EBay will be auctioning off the first comic book to feature Superman starting next month.
Action Comics No.1 was published in 1938 and sold for 10 cents when it was first made available, according to The Fiscal Times. It was the first appearance of America's premiere comic book superhero, and also featured Lois Lane.
"The publication of Action Comics No.1 marked the first time that Superman rushed to the scene to restore order and peace in the world," eBay said in a blog post on Wednesday.
While the book may have come out almost 80 years ago, it has been reported to be in great condition, with the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC), a major company that rates the quality of comic books, giving it a 9.0 out of 10 rating, the highest rating a copy of Action Comics No.1 has ever received. The book has vibrant colors and white pages, while most copies have turned yellow as they aged, The Christian Science Monitor reported.
"The quality and preservation of this Action #1 is astounding," said Paul Litch, CGC Primary Grader. "The book looks and feels like it just came off the newsstand. It is supple, the colors are deep and rich and the quality of the white pages is amazing for a comic that is 76 years old."
Due to its high quality, the book is expected to sell for almost three million dollars, the Economic Times reported. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, the book started the iconic story of how reporter Clark Kent used the guise of Superman to fight crime.
There are currently only 50 unrestored copies of the book reported to currently exist, and the one to go on sale is said to be the best.
Darren Adams, the current owner of Action Comics No.1, said he chose to sell the book on eBay so it could be available to anyone who wants to buy it. Many of the most valuable comic books are usually only made available to a small group of collectors.
"I felt this book deserves to have as much publicity as possible because of what it is," Adams said in an eBay promotional video. "It is the cream of the crop, and it doesn't get any better than this."
The auction for Action Comics No.1 will be open from Aug. 14th to Aug. 24th, and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
