FREEPORT, Maine — As its name implies, DotCom Comics in Freeport does the majority of its business online. But earlier this month, the company made its largest payout ever from its retail store.
A man walked into the store just to see if the shop might have any interest in his Amazing Spider-Man collection. He walked out with $22,000 in cash.
The collection turned out to be a complete, decade-long run of Amazing Spider-Man, issues #1-99. Published between 1962 and 1971, these books form a bedrock of Marvel Comics, featuring the debut appearances of many characters who now enjoy global name recognition, including Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, and Mary Jane Watson, according to DotCom Comics.
“Once in a while a guy or a person just comes in with a box, and you never know what’s going to be in that box," Ashley Cotter-Cairns, DotCom Comics' founder and co-owner, said. "It could be a bunch of junk, and more often than not we turn stuff down because the time it takes to sell a bunch of $5 books just isn’t worth our trouble. But on this occasion, there was actually a real treasure inside that box."
“We buy collections from all over the world but have rarely seen a complete run like this. A collection with this series is almost always missing, at least some early issues," co-owner Sean Goodrich said in a news release. "So it’s really pretty cool to think that this came to us from someone local right here in Maine.”
DotCom Comics was unable to connect NEWS CENTER Maine with the man who sold the comics to the store. It plans to sell the collection for profit.
Cotter-Cairns said, since the pandemic began, there's been a spike in people bringing comics to the store to see what they can get for them. He also said more people than ever are buying comics books and paying a lot more for them.
“Because of the way the pandemic has affected collectibles, because of the scarcity of supply and the increased demand, there’s probably not going to be many better times to sell a vintage comic book collection than now," Cotter-Cairns said. "I’ve already started to see prices softening across the board. As people go back to work, they no longer have the time to dedicate."
“So, right now, comic books are a buyer’s market, and a seller’s market,” he added. "All things considered, it's a really great time to sell a comic book collection."