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.

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2022/11/09/brand-new-whiskey-from-jack-daniels-released-just-in-time-for-holidays/?sh=157541783151

https://www.kentucky.com/lexgoeat/bourbon/article267897382.html

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?

Source

https://studyfinds.org/perfect-holiday-gift-a-surprise/

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.”