Amazing comic: Shop hopes to sell first Spider-Man comic appearance

A couple who received a dead relative’s possessions may have hit a jackpot or at least have a bit of comic book history. Now, a comic store owner is looking to help them cash in on the treasure.

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The couple found a copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15.

For non-comic book fans, the 1962 publication may not be that amazing. But for people in the know, it was the first issue that featured Spider-Man. Not only is it the web slinger’s first appearance, but it’s Peter Parker’s origin story that put him on the path to being the neighborhood protector.

The Stan Lee-penned Marvel comic shows Parker being bitten by the radioactive spider, giving him both great power and great responsibility. The character was drawn by artist Steve Ditko. The collaboration between Lee and Ditko spawned decades of stories, films, television shows, video games and toys.

Steve Dobrzynski, owner of Collector’s Edge in Milwaukee, shared a photo of the graded comic on social media.

On a scale of .05 to 10, the issue is a 3.0 according to the Certified Guaranty Company in Florida. The comic is worn and has small tears on the edges, the AP reported.

The company grades comic books, trading cards, video games, home videos, magazines and concert posters, among other items.

Despite its condition, the comic — which retailed for a whopping 12 cents in 1962 — could now earn as much as $35,000 if it is put up for auction.

It may not even get on the block.

Dobrzynski has contacted some of his regular customers to allow them to get first dibs on the comic, but no one has plunked down the money yet.

“They’re thinking about it, but I can only wait so long for people to think about it,” Dobrzynski told the Journal Sentinel, according to the AP. “If I’m selling it for someone else, my due diligence is to try to get the best possible price I can.”

Other copies of the issue have been put up for auction, with one becoming the most expensive comic ever sold.

The copy, which was graded as 9.6 by CGC and was one of only four known in near-mint condition, sold for $3.6 million in 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A 9.4-grade copy of the same comic was sold in 2020 for $795,000.