The Vintage Spider-Man Comic Book Worth 50,000 Dollars On American Pickers
Since premiering on the History Channel back in 2010, "American Pickers" has shown audiences some incredible finds. Its hosts have searched far and wide all across the United States for incredibly valuable antiques that they can turn for some serious profit. A lot of the time, they're only lucky enough to discover some items that have decent value, but every once in a while, they strike gold — not so much literal gold, but stuff that's worth a considerable amount of money. They've found a 1910 Royal Pioneer motorcycle, a 1914 Merz Cycle Car, and a 1935 Auburn Phaeton 653, among other items.
While it's safe to say that vintage cars and motorcycles bring in the most cash a lot of the time, a few other items aside from cars, trucks, and motorcycles have held considerable value and age. Hosts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz found an engraved sword from the 1850s in Season 19, a set of Victorian-era erotic photos in Season 2, and a Spencer Carbine rifle from the American Civil War in Season 4 (via History).
What turned out to be one of their greatest finds was estimated at $50,000 on the show. It's a comic book from 1962 that features the first appearance of one of the most iconic superheroes of all time and had way more value than Mike and Frank knew at the time.
The same Spider-Man comic ended up selling for millions at auction
In the Season 17 episode "Superhero Heaven," Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz head to a home with old vintage comic books. Of those that are worth value, a "Superman" #9 comic in almost mint condition is priced at about $850. However, the sellers also show Mike and Frank that they have an "Amazing Fantasy" No. 15, the comic that features the very first appearance of Spider-Man ever. On the show, it's estimated at $40–$50K, which shocks Mike, Frank, and the sellers.
However, another copy of the same comic sold for $3.6 million in September 2021 (via The Hollywood Reporter). This particular copy was apparently in better condition than the one Mike and Frank found in 2017. It was graded CGC 9.6, with only three other known copies in the world to hold that same condition of near-mint quality. Hopefully, the sellers of the copy featured on "American Pickers" got a fair value since it appeared to be in great condition as well.