Ronnie Parisella has been collecting since he was nine years old! What started with He-Man, Video Games, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, coins, sports cards and more eventually developed into a different passion.
In August of 1990, Marvel released a new Spider-Man #1 with art and story by Todd McFarlane – It was branded a “First All-New Collector’s Item Issue” and it had multiple versions to buy originally. “It wasn’t the first comic with multiple covers, but it was the biggest ever at the time!” Ronnie explains. “When I found that book, I loved it. There were four original versions, and I got my hands on the rarest one, the Gold UPC for cover price. That sucked me into wanting them all!”
Today, Ronnie’s collection is special because of the sheer volume of it – he has over 250 unique items. He has a high number of top-grade, one-of-a-kind items. His favorite piece is his SM#1 Green Poly-Bagged CGC 9.9. “There are no 10s, only two 9.9s in existence, and it’s unlikely that there will be more. It’s impossible to value, because after 32 years the other one has never come up for sale, and likely never will.”
Another unique thing about Ronnie’s collection is that he has financed it entirely by selling and trading comic books. “I intentionally buy a lot of doubles so that I can trade up to better conditions and then flip the lower grade to buy the items I need”. Most of his collection was bought with the profit from those flips, so this collection has a net cost of $0, despite the fact that it’s approaching 6 figures in value. The most valuable item in the collection is probably the SM#1 Silver Cover CGC 10, worth around $6,000.
Ronnie’s Spider-Man #1 (1990) collection spans many areas of collecting; video games, trading cards, ephemera, trade paperbacks, postcards, posters, statues, toys, stickers, pins, production art and original art.
Very concerned about light damage, all of Ronnie’s comics are stored in boxes in a dark room and organized by categories. Overall, there are only two high-grade comics and three foreign editions missing from the collection. “Once I pick them up, I’ll have everything that I know exists, then I can focus on trading up grades,” Ronnie shares. He is currently focused on building out his foreign Spider-Man #1 (1990) (and related) collection, which he believes to be the biggest in the world, with over 60 different foreign editions and counting.
Ronnie Co-Founded a Spider-Man #1 (1990) Facebook Group in 2020 that now has over 550 members.
Larry Campbell’s love of comic books started around the age of eight with a Spider-Man comic book. “It was something fun to read, and I got interested!” shares Larry. He soon began seeking out comic books such as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and other Marvel favorites.
As a teenager, Larry got a job and found that much of his free income went into buying more comics. “When I started needing to figure out how to store and organize my comic books, that’s when I realized I was a collector.”
Larry set out with a goal: he wanted to collect the full run of The Amazing Spider-Man series. Last year, he achieved that goal. The final – and most expensive – item to finish off the collection was The Amazing Spider-Man #1. “I was thrilled to finish the collection and end on a high note,” says Larry.
After collecting the full run of Spider-Man, Larry set and reached another goal: to get 1-50 all graded. “I have them all on display!” he shares. Larry has around 150 graded comics altogether, and then there are between 5,000 and 6,000 ungraded comics in his collection.
In his collection, there are some books that Larry bought for $1 or $2 that are worth thousands now. There are also some books that he paid thousands for, but they have held their value. The most valuable item in the collection is The Amazing Spider-Man #1, which is worth five figures. Much of his collection date back to the 60s and 70s.
Larry’s collection is stored both in his basement and in a storage unit. The basement has a lot of shelving, so everything is displayed throughout. Everything stored in boxes is in alphabetical order, and there are dividers to label everything. The basement is laid out by themes: Spider-Man in one place, Fantastic Four in another, and so on.
Overall, Larry is proud of the collection he’s assembled. “I’ve had a lot of hard work and a lot of luck in getting this collection. I have made a lot of friends in the community. I think it’s been an exciting adventure!”
The holidays are upon us! For some, a staple of the holidays happens to a be a good whiskey or bourbon. We are excited to share some new holiday releases in the world of whiskey!
Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt
First up is a new single malt by the top whiskey brand in the country! Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt is being release just in time for the 2022 holiday season. This whiskey is crafted from 100% malted barley that is ground, fermented, and distilled in Lynchburg. According to the distiller’s notes, this drink has an aroma of soft oak, fruit, and cocoa.
Chicken Cock Chanticleer
Chicken Cock is a revived whiskey brand with decades of history. This holiday season, they’ve released a brand new $500 bottle of bourbon called Chicken Cock Chanticleer. Chanticleer is the second edition in a series of collectible holiday releases. Just 32 barrels were produced, and the recipe includes 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye and 9 percent malted barley.
