You're right Eva, it is sad that people will steal. I believe Nic is okay with things though because Nic had the comic book which was stolen, insured, so he was already paid for the loss of the comic book so I don't think it'll be returned to him unless he wants to return the insurance money in exchange for the comic book.
Nic Cage’s Stolen Superman Comic Poised to Break Auction Record
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
Nicolas Cage’s nearly-pristine copy of Action Comics no. 1 featuring the first appearance of Superman—stolen from his home in 2000 and just recovered in April in a storage locker—is poised to become the most expensive comic ever sold on the open market during an online auction now being conducted by comicconnect.com.
The auction started today and ends on Nov. 30th. After just a few hours bidding has already reached $900,000. The current record is $1.5 million for a less well-preserved copy of Action Comics no. 1 sold in March 2010.
Few comics have as interesting or complicated a back story as Cage’s copy of Action Comics no. 1. Certified Guaranty Company, the leading grader of the quality of collectible comics, recently assigned this copy a grade of 9.0, making it the best-preserved publicly-known copy of Superman’s first appearance. Approximately 100 copies of Action Comics no. 1 remain in existence. Experts believe only about five others, all in private hands, are of comparable quality to this copy. Sotheby’s sold this comic at auction in 1992 for a then-record $82,500. Cage bought it in 1997 for about $150,000.
On January 21, 2000, Cage reported the comic stolen to the Los Angeles Police, along with high-grade copies of Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics no. 27 and Marvel Mystery no. 71. According to an account Comicconnect CEO Stephen Fishler posted on a collector’s website, Cage had the books displayed in security frames mounted to the wall. The exact moment of the theft is unknown but the comics had possibly been missing for a week when Cage discovered the frames were empty. The Marvel Mystery resurfaced a few months later but the other two comics remained lost.
In April 2011, Cage’s copy of Action Comics no. 1 was recovered in a San Fernando Valley storage locker. The man who found the comic had bought the contents of an abandoned locker. Cage’s publicist released a statement from the actor at the time calling the recovery of the comic “divine providence” and expressing hope “that the heirloom will be returned to my family.” Cage had received an insurance payment for the comic but at the time expressed interest in reaching a settlement to regain ownership of the book.
Fishler would not confirm this is the Action Comics stolen from Cage but the provenance of the comic--from its sale in the early 1990s to its theft in 2000—matches the history of the Cage comic. Comicconnect is selling it for the current owner, which is still believed to be Cage. Representatives for Cage have not yet responded to a request from The Hollywood Reporter for comment. See a copy of the fabled Cage Action Comics no. 1 below.
Oh no. Why on earth is it at auction?Can anyone explain this to me?I think this thing belongs to Nic and even though it was stolen a decade ago,it still belongs to him.How come it's being sold without his permission?Something tells me Nic isn't happy about that...
I agree with that, the comic belongs to Nic in the first place,I thought he got it back, sorry I didn't read the article good. But it's true what you say!
__________________
My brain only works on one power... The power of Nicolas Cage!
Thanks for posting Lady Trueheart, the comic mystery continues
"Fishler would not confirm this is the Action Comics stolen from Cage but the provenance of the comic--from its sale in the early 1990s to its theft in 2000—matches the history of the Cage comic. Comicconnect is selling it for the current owner, which is still believed to be Cage."
I may be wrong, but I take this to mean it may be Nic who is selling it? so i am not quite sure what you mean Voodoo child?
Don't forget we only get to read information tenth hand, and probably that a third of it is completely untrue a third partially true / a distortion of the truth and a third true. I am sure Nic and his people are well on the case!
I am not so sure. I think, they don`t really know, who the current owner is. They presume, that it`s Nic, according to this article. And, as Nic or one of his representatives hasn`t commented on that, we probably will never know the truth.
__________________
"When you think about magic, it is imagination plus willpower focused in such a way that you can create a conscious effect in the material world..."
I heard a story, about an East-coast buyer, that resold, etc, & knew, it ended in Nic'x hands. What's interesting is the extent of it, making our beloved Nic, the 2nd owner of it.
Nicolas Cage’s nearly-pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1 featuring the first appearance of Superman sold for a record$2,161,000 in an online auction that ended Wednesday.
It is the first comic to sell for more than $2 million at auction.
The previous record was $1.5 million for a less well-preserved copy of Action Comics No. 1 sold in March 2010.
