Yamaava Resort and Casino is no stranger to outside-the-box giveaways.
The casino, located on the San Manuel reservation in California, runs around 1,500 promotions and events each year, including a weekly collaboration with Jay Leno to give away a car chosen by the comedy legend.
“We try to provide experiences that you just can't get anywhere else,” Kyle Anderson, vice president of property marketing, told cllct.
Often, these promotions are tied to cultural events, like back in 2023, when the movie “Air” was released about Michael Jordan’s partnership with Nike. Yamaava gave away a PSA 10 Michael Jordan Fleer rookie card (valued around $200,000).
“What better way to tap into culture, then give away the holy grail of sports cards,” Anderson said.
When Anderson and his team were searching for the next big promotional item earlier this year, thinking of past success with collectible promotions, they circled the July release of the new James Gunn-directed "Superman" film on their calendar.
“Oh, there's a new 'Superman' movie? Well, that's interesting … Is there a creative way to tie in Action Comics?” Anderson recalls his team thinking.
So, the team went back to the very beginning of the Superman story: Action Comics No. 1.
The legendary comic, featuring the first appearance and origin of Superman and released in 1938 (cover price: $0.10), is the holy grail of the comic world.
In 2024, a CGC 8.5 copy sold for an all-time record $6 million. Only 81 copies total have been graded by CGC.
Yamaava was finally able to get its hand on one through East Coast comic-dealer Reece’s Rare Comics. It's graded CGC 6.0 (Restored), which they value around $400,000. A similarly graded copy sold in October 2024 for $324,000.
The giveaway, which runs until Aug. 5, has already attracted massive intrigue from casino-goers beyond the excitement of winning the grand prize. Currently displayed just before the casino floor, in a display shaped like the superhero's fortress of solitude, the comic has drawn plenty of attention.
“That's the first thing they see before they go play their favorite game, and they are just blown away,” Anderson said. “And, I mean, I'm not kidding you, I've seen grown men cry.”
The connection comic books and the story of Superman holds within culture is powerful in a way that many of the casino’s previous giveaway, such as Birkin bags and watches, might not offer. Anderson says the casino’s website analytics show data to back up the observation — these promotions become their most visited web pages.
“We know we're on to something,” Anderson said. “But more important than everything else, it's the reaction of our guests and the connection they feel to these items.”
Anderson says they might have more up their sleeve when it comes to the Action Comics promotion, similar to the roll-out of the Michael Jordan rookie card. When they were thinking of ways to promote the card, without using Jordan’s name, they realized there was a voice out there that was nearly as iconic as the card itself: Bulls public address announcer Ray Clay, whose legendary voice rang out during the team’s introductions over the backdrop of Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius.”
For the announcement of the winner of the Jordan rookie card, they brought Clay in to do the honors.
We will see whether Clark Kent shows up to announce the winner of the holy grail of comics this summer.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.