John Dolmayan buys $825,000 Action Comics #1 at New York Comic Con

Metropolis Collectibles sold two copies of Action Comics #1 for more than $2 million at New York Comic Con, including a record $825,000 raw copy bought by System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan. The sales underscore continued demand for vintage comics even as trading cards and anime dominate the convention floor.

Why it matters: - Action Comics #1 remains the signature trophy in vintage comics, and the New York Comic Con sales show the market can still command seven-figure prices at a pop culture convention. - The deals also suggest collectors and investors are still willing to pay up for rare comics even as trading cards and other collectibles crowd the market. - Metropolis Collectibles said the results add to a broader shift as buyers from sports cards and Pokémon-style trading card games look at comics as a potential upside play.

What happened: - Metropolis Collectibles sold two copies of Action Comics #1 during the 2026 New York Comic Con earlier this month. - The combined sales topped $2 million. - John Dolmayan, drummer for System of a Down, bought one copy for $825,000. - The Dolmayan copy was a raw, original-condition book that had not been graded by a third party. - A second copy, slightly restored and graded 9.0, sold for $1.3 million. - The $825,000 sale set a record for a raw Action Comics #1 in original condition. - The $1.3 million sale set a record for a restored copy of the book.

The details: - Action Comics #1, published in 1938, introduced Superman. - Metropolis called the $825,000 sale the first time in recent memory that two copies of Action Comics #1 were sold at a convention. - Vincent Zurzolo, president of Metropolis and ComicConnect, said Dolmayan has loved comic books for his entire life and also publishes and creates comics. - Dolmayan said he has collected rare comics for more than two decades and runs an online store, Torpedo Comics. - Dolmayan said he started selling comics in the early 1990s because, at 18, he could not easily borrow money from his parents to buy books. - Metropolis brokered a $15 million sale of an Action Comics #1 in January, which was graded 9.0 and set the record for the highest price ever paid for a comic book. - Zurzolo said Metropolis has sold six copies of Action Comics #1 in 2026 and close to 80 copies over its 27-year history. - Stephen Fishler, CEO of Metropolis, said this year’s New York Comic Con was the busiest and strongest the company has seen, with its highest sales there to date. - Fishler said many exhibitors, publishers, vendors, grading companies, artists, writers and celebrities reported similar results. - Fishler said the overvalued sports card and trading card market is pushing more investors and collectors into comics. - The 2026 New York Comic Con drew 250,000 attendees to the Javits Center. - The convention featured anime, cosplay, TV, movie and trading card game fans, along with vendors focused on Pokémon cards and other collectibles.

Between the lines: - The restored-copy record hints that the old stigma around restoration may be easing among high-end buyers. - Zurzolo said collectors are increasingly viewing restored books as preserved cultural artifacts and as a more accessible entry point than pristine copies. - Metropolis is using convention floor traffic to convert broader pop culture interest into blue-chip comic sales. - The fact that a heavy metal star bought the raw copy adds another signal that vintage comics are still a prestige asset for affluent collectors.

What's next: - Metropolis expects more buyers from sports cards and Pokémon-style trading card markets to keep moving into vintage comics. - The company is likely to keep leaning on marquee books like Action Comics #1 as demand stays strong for top-tier collectibles. - The convention setting may remain an important venue for major comic sales as collectors continue treating rare books as both cultural artifacts and investments. - Fishler said the comic market appears to be on an upswing, suggesting more high-end transactions could follow.