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Top 50 Most Valuable Copper Age Comics
50 Most Expensive Copper Age Comics
The naming protocol for eras of comic book publishing is frankly ludicrous.
The Copper Age of Comics is epitomized by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Golden Age refers to 1938-1956.
- Silver Age means 1956-1970.
- Bronze Age is 1970-1980.
- Copper Age is 1980-1991.
- Modern Age is 1991 and later.
This practice is now established, and rather than do something sensible like say "1950s comics" or "1980s comics", everybody does this instead.
(At least attempts to introduce a Steel Age were resisted!)
This page rounds up the 50 most expensive comics from 1980-1991.
There are some incredibly expensive books from this era, including the first appearances of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Deadpool, Usagi Yojimbo, Grendel, The Crow, Bone and Venom.
To have your comic books appraised -- no matter which era they are from! -- click the link below and we will value them free of charge. We also buy comics for cash.
Top 50 Copper Age Comics by Value
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
1st Print (1984)
Lowest price $3,000
Average price $11,000
Recent 9.8 Sale $87,000
Record price $245,000
Not only the TMNT comic which launched an entire franchise, by far the most valuable comic book published in the 1980s. Most reports agree that 2,500 copies of the 1st print were created.
2nd and 3rd prints have become valuable, as the 1st print is out of most people's reach.
Identifiable by the ad for Gobbledygook #1 on the inside back cover.
The second and third prints are also valuable.
Gobbledygook #1
Mirage, by TMNT creators, monochrome original
Lowest price $16,000
Average price $40,000
Record price $86,000
Nothing much became of the creation of Eastman and Laird, but their style is easily recognizable. Rare!
Most of the ones which have sold come from Eastman and Laird's personal supplies. Fakes exist.
Albedo #2
1st Usagi Yojimbo
Lowest price $500
Average price $3,000
Recent 9.8 Sale $29,000
Record price $55,000
You may not have heard of the samurai rabbit, but the samurai rabbit Usagi Yojimbo has a cult following.
New Mutants #98
1st Deadpool
Lowest price $60
Average price $300
Record price CGC 9.8 $1,800
Record Price CGC 9.9 $40,250
Deadpool has become a massive part of the MCU, appearing in multiple movies and crossovers in comic books.
This first appearance issue is worth money in any condition. The version with a UPC bar code at bottom left (as seen above) is a newsstand variant, which is worth more than one with a Captain America head in the box.
The $40K record sale is unrepeatable. Most examples grade in the 8.0 to 9.6 range.
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8
1st Alien Symbiote
Lowest price $30
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $525
Record price $14,000 (CGC 10.0)
$10,800 (CGC 9.9)
$1,260 (CGC 9.8)
The famous alien symbiote costume appears in this issue.
The record sales are for near-unique CGC 9.9 or CGC 10.0.
TMNT #3
"Laird's Photo" variant
Lowest price $400
Average price $1,500
Recent 9.8 Sale $10,000
Record price $25,000
A rare variant cover which was only distributed at a comic convention.
Known as the Laird's Photo variant, because those words (and other elements of the design) are much brighter than the standard edition.
Amazing Spider-Man #252
Symbiote costume appears in the series for the first time
Lowest price $40
Average price $150
Record price $2,450
After the first appearance in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (see below), the alien symbiote (aka black suit Spider-Man) was here to stay.
The Crow #1 (1989, Caliber Press)
First Crow
Lowest price $80
Average price $850
Recent 9.8 Sale $7,800
Record price $14,400
There are THREE printings of this classic Copper Age comics key issue. All three have value, but the first printing is much more expensive.
The all-black cover shows any wear, plus any fingerprints. If you find one, use cotton gloves when you handle it.
Wolverine #1 (1988)
First Patch
Lowest price $5
Average price $50
Record price $1,020
Published in the late 1980s, high-grade copies of these are common.
Sales above $4K for a CGC 9.9 and a one-off $17K for a CGC 10.0 are anomalies.
