‘Marvel-lous’ collection of 1,600 vintage comics found in Sutton Coldfield goes to auction in Lichfield

‘Marvel-lous’ collection of 1,600 vintage comics found in Sutton Coldfield goes to auction in Lichfield

A ‘MARVEL-LOUS’ collection of 1,600 vintage comics goes to auction in Lichfield later this month.

Mainly dating back to the 1960s, the super stockpile was uncovered at a house clearance in Sutton Coldfield by Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

It all goes under the hammer at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, in the Antiques & Home Sale on Monday, March 25, starting at 9.30am.

Mostly Marvel comics in good condition for their age, the collection is expected to sell for between £3,000 and £5,000.

Iconic characters include Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, the Sub-Mariner, X-Men, Iron Man, the Silver Surfer, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider and Werewolf.

Highlights include The Amazing Spider-Man issues #31 with the first appearance of Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn; #41 with the first appearance of The Rhino; #42 with the first full appearance of Mary Jane Watson; #46 with the first appearance of The Shocker and #50 with the first appearance of the Kingpin – the latter could fetch in excess of £150 on its own.

Other Marvel rarities include a copy of the Silver Surfer #4 from 1969.

A number of the comics will be sold separately whilst others are grouped together.

Iconic Marvel characters in the collection include, clockwise from top left, Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, X-Men, Werewolf, Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

Auctioneer Richard Winterton, pictured top of the page with some of the collection, said: “This discovery has thrilled our comics department who say it’s the one of the best collections of vintage comics we’ve seen in years.

“They came to light at a house clearance in Sutton Coldfield where they were found up in the loft.

“All the boxes came on down and there turned out to be 1,600 of them.

“It was then up to the team to go through them all and check every single one – not just the condition but for first appearances of characters and other aspects which can hugely affect the value.

“Every box contained at least a few real standouts and we are excited to see how they perform at auction.”

He added: “Our comics and gaming department is growing all the time and this is just an example of what comes in to us.

“It’s an exciting part of the firm and a lot of work goes into it.”

The comics came to light at a house clearance in Sutton Coldfield where they were found up in the loft.

The catalogue can be viewed online via our Auction Dates page a week before the auction.

Viewing in person at The Lichfield Auction Centre takes place between 10am and 4pm on Friday, March 22.

Appointments for viewing and free valuations of all types of items can be booked on 01543 251081 or by emailing office@richardwinterton.co.uk.

Free home visits for large collections and house clearance quotations are also available.