The Arts

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Bulk of man's remarkable childhood comic book collection fetches $3.5 million at auction

By: Jamie Stengle, The Associated Press

Posted: 02/22/2012 11:55 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 02/22/2012 7:06 PM

This Feb. 13, 2012 handout photo provided by Heritage Auction , shows the CGC-Certified 6.5 copy of Detective Comics #27 from the Billy Wright Collection at Heritage Auctions in Dallas,Texas. On Wednesday, the collection is expected to bring more than $2 million when Heritage Auctions offers the comics at auction in New York City. (COURTESY OF HERITAGE AUCTIONS)

DALLAS - The bulk of a man's childhood comic book collection that included many of the most prized issues ever published has sold for about $3.5 million.

Lon Allen, managing director of comics for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, says Billy Wright's 1939 copy of Detective Comics No. 27 that features the debut of Batman got the top bid at the New York City auction Wednesday. It sold for about $523,000, including a buyer's premium.

Action Comics No. 1, a 1938 issue featuring the first appearance of Superman, sold for about $299,000. And Batman No. 1 from 1940 sold for about $275,000.

Wright died in 1994. Relatives found the 345 well-preserved comics he bought as a child while cleaning out his wife's Virginia home following her death last February.

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Online:

Heritage Auctions: http://www.ha.com

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