$85K Worth Of Rare Comics Reported Missing From Tampa Convention

A Panama City comic books dealer reported $85,000 worth of rare books missing Saturday from the Tampa Convention Center. Rick Whitelock, an exhibitor at Tampa Bay Comic Con and owner of New Force Comics, said the box contained such rarities as two copies of Amazing Fantasy No. 15 from 1962, which features the first appearance of Spider-Man. Whitelock’s copies are CGC rated at 5.0 and 4.0, and priced at $19,995 and $15,995 respectively. Whitelock filed a report Saturday with the Tampa Police Department. On Thursday, Whitelock arrived in Tampa with dozens of boxes containing hundreds of rare books.