CGC-certified Pulps Now Available in Heritage Auctions’ New Weekly Sales

Beginning this month, Heritage Auctions is launching the first of its newest weekly auction series dedicated entirely to pulp magazines, featuring many spectacular issues graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®). The auction will be open for bidding September 23-29, 2024.

“For collectors, this is an exciting chance to dive into the world of pulps, which played a huge role in the development of comic books,” said Rick Akers, Heritage Auctions’ Vice President of Comics. “These magazines introduced iconic characters and thrilling stories, influencing the superheroes and genres we know today. Whether you're already into collecting or just starting out, this is a fun way to explore the history of comics and snag some vintage gems. Don’t miss out — it’s going to be a great ride!”

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Pulps came into existence at a time when publishing was revolutionized by the development of high-speed presses and the availability of cheap wood pulp paper. Working-class Americans had more leisure time to read as the country became urbanized toward the end of the 1800s, giving rise to periodicals, a form of entertainment that was more affordable than hardcover books. The first pulp appeared in 1896, titled The Argosy. Publisher Frank A. Munsey altered an existing publication by swapping its slick paper for wood pulp and eliminating pictures and articles, giving readers 192 pages of stories for 10 cents.

Because of pulps’ frequency of release, which was often monthly or even bi-weekly, writers had to work fast, churning out stories to fill issues that contained upwards of 60,000 words each. A narrative form developed in pulps over time: straightforward stories of dynamic action that were told in clear, direct prose. Their themes, plot devices and character types profoundly influenced radio, movies, comic books and eventually television.

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After more than two decades as the leading comic book grading service, CGC announced in February 2024 that its expert team would also begin grading pulps.

“CGC’s launch of pulp certification earlier this year has proven to be a big success, with many new collectors adding these amazing books to their want lists,” said Matt Nelson, President of CGC Comics. “I’m really excited that Heritage is dedicating weekly auctions to pulps, which can only raise the awareness and focus of these rare, historical treasures. Pulps have entered a new phase of popularity, and I can’t wait to see what comes to market in the coming months and years.”

Heritage is kicking off its weekly pulps auction with some exciting books, including:

• an Astounding Science-Fiction #106 (1939) graded CGC 9.2
• a Detective Fiction Weekly #500 (1934) graded CGC 6.5
• a Planet Stories #14 (1943) graded CGC 8.0
• a Planet Stories #42 (1950) graded CGC 8.0
• a Spider #33 (1936) graded CGC 6.5

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media, including Betamax tapes, DVDs and Blu-ray discs.