The 1962 first appearance of web-slinging Spider-Man reached an amazing price at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas on February 18, 2016. The incredible Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 9.4 sold for $454,100, setting a record price at public sale for the book. It was the highest selling piece in Heritage’s Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction that garnered over $5.7 million in sales.
“It’s a superbly preserved copy of one of the most sought-after comic books in the world,” said Lon Allen, Managing Director of the Comics Department at Heritage. “It’s worth well more than its weight in gold. There are very few like this one.”
New York area collector Walter Yakaboski bought the book in 1980, along with a handful of key early Marvel comics for a total of $10,000 – an impressive amount for the time. It is estimated that the amount that went toward Spider-Man’s first appearance was about $1,200.
This particular copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 was unknown to the collecting hobby prior to the auction. He kept the book meticulously preserved in a safe deposit box for 35 years. The book was purchased by an anonymous collector. Another Spider-Man key from Yakaboski’s collection in Heritage’s auction was 1963’s The Amazing Spider-Man #1 which closed at $110,537.
Other superheroes also fared well in the auction. Detective Comics #27 CBCS 4.5 with the first appearance of Batman hammered for $167,300 – surprising the auction floor considering the low grade and extensive restoration. The Avengers #1 CGC 9.4 closed at $98,587 – which tied the second highest CGC graded copy Heritage has ever offered. Fantastic Four #52 CGC 9.8 with first appearance of Black Panther saw excited interest, likely due to his role in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War film. It realized $83,650 Tales of Suspense #57, which introduced Hawkeye, netted $47,800.
Original comic art in the sale included John Romita Sr.’s original cover art for The Amazing Spider-Man #62. The 1968 cover depicting a fight between Spider-Man and Medusa of the Inhumans, measuring 12-1/4” x 18-1/2”, had 26 different bidders vying for the piece, launching it to $179,250.
The original cover art for Daredevil #9, by fan favorite Wally Wood, sold for $149,375. The 1965 Silver Age cover depicts a strong portrait of Daredevil wearing his new horn-head cowl surrounded by a detailed collage of comic scenes. Todd McFarlane’s 1988 original cover art for Amazing Spider-Man #309, showing four characters, closed at $54,970. The original art from page 15 from Amazing Spider-Man #49 with joint page credit to John Romita Sr. and Mike Esposito reached $53,775.
