The Bristol Bronze Age Bonanza: A Comic Collection Pick-Up Packed With Surprises

There’s something magical about the moment you open a stranger’s front door and immediately think, Yes… this dude lives comics. Maybe it’s the faint smell of musty-book-nostalgia. Maybe it’s the stack of cardboard boxes taller than your hopes and dreams. Or maybe it’s simply because you’ve been invited to pick up a massive collection of U.S. format comic books that’s been sleeping soundly in a Bristol loft for forty years.

Either way, that’s exactly what happened this week when we travelled down to Bristol to collect what the owner described as “a few old comics.” Which, in the language of comic collectors, means: enough sequential paper to insulate a small North American cabin.

This wasn’t just any collection. This was a Bronze Age bonanza, sprinkled generously with Silver Age classics, key issues, bizarre 1970s fashion choices, and the occasional cover featuring Superman lecturing people about not doing drugs. (He’s not wrong, but still.)

This post is for anyone who loves comics, collects comics, or is currently Googling how to sell comics in the UK, because they’ve just discovered that Nan’s attic contains a small fortune in cardboard.

If that’s you, welcome. And if you’re here for the thrill of seeing what came out of Bristol’s greatest loft, buckle in.

A (Very) Heavy Beginning

We arrived at a semi-detached house in North Bristol - nice garden, well-kept, the sort of home that looks like it wouldn’t mind lending you a cup of sugar. Inside waited six large, dust-coated boxes marked “BOOKS - DO NOT THROW AWAY.”

Rule one of buying collections:
When someone writes do not throw away on a box, whatever is inside is either incredibly valuable or incredibly cursed. Luckily for us, it turned out to be the former (though the seventies fashion in some of the pages was absolutely the latter).

Once we opened the first box, we realised this was no ordinary haul.

What Was Inside: A Collector’s Dream

This Bristol collection was a glorious mash-up of:

• Bronze Age Marvel and DC

• A healthy dose of Silver Age issues

• A surprising number of key appearances

• Multiple complete runs (we’ll get to those…)

• A few oddities and delightful surprises

• And roughly 200 comics that smelled like someone stored them next to a radiator for 35 years (we’re not judging)

Let’s start with the headline items.

The Bronze Age Bangers

1. The Amazing Spider-Man Run (Issues #120–200+)

Spider-Man has always been the gateway drug of comic collecting. And this run? Whew. Beautiful condition, glossy, bright, and begging for a new home.

Highlights included:

• ASM #121 & #122 – “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” & “The Goblin’s Last Stand”
  These issues are always a major find. Classic storytelling, iconic covers, and the kind of emotional trauma Marvel loves dishing out.

• ASM #129 – First Appearance of The Punisher
  Yes. It was there. Yes. It was gorgeous. No. We did not squeal. (We absolutely squealed.)

• ASM #194 – First Appearance of Black Cat
  A stunning Bronze Age gem, and a fan-favourite character who somehow manages to flirt through the paper.

2. The Uncanny X-Men Stack (Claremont Era Glory)

If you’ve read our other collection write-ups on the Fantasy Road Blog, you’ll know how much we love stumbling into X-Men collections from the 1970s and 1980s.

This one included:

• X-Men #94 (yes, really)

• Giant-Size X-Men #1 (we had to sit down for this one)

• A near-complete run through the Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past

• Enough Wolverine appearances to make anyone consider adding a claw-related surcharge to their pickups

Claremont was at the top of his game, and this run proves it every time.

3. A DC Treasure Trove - Especially Batman

This collection surprised us with how many Batman issues were tucked inside.

Highlights included:

• Batman #251 – The Neal Adams Joker Cover
  The sort of issue that makes collectors instantly reassess their life choices for not collecting sooner.

• Detective Comics #400 – First Man-Bat
  A wonderfully weird key.

• Batman Family issues that reminded us DC once tried to make giant-size anthologies a thing. Good times.

The Silver Age Showstoppers

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the collection?
A small but potent stack of Silver Age beauties.

Fantastic Four Silver Age Issues (#48–#52)

Yes, you read that correctly.

Three titanic giants:

• FF #48 – First Appearance of the Silver Surfer & Galactus (cameo)

• FF #49 – First Full Appearance of Galactus

• FF #52 – First Appearance of Black Panther

Having these three together in one collection is like discovering the Holy Grail, Excalibur, and Thor’s hammer all inside the same cardboard box.

Journey Into Mystery with Thor (Early 100s)

A handful of early Thor appearances rounded out the Silver Age section—complete with bright colours, Kirby faces, and spectacular expressions of mild confusion.

A Box Full of Oddities (and Joy)

Every collection has its quirks. The Bristol haul included:

• The entire 1970s run of Marvel’s Luke Cage: Hero for Hire

• A random but pristine Howard the Duck #1

• Several issues of Tomb of Dracula, including #10 (first Blade!)

