A CGC-certified 9.2 copy of Tales to Astonish #27 has sold for a record price of $32,500 on PedigreeComics.com, the company said. The comic, cover-dated January 1962, features the first  appearance of Ant-Man and is considered one of the earliest and hardest to find Silver Age Marvel issues.

“It hit the newsstands the same month as Fantastic Four #2 (October 1961) and was the last 10¢ issue from Marvel Comics, said Doug Schmell, President and CEO of Pedigree Comics. “The book was listed on consignment in the New Arrivals section of the site on Thursday night, September 10, 2009, at a Buy It Now price of $35,000 and sold very quickly.”

Schmell said this issue is second-highest graded copy to date, trailing only a pair of 9.4s on the CGC census out of almost 300 copies submitted.

“As most seasoned Marvel collectors know, Tales to Astonish #27 is one of the absolute toughest early 1960s comic books to locate in high grade, with only six total copies making it to 9.0 (VF/NM) or higher. This is due not only to its very low print run (only 139, 167 copies were circulated) but to the chocolate brown and black cover background and borders that easily show stress lines, color flecks, creases and surface impressions. As far as #1 and first appearance issues go (Marvel keys), TTA #27 is the hardest to locate in high grade, tougher even than Incredible Hulk #1 and Fantastic Four #1.”

This is the same copy that Pedigree sold for a then-record price of $17,000 in October  2007, nearly doubling in price.

The seller was very satisfied with the result, Schmell said, and the buyer is a Golden Age and early Silver Age collector who had been looking for a 9.0 or better copy for a while.

Pedigree has previously reported Tales to Astonish sales have been on the rise.

“The early Ant-Man issues (#27 and #35-#48) are selling at record prices when they do hit the market in high grade, which is not often. In fact, of all the early Silver Age Marvel titles, Tales to Astonish is easily the toughest title for which to find high grade issues. When they do become available, they get snatched up very quickly. Historically viewed as a second-tier superhero, Ant-Man is bursting out. With the upcoming Avengers motion picture just around the corner, look for continued early Ant-Man appearances to sell briskly,” Schmell said.

If you have any Tales to Astonish or other Silver Age and Bronze Age comics to consign or sell, Pedigree Comics specializes in high grade (9.4 and higher), CGC-certified Marvels from the 1960s and 70s and aggressively promote their comic book internet-based business, he said. They arecurrently accepting new items for their website and Grand Auctions. You may contact him at (561) 422-1120 or (561) 596-9111 or email him at DougSchmell@pedigreecomics.com.