Comic Collecting is a Family Affair

Putting together one of the best comic collectionsKeller returned to collecting in the late 1980s and
in America has always been a family affair forby the late 1990s, success in business allowed him
Gary Keller.to take his comic interest to the next level. He
It began with visits to his grandparents' homeexpanded his focus to Golden Age comics and
when he was a boy in the 1960s. "They lived nearbegan snatching up Mile High pedigrees. "Since
Larry's Comic Book Store, which was on Devon1999, I have 'collected hard,' " Keller explains. "I
Avenue in Chicago," Keller says. "I spent a lot ofbought books that were previously holy grails and
time there and that's what kind of got me goingunattainable. You get your hands on one of those
as a kid, just spending time in an old, damp,Ernst Gerber Photo-Journals and tell yourself it
dusty, musty comic book shop and loving everywould be cool to have this and this and this."
second of it."Now married with four daughters, Keller's support
It helped that Keller's father liked comics as well,on the home front remains strong.
and often joined him on trips to the comic store."My wife in particular is very understanding," he
"My father was absolutely a comic collector,"says. "Most wives' toes would curl if they knew
Keller says.their husband was spending these amounts on
Nearly five decades later, Keller's collection is onecomic books. All I needed was a little bit of a
of the best in the hobby. "From doing businessgreen light! I got it, and I was off." On top of that,
with Gary over the years, we know he has an"All my daughters are heavily into comic books.
eye for quality," says Ed Jaster, vice president atSpider-Man and Captain America are their
Dallas-based Heritage Auctions (HA.com), whichfavorites."
specializes in comic-book auctions. "But the otherSelections from Keller's collection will be featured
secret to his collecting success is support fromin Heritage's vintage comics and comic art auction
the folks back home."scheduled for May 20-21, 2010. Some of Keller's
Growing up, Keller bought comics wherever hecomics, such as DC's Adventure Comics #67
could find them. He picked them up at drugstores,from 1941, graded in near-mint/mint condition,
but also sent away for the famous back-issuecould fetch up to $45,000.
lists of vintage comic pioneers Robert Bell andAlthough he's parting with some of his prized
Howard Rogofsky. In a stroke of collecting luck,comics, including Golden Age Adventure Comics
the last book Keller bought off the stands beforeand Flash Comics, Keller says his collecting days
"discovering girls and other things" was 1974'sare far from over. He's just focusing on his
Incredible Hulk No. 181, a favorite among collectorsworld-class toy and muscle-car collections, with full
for its first full appearance of the popularsupport from the wife and kids, of course.
Wolverine.