective Comics #38 CGC 9.4 (first appearance of Robin), and Batman #6 CGC 9.6. The last comic doesn't have much going for it in terms of first appearances or any other key issue status, but it is the highest graded copy of Batman #6. And the Allentown Collection copy of Detective comics #38 has more than the first appearance of Robin. It was also in the personal collection of actor and comic fan Nicolas Cage, and is stated so on the CGC label.

Click to Enlarge

There seems to be a little bit of conflicting information with a couple of books. Like a copy of Captain America Comics #1. In my research, I've found a few sites with the info of a 9.8 copy and a few sites with info on a 9.6 graded copy. I even posted a picture of the 9.6 copy at the top of this page. But, when I checked it out on the CGC census, there were zero copies graded at 9.6, as you can see in the picture to the left. There is one copy graded a 9.8 and two graded a 9.4, with one of those being restored, but no 9.6's. Has there been any news of a counterfeit copy out there? If anyone knows more about this, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated.

Copies from this collection don't come up for auction very often, but I've included links to sites that might have some available. There were no copies for sale or auction at the time of this writing, but you can check again occasionally to see if anything new is available.

Find Allentown Collection copies here
eBay - ComicLink - ComicConnect - Heritage

Showcase #22

DC Comics - Oct.1959

Key Issue Notes
First appearance and origin of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
First appearance and death of Abin Sur
First appearance of Carol Ferris

Here we have another high value, high demand comic from the Silver Age. Showcase #22 is the first appearance of Hal Jordan and tells the tale of how he became the Green Lantern.

In the short six page story "S.O.S. Green Lantern!", test pilot extraordinaire Hal Jordan is summoned by the alien Abin Sur after his space craft crashes in the middle of nowhere.  As Abin Sur, also a Green Lantern, lay dying, he explains to Hal how and why he was summoned there. Abin Sur tells him that the energy from the Power Ring he's wearing sought out someone who is "fearless and honest" to take his place as a Green Lantern. He gives Hal the ring and the Battery of Power and presto chango, Hal Jordan is now the new Green Lantern. The Battery of Power is the lantern that charges a Lantern's Power Ring. On a side note, it's also explained why the Green Lanterns are powerless against the color yellow. If you don't already know, you can click here to read the story and find out for yourself.

In the next story "Secret of the Flaming Spear", we are introduced to Carol Ferris and her father Carl Ferris. We won't concern ourselves too much with Carl, but Carol is the on and off again love interest of Hal Jordan. Later, in Green Lantern #16, she becomes Star Sapphire, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here. That's a story for another time.

There aren't very many high grade copies of Showcase #22 out in the world, so, if you're looking for one, you're really going to have to hunt for it. The CGC census only lists 22 out of 699 copies graded at an 8.0 or higher, with seven of the 22 being Restored copies. There is a nice Universal 9.2 copy listed on the census, but I couldn't find any sales data for it. However, a 9.0 sold at Heritage Auctions in 2006 for $15,535. This sale is a little outdated. Ten years is quite a long time ago. In the 45th edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, 9.0 copies are listed at $21,000. I have a feeling that number is low too. With the comic boom that we are in now, and the popularity of this comic, I'm sure it would sell for much more than that. If we look at the more recent sales prices for lower grade copies, I'm sure you'll agree with me.

Values of Showcase #22 on GoCollect

According to GoCollect, the highest grade sale on eBay over the last two years has been a mid grade 6.5 Fine+. A copy at this grade sold for $5,250 a little more than a year ago. Even lower grade 2.0 - 3.0 copies are jumping past the $1,000 mark right now. As the high and mid grade copies continue to rise in price, you'll see a bigger demand for the more "affordable" low grade copies. I use the word affordable loosely.  As you can see from the chart, ultra low grade 0.5 - 1.5 copy sales have increased in price by an average of about 40% over the last two years. Whether this will continue or not, I don't know, but for now, the demand is there and sales are going strong. If it fits into your budget, now may be the time to invest in a copy of this super key issue for yourself.

Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect

What is a Pedigree?

Before I start listing and throwing down some knowledge of known pedigrees, I thought I'd try and explain what they are first. A pedigree is a collection of comic books from the Golden and Silver Age. There are certain criteria that a collection must meet in order to be considered a pedigree. The criteria are as follows.

1) The collection must have been bought by one person off of the newsstand as they were released. Only comics bought in the 60's or earlier are eligible to become a pedigree collection some day. This means that you or I can't buy older, ungraded books from your local comic shop, at a convention or online and then 50 years from now the collection will become a pedigree. It doesn't work like that and that time has already come and gone, unless you hop into your Delorean and travel back to 1955 with Marty McFly. If you do, remember to bring extra plutonium.

2) The comics must be vintage. No Bronze or Copper Age and definitely no Modern Age books are allowed in pedigree collections. In fact, it was only fairly recently (the early to mid 90's) that the industry started to recognize Silver Age books in pedigree collections. If a collection consists solely of Silver Age books, they have to have an average grade of 9.4 or greater to be considered. That's a pretty tall order, but if it were lower than that, then every Tom, Dick, and Harry would have a pedigree collection and they wouldn't be nearly as sought out as they are now.

3) The collection must be more than a few comics. It has to consist of a considerable amount of books. There are some collections that have only one or two hundred books, but there are also collections with over 10,000. If the collection is a smaller one, then most of the comics in the collection have to have significant key issues in them, or be extremely rare.

4) The fourth and final requirement of a pedigree comic collection is that they must all be in high grade. This is pretty self explanatory. Like I mentioned before, a Silver Age collection must be of very high grade averaging a 9.4 or more. A Golden Age book is a little different. These books have to be high grade or the highest grade of those that are graded. For example, if your Golden Age key issue is only an 8.5, but all other known copies are only a 7.5 or 8.0, then that comic could be considered for the pedigree.

Well, If I did my job right and wrote clearly enough, then this should help you understand pedigree comics a little bit more. If I didn't, then you're probably just as confused as you were before, but I hope it helps you out.

eBay

eBay.com

eBay is the largest online auction website and, in my opinion, is one of the best places to find graded comics online. As of this writing, there are over 2.4 million auctions in the comic book category alone. Of those 2+ million auctions, 78,599 are CGC graded, 6,865 are CBCS graded and 4,687 are PGX graded. In total, there are at least 90,151 graded comics for sale on eBay right now. If you really search, you can probably find the best deals on graded comics here. It will be a hunt a it takes some patience, but the deals are there to be had.

Besides having a massive amount of comics to choose from, eBay also offers a rewards program. The program is aptly called "eBay Bucks". For every dollar you spend on eBay, they will give you 2% of the purchase price back for future purchases, and the best part about the eBay Bucks program is that it's free to join. Every once in a while, they have 3x to 5x eBay Bucks promotions. If you buy any qualifying items during these promotions, you could earn up to $100 back. That's a lot of moolah. They usually only last for a day or two, but are well worth it if you can find something on your want list. eBay will issue you your eBay Bucks certificate every three months, but there is one small catch. You have to earn at least $5 cash back in order to receive your certificate, but that's easy to do, especially if you buy during one of their 5x  eBay Bucks promotions. So in short, eBay will pay you to shop on their website. I often buy my graded comics from eBay because of this program. There aren't many places that will pay you when you buy stuff from them.

eBay is a safe way to buy most anything you want too. Most of the time there are no problems when using eBay. On the rare occasion there is a problem, i.e. you never received the item or it's not in the item or condition that was described, you are covered by eBay's money back guarantee. So, shop with the confidence that you won't get ripped off.



The only way to buy anything from eBay is through Paypal. If you don't have a Paypal account, I suggest you sign up for one. You can do that at this link here. It is one of the safest ways to pay for things online. You don't have to type in your personal information on multiple websites and having a greater chance of having your identity stolen. Nobody wants to go through that hassle. You simply sign into Paypal through your eBay account and the amount of the auction is taken out of your balance or from either your bank account or credit card account, whichever one you have linked to Paypal. It's extremely easy and convenient. If you want more info on it, you can check out their website.

I highly recommend buying graded comics from eBay. Besides the huge selection to choose from, it's safe and it's very easy. If you aren't already a member, click the link below to sign up.

Sign up for eBay here.

This post is outdated. There have been many changes to eBay's policies since this was written. 

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 - CGC 9.6

Marvel - Dec 1984

Key Issue Notes
Origin of Spider-Man Black Symbiote Suit

I'm a big time Spider-Man fan and was especially drawn to his black costume. The black costume is one of the biggest reasons I started collecting comics in the first place. It wasn't Peter Parker wearing the suit at that time, but Venom when I first saw a version of it. Originally I was confused about this comic. I thought it had the first appearance of Spidey's black suit. It wasn't until later on I learned that the first appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #252, but that's a story for a different post. Regardless, I think that every fan of Spider-Man and of his black suit should have this comic in their collection.

As I got older, and had more funds, I sought this book out. It was time to add it to my collection. I ended up finding a nice raw copy on eBay for only $15. It had been sitting in one of my short boxes for a few years until my friend and fellow comic aficionado told me about comic book grading, specifically CGC. CBCS didn't exist at this point. Needless to say, I sent this sucker in. CGC had a booth set up at the Big Wow Comic Fest in San Jose. I filled out the form and handed my comic over to them along with my hard earned money. It was a long wait, about 3 months, but I finally got it back and as you can see from the picture above, it came back at a 9.6. Yes, I was very happy. Not bad for a gamble on eBay. Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 was the first graded book in my collection and my first time dealing with CGC or any other grading company.

I'll get more into the key issue status and origin of the black suit a little later in the Graded Keys section. This post is just a brief story on how and why this particular comic made it's way into my collection. Stay tuned for more Tales from the Vault.

Updated 1/03/2018

Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect

Incredible Hulk #181

Marvel - Nov. 1974

Key Issue Notes
First full appearance of Wolverine

Wolverine, the pint sized mutant from Canada, has been a very popular since he was introduced in 1974. He has been made even more popular in recent years by Hugh Jackman, who's played Wolverine in the X-Men and Wolverine movies by Fox.

For the record, this is actually the second appearance of Wolverine in comics. His first appearance is in the issue prior to this one, Incredible Hulk #180. He is only shown in the last panel of Hulk #180 so it is only considered the first cameo appearance. What constitutes a cameo, brief or full appearance is beyond me, but this is how the industry is labeling them at the moment, so who am I to argue.


As most of you know, Wolverine is a product of the Weapon X program. It was in this program that he had his bones and claws fused with Adamantium. Adamantium is one of the strongest medals known in the Marvel Universe. It is second only to Vibranium, the medal that Captain America's shield is made from. Also, it's because of Wolverines ability to heal extremely fast that he is able to survive the procedure. Those facts about his origin aren't revealed in this issue though.

As of this writing, there are an astounding 8,315 copies of Hulk #181 in the CGC census. That's not counting copies from any of the other grading companies. A lot of the copies graded are high grade 9.0 or above, but there is only one graded at a highest 9.9. This copy sold for $150,000 at ComicLink.com in 2011. It jumps up to 99 copies graded a 9.8. In all, there are over 2,000 copies graded 9.0 or above, but some of those are restored copies. The grade with the most copies is 8.0. There are a total of 774 8.0 copies.

Values of Hulk #181
on GoCollect

Even considering that there are almost 8,500 CGC graded copies out there, demand is still outweighing supply at this point. There are a lot of copies out there and I'm sure you will be able to find one online or at a convention, but it's not going cheap, since Wolverine is so popular and such a fan favorite. As you can see in the chart to the left, even the average sales of mid grade 6.0 copies are jumping past the $1,000 mark on eBay. There have also been a few 5.5 copies selling over that mark. Like I said, demand is high. You can take a chance and snag a copy at the prices that they're at and hope that demand and the price increases, or you can wait and see if the demand is going to fall. If the demand goes down and people start to lose interest, then the prices will come down too. I'm not expecting demand to go down anytime soon but, I'm going with the latter anyway, unless I can find a really good deal somewhere. And, like always, you can try to find a raw copy and send it in to be graded, but that's always a risk, especially when you have to shell out that much money for a copy.

Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect

CGC - Certified Guarantee Corporation

cgccomics.com

When it comes to comic book grading services, CGC is the big daddy of them all. The company was founded in 2000 and changed comic collecting and investing forever. Comic books are now encased, or slabbed, in a hard archival plastic case to be preserved forever. There is no longer any guessing when it comes to determining the grade of a comic. I know the pain in the butt that it is to go to a shop or a convention and thoroughly look over a book and try to judge it's condition, and then arguing with the dealer about it. I've seen many dealers over grade their books. CGC takes all of the guess work and arguing out of it.

Click to Enlarge

Let me try to explain how CGC comes to give the grades they do. A series of three graders examine each comic that is sent to them. The book is sent one by one to each grader. They look for any defects or restoration and takes notes on anything they find. They know nothing of the grade or the notes of the grader before them. Then the comic is looked at by the "head" grader. He looks at the comic and the notes of the three graders, and then assigns a final grade between .5 to 10. This is the grade that ends up on the label. Occasionally you may see a grade that says "NG". "NG" simply means No Grade. You will usually see an "NG" on comics that are in very bad condition, like comics that are missing covers and multiple pages or it might just be a single page of a comic. These "NG" graded books usually aren't very investment worthy but I have seen single pages of Amazing Fantasy #15 for sale on eBay, but I don't know if any of them sold or for how much if they did.

Before CGC encase the comics, they add microchamber paper between the cover and pages of the book. What this little piece of paper does is absorb the acids in the pages of a comic, especially older comics, and helps prevent any further damage. What these acids do is cause a yellowing to the cover over time. It's suggested to have your comics "reholdered" every seven or eight years to have be microchamber paper replaced, but that can get quite expensive and isn't really necessary. Leaving the paper in longer that 7 years won't cause extra damage to your comic.

Old CGC labels

There are many labels used by CGC. Some of them are old, outdated labels that are no longer in use but are still available to buy. You will occasionally see some pop up online or at a convention. The old labels are pictured to the left. The red label is a "Modern" label that is no longer used at all. The "Universal" and "Qualified" labels have been updated to the new design, as you will see below.

The new labels are much nicer than the old ones. They made the grade much more apparent and is overall far more appealing. They added a few more colored labels as well. I'll show you each color and what each one means. First we'll start out with the updated, blue Universal label.

The Universal label is a comic book that is in it's original condition. There has been no restoration, no witnessed or un-witnessed autographs, and not missing any pages or coupons cut out.

Next is the purple Restored label. A comic book that has had some kind of restoration will get this purple label. Examples of restoration would be color touch on the cover, trimmed edges, torn pieces reattached, ect... As of now, CGC doesn't consider a pressed or dry cleaned comic book restoration. A comic that has been pressed or dry cleaned will still get a blue Universal label.

A yellow label is their Signature Series label. A comic will get this label when it's been autographed by your favorite artist or writer in the presence of a CGC authorized witness. A comic that gets autographed and does not have an authorized witness will get a green Qualified label.

A green Qualified label if a comic that has an un-witnessed signature like I stated above or it has a page missing or coupon cut out that does not affect the story. Other defects that might get a Qualified label could be a large tear in the cover, as long as the comic still has a nice visual appeal. I don't really agree with this Qualified label. If a comic is missing a "value stamp" or other page or coupon and is an incomplete book, then it shouldn't get a grade of 9.2 like in the picture to the left. That's just my opinion though.