Cage's comic was stolen from his home in 2000 and only recovered in April when an unidentified man bought the contents of an abandoned Southern California storage locker.
Few comics have as interesting or complicated a back story as Cage’s copy of Action Comics No. 1. Certified Guaranty Company, the leading grader of the quality of collectible comics, recently assigned this copy a grade of 9.0, making it the highest publicly-graded copy of Superman’s first appearance.
Approximately 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 remain in existence.
Experts believe only about five others, all in private hands, are of near-equal quality to Cage's copy and only one -- the legendary "Edgar Church Collection" copy, which has never been publicly viewed -- might exceed it.
Cage's Action Comics No. 1 first created a stir when an obscure collector brought it to public attention by consigning it to auction at Sotheby's in 1992. The sudden appearance of a previously unknown high-grade copy of such an important comic is a rare occurrence. Sotheby's sold it for a then-record $82,500. Cage bought it in 1997 for about $150,000.
On January 21, 2000, Cage reported the comic stolen to the Los Angeles Police, along with high-grade copies of Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics No. 27 and Marvel Mystery No. 71. According to an account Comicconnect CEO Stephen Fishler posted on a collector’s website, Cage had the books displayed in security frames mounted to the wall.
The exact moment of the theft is unknown but the comics had possibly been missing for a week when Cage discovered the frames were empty. The Marvel Mystery resurfaced a few months later but the other two comics remained lost.
In April 2011, Cage’s copy of Action Comics No. 1 was recovered in a San Fernando Valley storage locker. The man who found the comic had bought the contents of an abandoned locker.
Cage’s publicist released a statement from the actor at the time calling the recovery of the comic "divine providence" and expressing hope "that the heirloom will be returned to my family." Cage had received an insurance payment for the comic but at the time expressed interest in reaching a settlement to regain ownership of the book. The missing Detective Comics No. 27 has never been found.
Fishler would not confirm this is the Action Comics stolen from Cage but the provenance of the comic -- from its sale in the early 1990s to its theft in 2000 -- matches the history of the Cage comic. Comicconnect is selling it for the current owner, which is still believed to be Cage. Earlier, several websites devoted to comics speculated that this is the copy of Action Comics from Cage's collection. Representatives for Cage did not respond to a request from The Hollywood Reporter for comment.
Despite the record price for Cage's copy other Superman memorabilia fetched more modest prices. For those interested in owning a piece of history, single pages from Action Comics No. 1 in fair condition could be had for about $300 and one of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel's "favorite shirts" sold for just $51.
-- Edited by Lady Trueheart on Thursday 1st of December 2011 04:16:52 AM
I agree with everyone here about Nic's comic book getting back to him for good. I used to collect comics when I was young too. But my mother started to tossing them away one at a time. Which was mine and my sister's. Boy, we were mad! My mom didn't really knew how much they would be worth years later. How sad. We lost our comics, but not sure if they be worth very much. Still it was my sister's and mine special things to own and we missed them still today. Back to Nick. Oh, I can see him as the Pink Panther too. Wonder if he will do a good Sherlock Holmes? I remember in the film National Treasures when he was in London getting the clue from the desk in the Queen's palace, he was using an English accent when he was sliding down the stairs and he was making a scene. Then they can be taken away to get inside the Queen's study. He did a good accent I thought so if he did Sherlock he can use an English accent for that character. I would love to see him in a deer skin hat and cape! Very nice indeed on him! heavy sigh!!!!
That wasn`t really nice from your mom! These comics were for sure, a valuable treasure for you and your sister, even after all this years. And, that accent he did in NT2 was really hillarious! Nic has such a great talent for languages and accents! Would surely be great to imagine him playing Holmes with such an english accent! And, the Pink Panther he could play with an french accent, too. :)
__________________
"When you think about magic, it is imagination plus willpower focused in such a way that you can create a conscious effect in the material world..."
Some people would say thatßs just a comic book but i can imagine how important they are for him.
Comic books are indeed fun to read. Even myself, when I was just a kid, I'm a collector of newspaper's cut of some kiddie comics. It was my hobby to read 'em whenever I'm vacant or has enough time to relax. But i threw them away when I went to high school in 2000. Sad but I have to! I'm no longer a 12 year old kid who will just relax and play around. C'mon! I was getting older that time and I should be responsible though it hurts me.
As for Nic, I understand his love for those comics. So sad to hear some of his comics were stolen. Hope Nic will find those suspects soon!