Wolverine Limited Series #1 (1982)
First solo comic
Lowest price $20
Average price $125
Record price $15,600 (CGC 9.9)
$14,000 (CGC 10.0)
$1,365 CGC 9.8
Frank Miller's limited series re-imagined Wolverine, and established the character as a mainstay in the Marvel universe.
Various versions exist, including newsstand variants and Canadian price variants.
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Bone #1 1st Print
Lowest price $200
Average price $1,200
Recent 9.8 Sale $11,000
Record price $15,000
Jeff Smith created this fun character and universe. Another series with a cult following.
There are many printings of the first issue. You can tell the first printing by the red "Bone" title.
Incredible Hulk #377 3rd print
Lowest price $100
Average price $300
Recent 9.8 Sale $3,500
Record price $14,750
Normally the first printing of an issue is the most sought-after. This is an exception.
As well as the pea soup-green cover color, you can tell it's the rare third printing by the cover price of $1.75.
The record sale is an insane pandemic sale and it's doubtful whether it can be repeated for a very long time.
TMNT #1
2nd Print
Lowest price $500
Average price $2,000
Record price $15,800
The poor man's first printing. See also the 3rd printing, which is the poor man's second printing...
Amazing Spider-Man #300
First full Venom by McFarlane
Lowest price $200
Average price $350
Record price $9,200
Todd McFarlane changed the history of Amazing Spider Man comics. His unique style exploded interest in the character again, which inadvertently led to the massive expansion and subsequent implosion of the comic market in the 1990s.
The spin-off 1990 Spider-Man #1 was printed in millions of copies and different versions McFarlane subsequently left Marvel to co-found Image Comics, which is still publishing books today.
Amazing Spider Man Comic #300 is a timeless classic which is keenly sought-after in any condition.
Sandman #8
Rare editorial variant
Lowest price $700
Average price $1,300
Record price $10,000
This book is almost mythically rare, with just 83 examples in the census.
The original editorial inside the first pages was changed, but not before some were printed and escaped into the "wild". The name to look for is Karen Berger on the editorial page.
Aliens #1
1st Print
Lowest price $10
Average price $100
Recent 9.8 Sale $2,225
Record price $7,500
Based on the cult sci-fi action movie, this Dark Horse comic is highly sought-after, and tough in high grade due to being a mostly black cover.
Comico Primer #2
1st Grendel
Lowest price $50
Average price $300
Record price $6,800
Grendel definitely counts as a cult figure rather than a household name, but in the era when independent publishers finally came to the fore, this is a success story.
Vampirella #113
Final issue; low distribution
Lowest price $50
Average price $200
Record price $4,000
19 years after the first issue appeared, this final issue had a very limited print run. It's a valuable magazine-sized comic book.
Grendel #1
1st solo issue
Lowest price $10
Average price $75
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,400
Record price $1,950
The first solo comic featuring Grendel.
TMNT #2
1st Print
Lowest price $100
Average price $400
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,800
Record price $5,500
The second issue is a lot more common than the first. Only the 1st print is really worth money.
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TMNT #1
3rd Print
Lowest price $150
Average price $800
Recent 9.8 Sale $5,800
Record price $8,400
The Crow #2 first print
Lowest price $20
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $610
Record price $1,500
Another very scarce book in high grade due to the low print run and black cover.
The Crow #3 first print
Lowest price $40
Average price $200
Record price $1,950
This is a very scarce book in high grade, as its mostly black cover shows wear.
The Crow #4 first print
Lowest price $40
Average price $140
Record price $1,230
There is no second or third printing of The Crow comic book #4.
Macross #1
Lowest price $10
Average price $75
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,350
Record price $2,000
Based on Japanese manga characters, Macross has a cult following in the west.
Usagi Yojimbo #1 (1987)
Samurai Rabbit in solo series
Lowest price $20
Average price $100
Recent 9.8 Sale $500
Record price $2,800
A massive crash in values followed the pandemic highs.
