Does anyone have a copy of the 1982 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide at hand, and if so, can you do me the favor of looking up the value of a copy of Superman #1 back then?

I just started reading The Swap, by Antony Moore, a galley of which Anne Groell was kind enough to slip me back at Comic-Con. The novel’s conceit sounded cool—a guy who regrets trading away a comic book as a kid feels that his wretched life would be made right again if only he could get it back as an adult. It was published in the UK in 2007, and the film rights have already been snapped up by Columbia Pictures.

I’ve only just started the book, which I’m enjoying so far, but I must admit that I was taken aback when I learned on the first page that the comic book in question was Superman #1. I can’t remember exactly what copies of that first issue were going for in 1982, but I would guess in the $7,500-$15,000 range. Anyone out there have the facts?

According to an article over at Diamond Galleries about that particular issue:

The latest CGC Census notes only 46 copies total with 15 unrestored copies and 31 restored copies.

So I find it hard to believe that a 12-year-old kid in 1982—particularly a kid in the UK—would have a copy of Superman #1, and even if he did, not know its worth, what with all the newspaper articles at the time about the value of Golden Age comics. To be honest, before diving into this book, I’d expected the novel to deal with Amazing Fantasy #15 or Fantastic Four #1. Maybe as I read on—which I do intend do do—there’ll be an explanation, some backstory as to how a copy fell into the hands of the protagonist. But I know a little too much about the scarcity of old comics to immediately suspend my disbelief without one.

More later once I’ve finished reading the book.