Did you know that a recent survey of 2,000 Americans found that 80% of people think that the perfect Christmas gift is a surprise? 79% of those surveyed also believe that giving gifts is more fun when the recipient isn’t expecting a gift.
Furthermore, the perfect gift was described as being meaningful, useful, and unique. Just a small portion – 8% of those surveyed, felt that the gift needed to be funny or expensive. Givers judge how well the gift was received by whether or not they receive a hug, whether the recipient is using the gift right away, or if the recipient is jumping up and down.
This holiday season, will your gifts be a surprise, or will you be shopping your recipient’s wish list?
Michael Walton has always enjoyed collecting, especially toys that make him feel nostalgic about his childhood. “I was never a sports guy – I just liked my cartoons and superheroes.” At one point Michael had a collection of GI Joe toys, but sadly this collection was stolen from his storage space. Today, this love of collecting and comics has led him to become the owner of one of the largest collections that focuses specifically on Batman automobilia.
It all started when Michael was walking through a grocery store and noticed a Batmobile in a bin of Hot Wheels toys. He was hooked from that moment on! Eight years later, at around 10,000 pieces, Michael’s collection is large and contains Batmobiles of all sizes, from half an inch to 36 inches long. While he has some items from the 60s and 70s, most of the collection is from the last decade – and much of it is from the 90s and later.
The items as not particularly rare, and many of them are still available online. Still, the collection has held its value well, and some items have even doubled in value. This is due to the fact that everything is kept in its original packaging. “Everything that I purchase has to be in the original package,” he shares. “The original packaging helps it keep its value!”
Michael’s favorite piece – and perhaps the most unique one – is a one-of-a-kind factory mistake: a five-pack of Hot Wheels Batmobiles, but every single car is made incorrectly. Michael describes this piece, which he found accidentally at Target, as “bizarre.”
Everything Michael owns is on display in his apartment. “For some reason, I chose to stay in an apartment and collect toys instead of buying a house!” he shares. The toys are displayed from his dining room to his bedroom. The entire apartment is decorated in Batmobiles!
Items are organized by which Batman series or movie they are from, as well as by their country of origin. “I’ve got toys from Japan, China, Israel, Greece, and more!” says Michael. Of his collection, Michael shares, “It’s been the funnest mistake of my life! My kids are grown now, and it’s fun to do something for myself, a hobby.”
Matt and Laurie have always been interested in fossils, but it was around 2015 that a desire to collect was sparked. “We lived in Tucson and had been attending the annual Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil show,” explains Matt. “In 2015, we came across a femur bone from a t-rex – it was really cool!” They purchased the femur bone, and a collection was born!
Over time, the collection grew and broadened to include a variety of fossilized bones from different species and a variety of body parts. The couple is especially fascinated to see that despite there being many different animals, there are always similarities between them. “It’s neat to see similar bones from different animals and see the size differences,” shares Matt. “The other thing that is interesting for me is that the same types of bones in these dinosaurs from millions of years ago are the same type of bones in our body. There is still a lot of similarity in the types of bones and joints!”
When it comes to dinosaurs, there are three ages: the Cretaceous period, which took place about 145 to 66 million years ago; the Jurassic period, which took place between 200 to 145 million years ago; and the Triassic period, which took place 250 to 200 million years ago. The Cretaceous period is where most of Matt and Laurie’s fossils are from. “Movies show all the dinosaurs together, but that really wasn’t the case. [For example], a stegosaurus came nearly 80 million years before a t-rex.”
A favorite item in the collection is actually a group of items: a collection of bones from an apatosaurus – a long necked dinosaur that stood between 70 feet long and 20 feet tall. “We’ve got a large femur and a couple of large vertebrae from the spine. The size is what makes those impressive. The femur itself is almost 6 feet long!” Another notable item is a pair of unhatched hadrosaur eggs. “It’s unusual to find unhatched eggs,” shares Matt. “At some point, I will get them scanned to see if there’s anything inside of them.” It’s highly unlikely, but every so often an egg is found with embryonic bones inside. However, it’s most likely all rock.
There are more than 40 pieces in this collection, and they are all displayed in the front room of Laurie and Matt’s home. Many of the larger bones have stands made for them, while the rest are on display on shelves. “We try to keep similar families of animals together in the display.”
At around $10,000, the t-rex femur is the most expensive fossil they have purchased to date. They have made purchases that have spanned from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars. The least expensive are the smaller vertebrae and arms or leg bones, which they purchase for around $200. Today, the value has soared. The collection is now worth well over $100,000.
This collection is quite special because of how rare it is to find a private collection of dinosaur fossils. “You rarely see a room full of dinosaur bones in someone’s house,” explains Matt. “You may occasionally come across an individual one here or there. They are not everywhere. [This collection] is unique! You’re looking at something that typically you would only see in a museum, and I get to hold them and touch them and look closely at them.”
