sa国际传媒

Skip to content

First edition Spider-Man comic for sale in Victoria

The rare magazine is selling for $500,000 but may be worth up to $1 million.
8327279_web1_170901-vne-spidermancomic
This first edition of the Amazing Fantasy #15 printed in 1962 is written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko, with a cover design by Jack Kirby. It introduces Peter Parker and Spider-Man to the Marvel Universe. This comic book could be worth up to $1 million. (Photo courtesy of Gareth Gaudin)

A rare, first-edition Spider-Man comic book has swung into town and comes with a $500,000 price tag.

Amazing Fantasy #15, printed in 1962, is said to be the third-most valuable comic book in the world. One copy of this edition is currently on consignment in downtown Victoria. The comic is so valuable and fragile, the Victoria-based owner has to keep it in a safe deposit box while Legends Comics and Books helps her find a buyer.

Legends co-owner Gareth Gaudin knew what he was looking at when the owner of the relic brought it in to determine its approximate value. Gaudin said it was easily the most valuable comic hesa国际传媒檚 ever held in his hands, and like the famous line from Spider-Man, sa国际传媒渨ith great power comes great responsibility!sa国际传媒

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a little nerve-wracking, because you could destroy it just by the twist of your wrist. Fifty-five, 60-year-old pulp paper doesnsa国际传媒檛 really hold up too well,sa国际传媒 he said.

Even so, itsa国际传媒檚 in great condition. If it gets professionally graded, Gaudin said it will easily sell for $1 million.

The Victoria woman isnsa国际传媒檛 an avid collector either: this is the only comic she has sa国际传媒 purchased as an investment some 30 years ago for $450. She has brought it to Gaudin a few times over the years to check on its value.

Inside the book is the first appearance of Spider-Man in the Marvel Universe.

The story will be familiar to even the most casual Spider-Man fan: young Peter Parker goes to a science exhibit and is bitten by a radioactive spider, becomes a masked wrestler, and his uncle Ben gets killed because of him.

sa国际传媒淓veryone knows the story: itsa国际传媒檚 the origin,sa国际传媒 Gaudin said. sa国际传媒淓verything that would become Spider-Man is in those first 10 pages.sa国际传媒

As for buyers, he doubts anyone local will pick it up and expects collectors around the world will be interested.

sa国际传媒淚 guarantee no one in Canada will buy it,sa国际传媒 he said.

sa国际传媒淎 lot of corporations have been buying rare comic books and framing them and putting them in their lobbies sa国际传媒榗ause itsa国际传媒檚 a cool thing to do.sa国际传媒

lauren.boothby @vicnews.com

8327279_web1_170901-vne-spidermancomic02
Gareth Gaudin, one of the owners of Legends Comics and Books, leafs through one of his first edition MAD comic books that he hopes one day he can sell to put his kids through university. (Lauren Boothby/VICTORIA NEWS) Gareth Gaudin, one of the owners of Legends Comics and Books, leafs through one of his first edition MAD comic books that he hopes one day he can sell to put his kids through university. (Lauren Boothby/VICTORIA NEWS)




(or

sa国际传媒

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }