When the 51st issue of Weekly Shonen Jump was published in Japan in 1984, few could have predicted how historic it would become. Inside its pages was the very first chapter of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, a series that would go on to conquer the world and set a new standard for manga and anime storytelling from Japan. While the issue sold millions of copies—typical for Shonen Jump in the 1980s—very few copies of this historic issue have survived in good condition.

Now, a rare copy of Weekly Shonen Jump featuring the first installment of Dragon Ball in near-mint condition has been sold at auction in Japan. While the issue originally retailed for a mere 170 yen (approximately $1.15) when first published, the final auction price reached a head-spinning 3.8 million yen ($25,600). Could this sale signal a rise in Japan’s collectible manga market?

Japan’s Collectible Manga Market: A Growing Trend?

Lost Content: Why Original Manga Magazines Are Gaining Value

The collectible manga market in Japan is still relatively new. Prices for original issues of manga magazines tend to be lower than the sky-high amounts of money seen in the U.S. for rare comic books, such as first issues or the debut appearances of famous characters like Superman or Spider-Man. One key reason is that popular manga—like Dragon Ball and other Shonen Jump hits—are typically collected into book format, meaning fans don’t need to track down the original magazine issues unless they specifically want to.

In some cases, original manga magazine publications differ from their later collected editions, featuring color pages, artwork that was later retouched, or, in rare cases, stories that never made it into the books—famously the case with Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack. To date, these kinds of manga magazines have commanded the highest prices at auction in Japan. The fact that a widely available issue of Weekly Shonen Jump has now sold for such a high amount signals a new level of desirability for rare items from the Dragon Ball franchise.

Toriyama’s Legacy: Nostalgia Fuels Collectors’ Demand

Will Other Shonen Jump Milestones See a Price Surge?

When Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed away in early 2024, it sent shockwaves around the world. Fans became nostalgic for his artwork and storytelling. Owning an original issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in near-mint condition, from the very moment Dragon Ball began, is like owning a time machine to the past.

Will we see a rise in prices for other Shonen Jump milestones, such as the first appearances of One Piece or Naruto, or is this craze limited to Dragon Ball? Only time will tell.

Source: Yahoo! Japan