ST. CHARLES, Mo., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- An auction official said more than 3,000 comic books, including several rare items, are set to go on the auction block in St. Charles, Mo.
Mound City Auctions co-owner Tina Weiman said the comics up for sale were found by her company in a basement in Arnold, Mo., years after the comics' owner died, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Wednesday.
"The interest has been amazing," Weiman said of Sunday's scheduled auction. "All the phone calls, the chat-room talk. People flying in from New York. We do a lot of auctions, but this has become a whole different ballgame."
Among the collection of well-preserved comic books is a copy of "Amazing Fantasy" issue No. 15 that represents Spider-Man's first appearance in print.
The comic debut of the Silver Age Green Lantern is also up for grabs at the auction with the 22nd issue of "Showcase," while auctioneers will also be accepting bids for a copy of "X-men" issue one.
Weiman told the Post-Dispatch she has been surprised by the intense interest in the comics.
"I understand people's passions," she said. "Think about baseball card collectors. And from what I've seen so far, comic book people take the cake."
