Thieves swipe $20,000 worth of comic books
Freakshow Comics owner says pair ‘knew exactly’ what to take
They were in and out in exactly 28 seconds.
And, by the time they fled Freakshow Comics on Lundy’s Lane on Monday, they had nabbed $20,000 worth of books.
The theft, caught on the store’s surveillance video, shows two people smashing through the front door at about 10:46 p.m. Once inside, they immediately head to the counter area where they snatch two boxes full of CGC — Certified Guaranty Company — graded comics.
Nothing else in the store was taken, leading owner Keith Gillam to believe “they knew exactly what was in the boxes.”
CGC books are graded and encapsulated in a sturdy plastic case, sharply increasing their value, especially for older key issues.
About $20,000 worth of books were taken, including one huge heartbreaker for Gillam — a copy of Amazing Spider-Man No. 6 (1963) signed by Marvel guru Stan Lee. Graded at 4.5 by CGC, the book was being sold by Gillam for $3,500.
He had just obtained it a month ago. It was displayed in a case, which contained other valuable books stuffed in a box by the thieves, who were wearing masks and hoodies.
“They’ve had to have seen the store before,” said Gillam.
The store’s security system immediately notified Gillam when the front door was shattered. Living in Port Colborne, he asked a Niagara Falls friend to check on the store. When the friend arrived 10 minutes later, his worst fears were confirmed.
His gut reaction was “disgust.” “We don’t have a backup,” said Gillam, who runs the store with his wife Amy. “It’s not like I can just go to the bank and pull out a chunk of money and replace this.”
Added Amy: “The last two years of lockdown and restrictions have taken all of our savings.”
Though the books were insured, Gillam is worried he won’t get full value for them, especially with comics surging in price recently. He said the recent spike in values — with many books doubling or tripling in value in the past few years — makes comic stores a prime target for thieves.
Word of the theft spread quickly on social media, with other comic stores and even comic artists sharing it. Gillam also put out a full list of the books stolen, along with their CGC certification numbers.
Gillam opened the store in 2016, buying his stock from longtime Niagara Falls comic store The Neutral Zone, which closed after 24 years.
He has built a steady customer base since. While the theft didn’t damper his love of the hobby, it hurt his “faith in humanity.”
“It doesn’t matter what you do in life … if you’re doing OK, you can always expect somebody lurking in the bushes just trying to steal from you.”
‘‘ It’s not like I can just go to the bank and pull out a chunk of money and replace this. KEITH GILLAM FREAKSHOW COMICS OWNER