40 Years of Hunting Rare Comic Books and Collectibles | Carmine De Santo

Carmine De Santo bought his first comic book in 1978. By 16, he'd opened his own shop. Four decades later, he's still in the game, running Dr. Comics in Orillia and organizing comic cons across North America.In this conversation, Carmine walks us through the world of rare comics and collectibles. He talks about buying a Batman #1 at 18 and selling it for $90,000 (it's now worth $3.5 million), why the collectibles market exploded after the pandemic, and what it was like losing $850,000 worth of inventory in a fire that destroyed his downtown Orillia shop.He also shares the story of the Tim Maple collection, one of the most fascinating pieces of comic book history you've probably never heard of.Whether you're deep into collecting or just curious about where to start, this one's worth your time.Dr. ComicsWebsite: https://www.drcomics.ca/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1drcomics/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcomics/Who are weBehind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.Follow UsWebsite: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznKNewsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/Chapters0:00 How Carmine fell in love with comic books2:48 Rare finds and million-dollar regrets4:09 Why the collectibles market is booming7:33 Losing everything in a fire11:18 The legendary Tim Maple collection13:17 How to start collecting17:19 Comic cons, anime fests, and what's trending