The blue and purple Conserved label is the newest label offered by CGC. They say on their website that the Conserved label applies to "any comic book with specific repairs done to improve the structural integrity and long-term preservation". This label sounds a lot like a restored label to me. So, a comic will get a Conserved label if it has been cleaned using solvents (not dry cleaned), pieces of the comic have been reattached or the staples have been replaced. Again, I'm not sure I like this label. A lot of the criteria for a Conserved label does sound a lot like restoration. But who am I say?

Lastly, there is the Restored Signature Series label. This yellow and purple label is a comic book that has had restoration like I mentioned above and also has a CGC authorized witnessed autograph, also like I mentioned above.

You can send your comics directly to CGC only if you sign up and pay for a membership. There are three membership levels. The Associate level for $39 a year, Premium for $149 a year, and Elite for $299 a year. Each level has it's perks. You can check their website here to see the details.

If you'd like to submit your comics to CGC without paying for a membership, you can visit their booth at a comic con. They are usually set up and taking submissions at most of the larger conventions. If you don't have access to a con, you can stop by one of your local comic shops and ask if they're an authorized dealer. If they are, they will send in your comics on your behalf.

Click to enlarge

Having your comics graded by CGC won't be cheap. Especially if your're sending in older comics. Comics printed before 1975 will cost you $60 a piece to be graded. Comics printed before that will cost a minimum of $18. That's all before tax and shipping and handling charges. I've included the pricing chart to the right.

However, CGC'd comics will fetch a premium price when you decide to sell. CGC graded comics have a higher selling price than all of the other comic book grading companies. At least for now. However, the new company, CBCS, is starting to see some rising prices in their sales, but I'll be talking about them soon enough. If you'd like to check out CGC or sign up for a membership, click the link below.

Sign up for a CGC membership here.

Captain America Comics #1

Timley Comics - March 1941

Key Issue Notes
1st appearance of Captain America
1st appearance of Bucky Barnes
1st appearance of Red Skull
1st appearance of Agent X-13


Long before there was Marvel Comics, there was Timely Comics. It was under the Timely Comics name that Captain America would be published by legendary comic creators of Joe Simon and Jack "The King" Kirby. Captain America Comics #1 was published in the Golden Age during WWII. During those years, war comics were immensely popular. There were only a handful of superhero titles available at the time like Superman and Batman and even they were at times depicted facing the Nazis and Japanese armies. War was big business for the comic book industry.

As you can see, this comic is packed full of first appearances for some iconic characters, the first being Capain America. It also has the origin of how Steve Rogers became the iconic character from the Super Soldier Serum developed by the government. 

Captain America Comics #1 also has Bucky Barnes first appearance. James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes is Captain America's long time faithful sidekick. Bucky, in the modern age of comics, does become the Winter Soldier, but I don't want to get too far ahead of myself here.

Now let's get to some bad guys here. We also get the first appearance of Red Skull. The Red Skull that appears in Captain America Comics #1 is not the same as the more popular version of Red Skull. In this comic, he is George Maxon. Maxon often wears a red mask to rob banks to raise money to overthrow the U.S. government. Sounds like a pretty weak villain to me. Johann Schmidt is the more menacing version of Red Skull that most people know. His first appearance is in Captain America Comics #7.

Lastly on the list of 1st appearances is Agent X-13. Agent X-13 is also known as Elizabeth "Betsy" Ross. Betsy Ross is an FBI agent that often found herself in trouble and needing to be rescued by Captain America and Bucky. She was the damsel in distress character.

Click to Enlarge

For a comic that was published in 1941, there are 147 copies of Captain America Comics #1 graded by CGC. I was surprised there were that many. The highest graded copy is Universal 9.8 NM/M. That, to me, is amazing. Even with that many copies graded, finding any sales information is hard to do. The only confirmed sale I could find was at ComicConnect.com in 2011. The comic sold for a whopping $343,000. This comic is definitely no lightweight. But with one of comics most iconic characters first appearances, it should be. This isn't going to be an easy book to find in any grade but most graded copies listed in the CGC census are in the 6.0 F to 8.0 VF range but expect to throw down some dollars for them, even in lower grades.

Find a copy here
eBay - ComicLink - MyComicShop - ComicConnect