9 Comic Books People Threw Away That Are Now Worth a Fortune

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Is it really a missed opportunity if you are unaware of it? People throw out comic books, unaware they are worth a fortune, all the time. How would you feel if you unwittingly sold a box of priceless comics from your car trunk for $27? Art thieves stole Jack Kirby’s original art, worth tens of thousands, threw it away, and it would end up being sold for $2.

Here are nine instances where people threw away comic books that wound up being worth a fortune later.

1. Man Sells Box of Comics From Car Trunk for $27 – They Sell for $65,000

In 2015, A U.K. man bought a box of random comics from a guy selling them from his car trunk for £20, or about $27. The man put the box away and forgot about it until the pandemic. He then did some research and found out they were worth a fortune.

The comics he bought from the car trunk sale were one-of-a-kind comics commissioned by a businessman. In 1988, businessman Godfrey Bradman commissioned DC Comics to create a Superman comic featuring his son and his son’s friend as side characters. Bradman had 200 made, but only 48 would survive.

The ultra-rarity of the commission comics makes them sought after by collectors. Somehow, the last 48 Bradman commission comics found their way into a box in that car trunk sale. The new owner would sell them for almost $65,000. Someone should check on the guy who originally sold the comics from his car trunk for $27!

2. 12-Year-Old Girl Buys Priceless Comic Art for $2 at Yard Sale

Texas mother Jamillah Washington loves taking her 12-year-old daughter Rameesha to yard sales. One day, Rameesha bought an old, large coloring book for $2. Once at home, her stepfather, Paul, realized that the “coloring book” was really old, original Jack Kirby art pages for Avengers #1 from 1963. The family stumbled upon original comic art worth a fortune; they found out later that the art was worth over $48,000.

Unfortunately, the good luck for the family would end there. After getting authentification for the art, the police paid the family a visit. The 1963 Jack Kirby art was stolen from a storage area at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. So, the thieves had to have thrown the art away, perhaps unaware of its value or fearing imminent arrest, for it to end up at a yard sale.

The family was innocent, but had to sign over the stolen art to the police.

3. Late Mother Forgets About Priceless Action Comics #1 in Attic

This comic was not technically thrown in the trash, but it figuratively was. In 2024, three elderly San Francisco brothers were cleaning out their late mother’s attic. They found an old cardboard box covered in spider webs, and under old newspapers. Inside the box, they found a copy of Action Comics #1 from 1938, featuring the first appearance of Superman.

It was a miracle that the comic, hidden in an old box for over 80 years, was never thrown away. The brothers could have unwittingly thrown the box away, unaware it was worth a fortune. In November 2025, the brothers sold the comic at auction for $9.12 million.

4. Milwaukee, Ohio, Couple Stumble Upon Amazing Fantasy #15 Through Inheritance

In October 2023, an Ohio couple was going through the possessions of a late relative who had put them in an inheritance. The couple would stumble upon a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15. The 1962 Marvel Comic features the first appearance of Spider-Man. After contacting a local comic book expert, the couple is trying to auction the find. The comic could be worth $35,000.

Always look through items from an inheritance before giving or throwing them away. Something could be worth a fortune without you knowing.

5. Family Finds Action Comics #1 in Basement Before Foreclosure

In 2010, an American family was preparing for foreclosure. They were packing up and preparing to leave. They went to the basement, went through some old boxes, and found a copy of Action Comics #1. They were looking to use the boxes for packing, and it’s a miracle they did not overlook the comics.

The family would stay anonymous while selling the comic, with a value of $250,000. No one knows how much the family made at auction, but it could have been as much as $1 million.

6. Comics Forgotten in Closet Sell for $3.5 Million

In 1994, a Virginia homeowner, Billy Wright, died. He had over 345 comic books in his closet, forgotten by everyone. His wife would live there until 2011, when she also passed away. His great-nephew, Michael Rorrer, and his mother began going through the items in the house. Rorrer found the stash of comics in a closet, but held onto them for a while before getting authentication at Heritage Auctions.

Heritage Auctions would sell the Wright Collection at auction in 2012 for $3.5 million.

7. Pennsylvania Man Forgets About Priceless Batman Comic in His Attic

In 2007, a Pennsylvania man was cleaning out his attic when he found an old comic book. He didn’t know its worth, but would later contact a local comic book store owner, Todd McDevitt. The anonymous man had found a near-perfect copy of Detective Comics #27, from 1939. It features the first appearance of Batman.

McDevitt would never reveal how much he paid for the comic, but it might be worth $500,000.

8. A Large Comic Book Collection Worth $50 Million Was Almost Thrown in the Trash

Edgar Church was a Denver, Colorado, commercial artist working in advertising in the 1940s. He was not a comic book fan. Still, he would religiously buy comic books from 1937 to 1957 for reference purposes. In 1977, after Church’s death, a realtor called local comic dealer Chuck Rozanski to come get the comics. The family wanted them gone and was not averse to throwing them out.

Church had over 18,000 to 30,000 comics in his collection. Rozanski, founder of Mile High Comics, bought the collection from the family for a few thousand. The Church/Mile High Comics Pedigree collection would set the standard for grading Golden and Silver Age comics for the 1980s and 1990s.

Although no one knows for sure, the Church/Mile High Comics collection might be worth $50 million to $100 million. Imagine throwing comics worth a fortune in the trash.

9. Man Found Action Comics #1 in Wall Insulation

In 2013, Minnesota contractor David Gonzales was opening the walls of an old house he was renovating. He began removing insulation when he found an old copy of Action Comics #1 in the insulation. Someone has purposefully used Action Comics #1 as insulation in the walls of the house.

The comic was not in the best of condition, but it was a rarity. While showing off the comic to relatives, his aunt grabbed the comic, causing a tear to the back cover. A collectibles expert told the BBC that the tear brought the value down by $75,000. The comic would sell at auction for $175,000; it would have been worth $250,000 without the tear.

Throwing Away Comic Books Worth a Fortune

Make sure you curb your enthusiasm when analyzing old comics. Every comic book you find will not be worth millions. Still, if you get an inheritance, clean out an attic, or learn about a trove of comic books soon to be thrown away, ally with an expert and check them out.

You never know when your luck might turn. Just imagine the countless comic book fortunes already thrown away by people who never knew the riches they had in their hands.