'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'baby I knew' after expert revealed the value of his 1972 Marvel comics

Comic book superheroes have gained increased popularity after Marvel and DC cinematic universes emerged. But, vintage comic books have also become popular among collectors and have made their way to "Antiques Roadshow." A guest who brought Marvel comics to the show fetched a sky-high appraisal for his prized collection. The owner of page one of the first edition of "The Defenders" comics told the show's expert, Travis Landry, that he knew his "baby" was worth it after the item was appraised at over $20,000. As he paid only $7,000 for the collection, the guest was beyond delighted to get a massive return on his investment.

In the episode, the guest shared how he got the significant piece of original artwork and the produced page together in one incredible collection. "I brought 'The Defenders," number one, page one, and  I think it's from 1972," he told the appraiser. Further showing the produced page, he explained that he bought the collection online when he was stationed in Iraq back in 2006 and 2007. "I believe I paid around $7,000 for it, which was a lot, but I had combat pay. So I used my combat pay to pay for this baby," he added.

Landry then confirmed that it was an original piece of artwork from the "The Defenders" comics, and it was in quite astonishing condition. "The Defenders is a very interesting team of heroes when it comes to Marvel. While this is 'Defenders' one, they were actually first introduced in 'Marvel Feature' one in December 1971," he explained. He added that "The Defenders" were the first 'non-team' that Marvel introduced as the group with initial members such as "The Incredible Hulk", "Doctor Strange", and "Namor the Submariner", who weren't cohesive.

Coming to the page, Landry noted that there was Sal Buscema on the pencils and Frank Giacoia on the inks. "It's just such an eye-catching page in really good condition. It does have some toning to it," Landry noted. He then asked the guest if the item had been appraised before, and the guest shared that a few years ago, he got a disappointing appraisal of just $400.

"Okay, well, I am happy to report that we're going to give you a lot better news," Landry told the guest. Coming to the appraisal, he added that in a well-advertised auction setting, a catalog estimate on the item would be about $15,000 to $20,000. This shocked the guest, and he said, "Whoa!" with wide eyes. 

To add to his delight, Landry added that the item may surpass the high estimate and even double it in the future. " I love this! I, I'm not trying to put prices on my paper babies, as I call them, but I didn't think it [the previous appraisal] was respectful," the guest noted. He then shared how happy he was. "Baby, I knew, I knew you were worthwhile. I really did," he said, patting the artwork in appreciation.

In the end, Landry went on to deliver some more good news as he noted that it was a great piece and some time ago in 2022, a cover for "The Defenders One" brought over a quarter-million dollars at auction.