Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s has announced a major series of comic book auctions featuring two significant private collections. One is a newly-emerged archival collection valued at over £2 million, while the other is the meticulously maintained Alan McCulloch Collection. The sales will offer key Silver Age issues, including the origins of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Thor.
The headline-grabber is the multi-million-pound private archive, which reportedly contains over 100,000 books. Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s describes it as one of the most comprehensive ever offered in Europe. While it features investment-grade Marvel keys, it also includes rare and “possibly unique” issues from the controversial pre-code horror and crime era. The auction house notes that some of these graphic issues will be offered to the market for the first time.
For many collectors, the centrepiece of this archive will be its multiple copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 from 1962, which features the first appearance of Spider-Man. The collection also holds the first appearances of Thor, Loki, and the Fantastic Four. This level of heritage auction is, as some collectors note, a world apart from the live-auction deals on platforms like Whatnot.
The auctions also feature The Alan McCulloch Collection, valued at over £100,000. This single-owner collection was enjoyed by the family, passing through the generations. According to his grandson, Rueben, the family was “astonished” to learn its value and pleased they had “saved the collection from finding its way into a charity jumble sale.”
Over 300 books from this collection will be auctioned. Highlights include Silver Age marvels like Tales of Suspense #39 (Iron Man’s origin), Journey Into Mystery #83 and #85 (Thor and Loki’s first appearances), and The Amazing Spider-Man #1. The exceptional condition of these books is noted as a key selling point, making them a rare opportunity compared to more commonly found back issues.
Iain Murphy, co-CEO at Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s, commented on the sale’s significance.
Bringing multiple cornerstone keys to auction at once is rare and the breadth here is exceptional. The catalogue unites blue-chip rarities expected to achieve five-figure prices with more accessible issues in superb condition. Demand for U.S. comics remains strong across collectors and investors, and CGC-graded books continue to command a premium.
The first auctions are scheduled for 1st November, with subsequent sales on 27th November and 5th December. Bidding is available globally online or in person at the Stanley Gibbons Baldwin’s flagship store on 399 Strand, London, where advance viewing is also available.