• Ms Marvel #1, featuring a Carol Danvers who is absolutely ready to punch something

• A stack of 1970s magazines including Savage Sword of Conan, each weighing approximately 400kg

And the pièce de résistance…

• A sealed 1980s Official Marvel Comics Fan Club kit, complete with badge, sticker sheets, and a letter addressed to “True Believer.”
  Reader, we became the true believer.

Condition Matters - And This Collection Delivered

Many collections we buy have suffered the usual tragedies:

• Attic humidity

• Boxes stacked on radiators

• Goldfish bowls somehow placed on top (it happened once)

But the Bristol haul?
These were kept in bags and boards so old they were legally antiques—yet they did their job beautifully.

Pages were crisp. Covers were vibrant. Corners were sharp.

A few comics even had that magical “I was untouched from 1979–2024” texture.

If you collect comics, you know the feeling.

Why This Collection Was Special

Aside from the sheer amount of key issues, near-complete runs, and shockingly high condition grades, there was something else that made this collection stand out.

The owner himself.

A soft-spoken gentleman in his sixties, he’d bought every single comic off the rack as a kid. No speculating. No flipping. No hoarding. Just pure, honest comic love.

He kept them because they mattered to him.

And passing them on mattered too.

This is why we take such care with collections like this—it isn’t just cardboard.
It’s childhood.
It’s nostalgia.
It’s stories.
It’s history.

And if you ever find yourself in the same position—wondering what to do with a collection that meant the world to you - we’re here to help. More on that later.

Why People Choose Fantasy Road When They Want to Sell Their Comics

If you’ve found yourself here because you’re thinking something like I want to sell comic books in the UK, welcome. You’re in good company.

We’ve helped hundreds of collectors (and families of collectors) figure out:

• what they have

• what it’s worth

• and how to sell it safely, quickly, and painlessly

Whether you’ve got:

• Marvel

• DC

• Image

• Indies

• Silver Age

• Bronze Age

• Modern keys

• Or a mystery box labelled “DO NOT THROW AWAY”

 we’re more than happy to take a look.

You can see how the whole process works here:
Sell Comics With Us

And if your collection contains Funko Pops, trading cards, or other collectables, we also handle those:

• We Buy Pokémon Cards 

• We Buy Magic: The Gathering Cards 

• We Buy Funko Pops 

We buy modern U.S. format comics, Bronze Age treasures, Silver Age keys, and those glorious 90s holofoil covers that reflect both light and your childhood trauma.

The Value Hidden in Old Comic Collections (and Why Sellers Are Often Shocked)

Many people assume their old comics aren’t worth anything.

Then they discover they’ve been sitting on:

• A first appearance

• A rare variant

• A low-print Bronze Age issue

• Or something that just went up in value because of a new film announcement (thanks, Hollywood)

But here’s the truth:

Comic values aren’t always intuitive.

A random 1975 issue of Iron Fist might be worth £10.
The very next issue?
Could be worth more than your electricity bill.

We keep an up-to-date understanding of the market, auction trends, and collector behaviour, which lets us offer strong, fair prices to sellers—without the confusing jargon or unnecessary drama.

(We save the drama for the X-Men.)

The Seller’s Story – A Beautiful Ending

The owner of this Bristol collection told us something that stuck with us.

“These comics were my escape. My comfort. My joy.
But I’m happy they’ll find someone new who loves them as much as I did.”

That hit us right in the Bronze Age heartstrings.

And that’s why we do what we do.

If You Have a Comic Collection to Sell… Let’s Chat

If you're considering selling comics online or in the UK, you’re in exactly the right place.

We make selling simple:

• We buy U.S. format comics (Silver Age, Bronze Age, Modern, etc.)

• We travel across the UK for larger collections

• We offer fair, competitive prices

• We handle everything with care and respect

• And we answer questions without making you feel like you need a PhD in comic lore

Start here:
Sell Your Comics to Fantasy Road

You can also browse helpful guides and resources:
Comic Book Resources

Or just enjoy more of our adventures buying collections:
Fantasy Road Blog

And yes—we even make videos:
Fantasy Road Videos

Final Thoughts: Bristol, You Beauty

This collection was more than just a haul. It was a time capsule.

A love letter written in:

• Kirby crackle

• Claremont dialogue

• Adams artwork

• Bronze Age weirdness

• And Silver Age wonder

We left Bristol that day with a van full of comics, slightly sore backs, and hearts full of collector joy.

If you’ve got your own collection hiding in your loft, garage, spare room, or - as we have seen many times  - under the bed… we’d love to take a look.

Whether it’s a single long box or a house-sized horde, just reach out.

We’re always happy to help collectors and families figure out the best way forward.