Amazing Spider-Man #238
First Hobgoblin; includes "Tatooz" insert
Lowest price $40
Average price $300
Record price $4,100
Hobgoblin was a new Spider villain for the 1980s. This comic book included a Tatooz insert, and if it's missing then the book is considered incomplete.
It can be a tough book to find in 9.8 because the insert creates a fine crease if the book is pressed before grading.
Batman: the Killing Joke n/n
Lowest price $5
Average price $50
Recent 9.8 Sale $170
Record price $29,000 (CGC 10.0)
$2,500 (CGC 9.9)
$1,250 (CGC 9.8)
A square-bound graphic novel with a shiny cover, these seldom pop a 9,9 or 10.0. CGC 9.8 copies now sell for 15 percent of the pandemic highs.
Raphael #1
1st Casey Jones
Lowest price $50
Average price $200
Record price $6,100
This 1985 oversize comic book is created in exactly the same way as the other early TMNT issues.
Daredevil #168
1st Elektra
Lowest price $40
Average price $200
Record price $1,800
Elektra started as an enemy of Daredevil, but later became a lover, ally and eventually the second Daredevil herself.
Superman 1988 n/n
This Bradman Superman
Lowest price $800
Average price $1,200
Record price $3,960
This private Superman comic book was produced by Mr. Bradman for his son Daniel's bar mitzvah. More than 50 copies are in the CGC census, including 2 in CGC 9.8.
Love and Rockets #1: Monochrome and Color Versions
Love and Rockets #1
1981 monochrome original
Lowest price $250
Average price $600
Record price $2,500
The very first version of this book by Hernandez is very rare. It really ought to sell for more than the 1982 color version.
Love and Rockets #1
1982 color first printing
Lowest price $25
Average price $200
Record price $3,825
The first color edition is easier to find than the monochrome original.
Caliber Presents #1
1st appearance of The Crow
Lowest price $150
Average price $400
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,700
Record price $3,650
It's cool that the character didn't appear for the first time in the Caliber four-issue run. This is the true first appearance, and prices reflect that. Collectors still prefer the main series.
Star Wars #42
1st Boba Fett in comics
Lowest price $50
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $900
Record price $5,000
The massive sugar high of the free pandemic cash combined with the Mandalorian TV show drove prices of this book to insane levels. Now it's crashed back to earth with a crash.
Star Wars Comic #107
Last issue in series
Lowest price $25
Average price $90
Recent 9.8 Sale $660
Record price $1,800
Marvel Team-Up #141
Ties for first black costume Spider-Man
Lowest price $10
Average price $70
Recent 9.8 Sale $500
Record price $1,850
One of the most famous issues of the Copper Age of comics, it ties with Amazing Spider-Man #252 for the first black suit (Symbiote) Spider-Man.
Uncanny X-Men #266
First Gambit
Lowest price $20
Average price $200
Recent 9.8 Sale $550
Record price $3,200 (CGC 9.9)
$1,700 (CGC 9.8)
Gambit is a popular villain in the late Copper Age and early Modern Age.
G. I. Joe #21
Silent issue; 1st Storm Shadow
Lowest price $20
Average price $100
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,900
Record price $5,000
The pandemic and movie madness drove this book to silly heights that it may never reach again.
Transformers #1 (1984)
1st US comic appearance
Lowest price $25
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,100
Record price $1,550 (CGC 9.9)
$3,200 (CGC 9.8)
Another comic where the one 9.9 sale was a while ago, and the 9.8 record was set during lockdown.
Star Wars Comics #68
1st planet Mandalore, 2nd Fett cover
Lowest price $25
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $850
Record price $3,150
G. I. Joe #1
1st issue
Lowest price $30
Average price $200
Recent 9.8 Sale $660
Record price $2,150 (CGC 9.9)
$5,000 (CGC 9.8)
The above numbers are not a typo. There has been just one 9.9 sale. The pandemic accounts for the silly money.
Thor #337
1st Beta Ray Bill
Lowest price $10
Average price $60
Record price $600
Beta Ray Bill is the first character outside of the Marvel universe deemed worthy of wielding Thor's hammer.
He eventually receives his own hammer, Stormbreaker, and fights alongside the god of thunder as an ally.
Batman #386
First Black Mask
Lowest price $10
Average price $100
Record price $300
A common issue that was briefly popular during the speculator / pandemic bubble.
Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #320
1st Cheryl Blossom
Lowest price $50
Average price $200
Record price $2,400
Cheryl Blossom becomes a love interest to rival Betty and Veronica. She also has red hair.
New Mutants #87
1st Cable
Lowest price $20
Average price $75
Record price $2,900 (CGC 9.9)
$1,100 (CGC 9.8)
Cable is a minor MCU character who may have a future on the big screen.
Incredible Hulk #340
Classic Todd McFarlane Wolverine cover
Lowest price $40
Average price $200
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,100
Record price $2,400
This classic cover image by McFarlane has been "swiped" many times.
It features the Hulk's face reflected in the claws of Wolverine as they reprise their battle from the Incredible Hulk comic books #181.
Swamp Thing #37
1st Hellblazer (John Constantine)
Lowest price $40
Average price $280
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,300
Record price $3,700
Hellblazer has a big future in the expansion of the DCU.
This key issue was blown up during the pandemic. Recent sales are 40 percent of that high point.
DC Comics Presents #47: 1st He-Man and Masters of the Universe in comics. Click to have yours valuedDC Comics Presents #47 (1982)
1st He-Man and Masters of the Universe in comics
Lowest price $25
Average price $225
Recent 9.8 Sale $1,050
Record price $5,200
The first appearance of any superhero or villain is always highly collectible.
This is the true first appearance of He-Man and the gang, and co-incides with the animated series, which also debuted in 1982.
Batman, The Dark Knight Returns #1
Lowest price $10
Average price $75
Recent 9.8 Sale $800
Record price $1,500 (CGC 9.9)
$3,000 (CGC 9.8)
The first printing of this classic graphic novel briefly touched $3K during the pandemic.
Very common and prices are quite volatile when it sells.
Evil Ernie #1
First appearance of Evil Ernie
Lowest price $50
Average price $300
Recent 9.8 Sale $2,500
Record price $5,200
A definite cult comic book which is quite scarce in high grade. There are 50 copies in the census graded CGC 9.8.
The price can vary a lot, though don't expect the $5K barrier to be broken again anytime soon.
Spectacular Spider-Man #90
Lowest price $5
Average price $40
Recent 9.8 Sale $250
Record price $620
Amazing Spider-Man #298
1st Todd McFarlane Spider-Man
Lowest price $20
Average price $65
Recent 9.8 Sale $485
Record price $1,400 (CGC 9.9)
$1,300 (CGC 9.8)
Todd McFarlane became legendary for his run on Amazing Spider-Man comics. This is the first of them.
Amazing Spider-Man #299
1st Venom cameo
Lowest price $25
Average price $80
Recent 9.8 Sale $350
Record price $2,025 (CGC 9.9)
$1,825 (CGC 9.8)
Another book which has crashed in value since the pandemic bubble burst.
Cry for Dawn #1
1st appearance of Dawn
Lowest price $25
Average price $150
Record price $1,500
Surprisingly, there are fakes of this issue in the market, so be careful if you're looking to buy one.
Avengers annual #10
1st Rogue
Lowest price $20
Average price $80
Recent 9.8 Sale $525
Record price $2,500
Captain Britain #8 is the true first appearance, but that is a UK-only comic.
Another book which has lost over 75 percent of its value since the pandemic.
Incredible Hulk #271
1st Rocket Raccoon in comics
Lowest price $30
Average price $150
Recent 9.8 Sale $585
Record price $2,100
Rocket's true first appearance was in Marvel Preview #7, a magazine.
Fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies will know that he is a member of the team.
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