A comic collection is being sold at auction in Lichfield.
More than 500 titles dating back to the 1960s will be sold by Richard Winterton Auctioneers in an online only sale on 8th August.
The comics include characters such as Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, The X-Men, The Flash, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Thor and Captain America feature in the collection.
Among the star lots are the 1963 introduction of the X-Men and a 1964 version featuring the first appearance of Daredevil.
The collection was built up by Reginald Clay, a driver from Stoke-on-Trent, who started buying comics at the age of 10.
He later stored the haul in a special cupboard in his loft – and only told relatives of his treasured copy of the very first X-Men comic.
Fifty-five years after they were introduced, Mr Clay had taken early retirement. But less than 12 months in he was diagnosed with cancer and died in March 2019 aged 65.
Before he passed away, Mr Clay asked his daughter and son-in-law to sell his comics but they were unaware of the scope of the collection.
“The Silver Age of Comics”
“We had no idea he had so many,” said Mr Clay’s son-in-law, who has asked not to be identified. “They were stored in a special cupboard in his loft and we didn’t expect to see so many.
“He had mentioned to us that he had the first edition of the X-Men but that was all.”
The so-called ‘Silver Age of Comics’, which ran until around 1970, is commonly regarded to have begun with a new version of DC Comics’ The Flash in October 1956.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said: “The Silver Age marks a time of artistic advancement in mainstream US comics which also brought great commercial success.
“It also spelled a resurgence of the superhero following new regulations cracking down on comics’ content in the mid-1950s.
“But as well as having superpowers, these were revolutionary superheroes, often with flawed characters and realistic human failings. And that helped strike a chord with college students and branch out towards an adult audience too.”
Click below to see some of the comics going under the hammer:
