First Dandy comic gives Sheffield firm auction double after Spider-Man success

Sheffield Auction Gallery will put Dandy number one under the hammer later this month after it sold Spider-Man number one for £6,500 – six times the asking price.

Now auctioneer Liam Shaw is delighted to get another comic first with the Dandy number one from 1937, produced by Dundee publisher DC Thomson.

Liam joked: “I’ve had more number ones than Elton John!”

Dandy introduced a lot of firsts to the comic book genre including Desperate Dan and Korky the Kat. The edition to be auctioned is said to be well-loved and although not in perfect condition it has survived the last 84 years and is a chance to own a piece of comic book history.It will carry a guide price of £2,500-£3,500 and will be sold online.

Liam said: “This creates a buzz. I thought the Spider-Man comic was a once in a career but within weeks we get this. We’re grateful these things are still out there being discovered.”The long running Dandy comic ended in 2012 after more than 3,600 issues. The edition to be auctioned was found in Yorkshire after relatives sorted through a loved one’s effects.

It will be offered along with a collection of comics, live steam models, model railway and collectable and retro toys on September 30.

Spider-Man first appeared in the comic book Amazing Fantasy No15 in 1962, the creation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It broke the mould with superhero Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker - a ‘normal American teenager’, getting a comic of his own in 1963.Spider Man number one, other early important Spider-Man and Marvel comics arrived at the auction gallery from a garage clear out and were contained in a supermarket carrier bag.

Liam said: “We knew they would do well but we didn’t want to promise the world and disappoint. It shows we can handle important comic works and that gives people faith in us.”

Closer to home, the gallery will auction a piece of Sheffield history in October. It is a silver casket made by Walker and Hall and was presented to Alderman William Farewell Wardley JP, with the Honorary Freedom of the City of Sheffield in July 1924.

Mr Wardley was the first Labour Lord Mayor of Sheffield and held the position in 1920-21. In his earlier days, he played for Sheffield Wednesday as a ‘kicker-in’ later becoming a club director.The decorative casket has engraved and inset porcelain panels which include views of the Town Hall. It measures 19.5cm long by 13.5cm high and is contained in a glazed cabinet together with associated certificates, photographs and even his cigarette case.

When it goes under the hammer on October 29, it is expected to make in the region of £500-800. Entries for the September auction and future specialist auctions are invited. For details contact the auctioneers office in Meersbrook on 0114 281 6161.