(NEXSTAR) – Do you recall your very first comic book? But when was the last time you actually laid eyes on it?

Depending on its rarity and condition, that old comic of yours could be worth a significant sum of money—perhaps even a small fortune.

Just last month, a copy of “Superman” shattered records by fetching an astounding $9.12 million at auction.

This particular issue, No. 1, dates back to 1939 and was discovered in the attic of a California family’s late mother. Heritage Auctions, who facilitated the sale, confirmed that it was the highest-graded copy of “Superman No. 1” ever sold. Its jaw-dropping price tag now crowns it as the most expensive comic book ever sold, surpassing a pristine “Action Comics No. 1” that went for $6 million the previous year, also through Heritage Auctions.

Superman holds the distinction of being the first superhero to make a splash in pop culture, with his debut comic being a rare limited edition. Of the original 500,000 copies printed, it’s believed that fewer than 500 survive today, according to Lon Allen, vice president of comics at Heritage Auctions, who spoke with the Associated Press.

“‘Superman No. 1’ is just a grail by itself,” Matt Griffin, a consignment director for Heritage Auctions, told Nexstar. “It’s one of the top three collectible books in the industry in just about any grade.”

Earning a 9.0 grade from the grading service CGC, it’s the highest-rated copy of the issue, making it “an absolute unicorn.”

Who is willing to shell out more than what some actors were paid to portray Superman for a comic book? 

“People with deep pockets,” according to Griffin. 

Like other collectibles, comics, especially unicorns and holy grails, have become desirable.

Among the books sought by those “deep pocket” collectors are the “firsts,” Griffin explained, like Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics (No. 27, published in 1939) and “Marvel Comics No.1.” A version of the former sold for $1.82 million in 2024, while a copy of the latter garnered more than $2.4 million in 2022. A single page from a 1984 comic, “Secret Wars No. 8,” sold for $3.36 million, all thanks to the first-ever appearance of Spider-Man’s black suit. A debut issue of “Captain America Comics” sold for $3.1 million in 2022.

“They’re always going to be expensive and will probably just continue to be as time progresses because there’s going to be less and less of books like this coming out of the woodwork,” Griffin added. 

It’s scarcity and desirability that can influence the value of the comic, according to Griffin, though they’re not always a guarantee. If “there’s just nothing going on in it,” for example, or it’s a book “from the ‘50s that nobody remembers,” there may not be much desirability for it.

Some titles or issues can fluctuate in value, with interest peaking when there are rumors of a movie adaptation or a TV show appearance for a certain character. But, once the appearance happens, Griffin says the “book will get soft again.”

There are exceptions, of course. “Amazing Fantasy No. 15,” which introduced the world to Spider-Man, is relatively common but can still garner a hefty price among collectors. For a short time, a copy that received a 9.6 grade was the most expensive comic in the world after selling for $3.6 million in 2021 at a Heritage Auctions sale.

Like baseball cards, the grade of the comic – which is generally based on the item’s quality – can influence its value. Simply, the higher grade a comic receives, the more it could fetch at auction, Griffin explained.

Also like baseball cards, comic books experienced an era of mass production, in the 1980s and ’90s, leading to a collapse in the collector market. 

“They just put out so many of them, and there were so many people buying two copies and keeping one pristine,” Griffin explained. “There’s just a lot of nice books out there from the time period and not many of them are worth that much.”

Jordan Hembrough, toy expert and host of the show “Toy Hunter,” made a similar observation in 2022. 

“Unfortunately, you know, a lot of people are collecting comic books from the 1980s and even the 1970s,” Hembrough told Nexstar. “Those comic books really aren’t the ones that are super valuable, though.”

Those from the decades prior – the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s – are usually more valuable.

The market has rebounded, with newer material like manga comics and Pokémon becoming more popular among collectors. That, Griffin said, is fueled by those who enjoyed them in their youth now having the buying power to collect. 

While you may not have a comic that will sell for $1 million, your book may fetch way more than it once sold for. Griffin notes there can be dozens of comic books listed for around $1,000 during Heritage Auction’s weekly auctions. 

If you’re hoping to get into comic book collecting, you may not have the financial wiggle room to vie for a $9.12 million “Superman” comic. Instead, Griffin recommends finding “something that you like and collect that.”

“That way, even if it goes down, you’re still going to be happy that you bought it.”

Should you stumble upon an old comic book in your mother’s attic or elsewhere, and feel it may be valuable, Griffin recommends reaching out to an expert, like Heritage Auctions, to determine if it could have some value. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.