Page 5 - Aruba Today
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Monday 15 February 2016
Debut edition of Spider-Man
comic headed to auction
FRANK ELTMAN he was bitten by a radio- a crazy way to spend his This undated photo provided
Associated Press active spider. It paved the hard-earned money. His by Heritage Auctions shows
CALVERTON, New York way for Spider-Man adven- most cherished copies the comic book “Amazing
(AP) — Walter Yakoboski tures on television and the were stashed in a bank Fantasy” No. 15, by Marvel
scraped together nearly big screen. safety deposit box — he Comics. This comic book will
every penny he made as a Lon Allen, managing direc- still has 38 prized editions be going up for sale at an
cook in 1979 to begin buy- tor of the comics depart- left — while lesser comics auction by Heritage on Feb.
ing a small collection of rare ment at Dallas-based Heri- fill cabinets in his Middle Is- 18, 2016. A similar comic book
comic books for $10,000, tage Auctions — which is land, New York, home.q with a higher rating bought by
hoping his boyhood pas- conducting the sale Thurs- Heritage Auctions’ Allen Walter Yakoboski in 1980 for
sion could one day pay off day — said there are prob- credits Yakoboski for hav- $1,200 could fetch $400,000 or
as an investment. ably 4,000 to 5,000 copies ing a good eye for what more at the upcoming auc-
That day may soon be of “Amazing Fantasy” No. might become valuable. tion.
here. 15 in circulation. But Ya- He said while others sought
Yakoboski’s copy of “Amaz- koboski’s copy is in nearly to buy entire collections, Associated Press
ing Fantasy” No. 15 from mint condition. Yakoboski targeted what
1962 — which introduced “It was graded 9.4 on a he thought were the high-
the world to Spider-Man scale of 1 to 10, that’s what est quality and rarest com-
— could fetch $400,000 or makes it super desirable ics.
more when it goes up for and really special,” Allen “The best stuff always out-
auction later this month. said. “Whoever buys this paces the market, and he
“This is the first time I really comic will be joining an bought the best stuff,” Allen
sold anything,” said the elite club.” said. “That was genius.”q
60-year-old Yakoboski, who Allen said a private collec-
wants to use the proceeds tor reportedly paid $1.1 mil-
to buy his late father’s 17- lion for a near-mint copy of
acre (7-hectare) vegeta- “Amazing Fantasy” No. 15
ble farm in Calverton on in 2011, but estimated the
eastern Long Island. $400,000 or more Yakobos-
He insisted that the fact ki’s edition may fetch could
that he was recently laid be a record for a public
off as a supermarket baker auction of the comic book.
after more than 27 years is Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner
not the reason he’s selling of New York-based Me-
now. tropolis Collectibles, said
“I have had it for 36 years the $1.1 million sale —
and it’s just time,” said Ya- which he was involved with
koboski, who is also is sell- — involved a comic book
ing a 1963 Spider-Man, as graded higher at 9.6.
well as two “Fantastic Four” “This book will do great;
editions and a “Justice it’s an incredibly important
League of America,” which book,” said Zurzolo. “When
combined could bring an you have a sale like this
additional $75,000. there is a residual effect on
But the crown jewel is the the entire market, so that
“Amazing Fantasy” issue, also makes it very excit-
which Yacoboski originally ing. It’s definitely a special
purchased individually for book.”
$1,200 in 1980. Its cover, Yakoboski admits he never
featuring a price of 12 thought about such a pay-
cents, shows Spider-Man day when he began read-
clutching a villain in one ing comic books as a child,
arm and swinging from his sometimes sneaking away
web with the other. from trips to the library to
Stan Lee and Steve Ditko visit a nearby comic books
co-created the web-slinger store.
and his alter ego, the edu- The collecting of rare edi-
cationally gifted but awk- tions continued as an
ward Peter Parker, whose adult and Yakoboski says
life changed forever when his mother thought it was
