Priceless comics fly off shelves at Rosemont's Fan Expo

As crowds flooded the first day of Fan Expo in Rosemont on Thursday, Aug. 10, the cash registers kept ringing at the many comic book booths in the massive hall full of art, jewelry, gaming, food, books, coffee, T-shirts, posters and costumed characters.

If you had an extra $25,000, you could have bought a lower graded and popular Amazing Fantasy #15 comic book from 1962, which features the first appearance of Spider-Man, being sold by Tray Curtsinger of the Dangerously Terrific Comics.

Or, for $50,000, you could have bought a slightly better graded Amazing Fantasy #15. They are graded 1-10, with 10 being the best.

Shocking the auction world in 2021, a 9.6 graded Amazing Fantasy #15 shattered all sales records for a comic when it sold for $3.6 million by an auction house. It was deemed the most expensive comic book ever sold. It is published by Marvel and created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee.

Curtsinger, of Louisville, Kentucky, said this was his first Fan Expo in Rosemont (formerly Comic-Con and Wizard World) and he said business was brisk. The four-day event, which wrapped up Aug. 13, was held at the Donald E. Stephens convention center.

"Yes, we have a lot of collectors finding the comics that fit their collection," he said. "We may have more men than women buying, but women know what they want. They come in, ask for a certain comic. We find it, then they peruse what we have, plunk down the money for the comic they want and leave."

In addition to enjoying the many costumes, especially the costumed families, attendees got a chance to meet their favorite celebrities such as Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Randy Quaid, Christie Brinkley and more. Comic creators, voice stars, podcasters and YouTubers were also crowd favorites.

At Gibson's restaurant, across from the convention center in Rosemont, some people inside said this was their favorite place to be to watch the comings and goings of all the costumed Fan Expo attendees and to enjoy the food.

The halls remained crowded throughout the convention. And even though the vendors all seemed a bit weary, having to travel across the country with their merchandise, set up, man the booths for four full days, and then tear it all down to go home, they wouldn't change a thing.

"Oh yeah, we'll be back next August," Curtsinger said.