Tom Spina is more than a collector of movie props: he is a restorer and a conservationist. You may not realize the amount of effort that goes into keeping movie props in excellent condition, but for Tom, this is his life’s work! His company, Tom Spina Designs, restores, conserves, and displays movie props in all their glory.
We had the opportunity to chat with Tom about his work – read on to learn more about the fascinating world of movie props!
COLLECTIBLES: Tell me a bit about your work restoring and displaying movie props. What is involved?
TOM SPINA: For me, movie props are the closest you can get to these films and actors. There has been a great buildup of recent interest in collecting original props and memorabilia related to films and TV shows. I have always found that to be the most interesting avenue of collecting! Nothing yet for me has matched the feeling of being around something that was used in a movie that you love.
The work that we do fits hand in hand with that growth in collecting. It is exciting for us as fans and as collectors ourselves to be around this stuff. It’s cool to take something that needs restoration or conservation, or that could be improved with a unique display, and give someone back something better than it was when it came to you, ready for future generations to enjoy.
C: Tell me a little bit about the world of prop collecting in general.
TOM: It’s a really exciting area of collecting – something that is just growing at the moment. In the last few years, there has been a lot of new blood in the hobby, a lot of people collecting, and a lot of amazing collections being generated.
It’s been cool over the past few years seeing these pieces be dug up. Things that you thought were lost forever are going to turn up now that people know there’s an interest! It very much is a hobby that takes on elements of archaeology. There is a lot of fun to be had in the research – to see something new turn up and be able to trace the history of it, or even to talk to the person who made it and learn about how they made it.
C: How did you become interested in movie props?
TOM: I think a lot of movie prop collectors grow up loving films and usually toys related to them. A lot of folks my age grew up watching Star Wars and having the toys. I, like many, was also fascinated by Don Post studios masks. Don Post is the creator of the modern rubber mask. As a kid, I would go into the magic shop and see these masks on the wall and dream about getting enough money on my paper route to buy some. A lot of what I personally collect is related to Star Wars or monsters. I love creature masks and everything that goes into creating creatures for movies. You can’t grasp all of the effort that went into making every character costume, creature, puppet, and prop in a movie.
In the mid-90s I started to realize there are really props out there from the movies, and they aren’t unattainable. I started to meet other collectors online, and that was a big change for me. The internet and online forums allow you to connect with other collectors and meet others who share the passion. Connecting with others made me realize that there are props to be found and it’s not unreasonable to think you might own something from your favorite movie someday. Screen-used stuff is really my ultimate goal, and that’s my direction in collecting.
C: What are the top three coolest movie props you’ve ever worked with?
TOM: I’m a huge fan of Jim Henson and his work. My first internship in the business was with the Henson company. Years later, we had the opportunity to work with the Museum of the Moving Image – an amazing museum in Queens, New York. They’ve got an absolutely incredible Jim Henson exhibit. We consulted on the pieces that were coming in, and we did a whole range of conservation on the pieces from that exhibit. There was Skeksis from the movie, The Dark Crystal. This particular Skeksis was the puppet that Jim Henson used in the film. It’s an amazingly intricate and detailed character. The costume is covered in macrame and beading. That is definitely a top piece!
We also did work on Muftak, which is a furry creature from the Star Wars cantina, for some dear friends. That’s the scene that made me want to do what I do for a living. It’s my favorite scene in film, and it makes me want to collect. The original costume for that creature came through, and I was thrilled to work on that costume. It was a challenge because it was a mix of foam and latex elements. We had to really dig into our experience to make a great form to fit underneath this thing and support it. We did some cleaning and restoration as well. We used a surprisingly varied number of techniques for what looks like a simple character.
Another cool piece is from the film An American Werewolf in London. We got to restore the full, wearable final look of the werewolf, and it was just absolute movie history to be around! Rick Baker received an Oscar for the film and went on to win another six or seven after that. To handle something made by one of your idols – it’s a crazy responsibility and opportunity. I consider myself one of the luckiest kids alive!
C: Why is conservation/restoration such an important part of collecting props?
TOM: There’s a responsibility that comes with owning these pieces. These are history, and they are truly works of art by some of the greatest artists of our time. It’s very easy to assume that these pieces are always going to be as you remember them, but they are often made from natural materials with a lifespan. They age and change from being flexible to brittle. Thinking about conservation early and taking some basic precautionary steps can make a huge difference in the way a piece lasts for the future. That could be as simple as using muslin garment bags, thinking about the temperature and UV exposure, and using padded hangers. All of these little steps go a long way!
C: What is your favorite aspect of working in this business?
TOM: It has got to be the weirdos that this business attracts and getting to work around them! Also, just being around the stuff. All of us in the shop are fans of movies, television, puppetry, and art. To be here and have amazing costumes from amazing movies come through and to get to preserve them for the future is the coolest thing in the world. We get to play a small part in helping maintain the legacy of this art!
Did you know that comic books and graphic novels have become popular in the classroom? Believe it or not, these treasure troves of both written and visual storytelling have been proven to be a great aide for advanced learning – as well as an attractive option for those who aren’t as interested in reading.
The activity in the brain for a student who is processing a visual narrative is very similar to the activity when they are processing text. Add to this the ability to read the graphic novel analytically and you’ve got a great tool for learning! Graphic novels provide an opportunity to think deeply about storytelling and contribute to a student’s understanding of the world around them – as well as their ability to create their own stories.
Do you think that graphic novels are a great learning tool?
Jerry Simon’s collection of fantasy art got started when he was about 20 years old. He had started going to Comic Con and purchasing sketches from artists that he liked. Eventually, he started collecting pages from comic books. “I don’t have a particular nostalgia for a specific comic book – I just like all the characters!” he explains.
Over the years, this love of art blossomed into a collection, and eventually he began to focus on Magic the Gathering. “Magic was a big part of my childhood, and as a young kid I didn’t realize that there were thousands of traditional works being produced.” Today, the collection is about 80% Magic the Gathering, and the rest is general fantasy and comic book art.
Jerry realized he was a collector when he went to purchase a home and decided to reach out to an art dealer that he knew. He planned to sell some of his art to help finance his home. The dealer actually came to his house and sent a film crew to get footage of the collection. “That’s when I realized, ‘I’m a collector now!’” shares Jerry. “That moment was the moment where I realized the value of what I had.”
Jerry’s collection is special to him because with original artwork, everything is one of a kind. While he finds it difficult to name a favorite item from his collection, he mentions a piece called “Soul Burn” by Rob Alexander. This art is of a Magic the Gathering card of the same name. “I remember holding the card as a kid, and literally 20 years later I had the opportunity to buy it. This connected my back to my childhood in a tangible way. To have the original art is such a cool experience!”
Another memorable purchase was a piece by legendary comic artist Bernie Wrightson. “I would dream of owning a Bernie!” shares Jerry. He decided to drive to Baltimore to meet someone who was selling this piece for a high sum for Jerry. He was so nervous carrying that much money on him that after he made the purchase and left with his wife, the seller gave him a call. “You must be really nervous – you paid me more than you should have paid me!” The man was nice about it and returned the money, but Jerry remembers this story with a laugh. The man told him, “Right now, this is a lot to you. But as a collector, you’ll eventually spend way more and not even think about it.”
The man turned out to be right, Jerry confirms. “When I was starting out, $10 and $20 was a lot to me. I’ve spent way more than that in the last month!” He is constantly buying, selling, and trading artwork. In fact, so much art has passed through his hands that he has a dealer policy with Collectibles Insurance Services, rather than a standard policy. He’s only made one claim since he got the dealer’s policy, and “It took me two seconds to make the claim. They refunded me the entire amount. It was super easy!”
Jerry also shares that as he has gotten deeper into the hobby, he has found a strong connection with other collectors. “As you become a seasoned collector, you expand your searches, and you track auction houses and have a network of collectors. It’s a community!” In fact, many of his best friends are fellow collectors, and some of his collection is stored at friend’s houses, which he notes is a little unusual. His own home is full of art. “I have art on the walls, art on the floor, art in cubbies, art in file cabinets, and art in my office.”
Did you know that 60% of Americans believe it is socially acceptable to start celebrating Halloween before October? Now that October is upon us, there is no doubt that the spooky season has officially begun!
How will you be celebrating Halloween this year? Here are some Halloween collectibles that you may want to check out if you are a fan of the holiday!
Annual Pokémon Halloween Collection
This collection of plush toys and Halloween-themed trading card packs was released in September! It even includes some amazing jack-o-lantern inspired ceramic pumpkins featuring Pikachu and Gengar.
Dubbed “Trick or Trade BOOster Bundles”, this Pokemon Trading Card game features characters such as Zubat, Gengar, Pumpkaboo, Mimikyu and Polteageist. Each card will be stamped with a Pikachu jack-o-lantern!
To celebrate the season, Funko released a series of horror-based POPS! These include characters from Silence of the Lambs, Carrie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Disney Villains, E.T., Child’s
Play, Halloween, Nosferatu, The Simpsons, and Trick ‘r Treat.
