Named after both the inner-city Canadian neighborhood from where its collector hails and the all-American town where Archie Andrews enjoys his exploits, the Toronto Riverdale collection is “a tremendous set of high-grade rarities and key issues carefully and lovingly assembled by its curator over a lifetime of collecting,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments for ComicConnect.com.

Like many long-time fans, Donald Lem caught the comic book bug in his early teens, mostly with DC and Marvel titles. He soon focused on collecting Silver Age treasures when the market was just starting to grow in the 1980s. Constantly working to complete his want lists with the best he could find, he bought, sold, traded, and upgraded constantly, all the while seeking rare cross-overs and first appearances.

“I wasn’t into completing runs,” Lem said. “I just wanted single issues that appealed to me. I was also a big fan of Joe Kubert‘s art and DC War titles. It just so happened that the stuff I liked and focused on ended up being valuable in the collecting world 25 years later.” 

Lem’s library eventually expanded to the Golden Age of comics, especially Good Girl art, crime, and horror titles. He was inspired to seek out some of the most classic covers in the history of the art form. “Obviously there are so many great ones it’s nearly impossible to track them all down,” he claimed, “but I’m quite proud of the small group I’ve put together throughout the years.” 

Over time, he was able to amass a small treasury of some of the most notorious and famous Golden and early Silver Age covers, including Black Cat Mystery #50, Blue Beetle #54, Brenda Starr #14, Crime Does Not Pay #24, Crime SuspenStories #22, Fight Against Crime #20, and many other important comics.

“What’s so unique about the Toronto Riverdale collection,” Reynolds said, “is that it’s small, but has such variety. Donald Lem spent time carefully curating the very best issues, in the best possible condition, which turns the collection into a miniature history of comics themselves. It’s rare to see so many iconic and influential keys and classics in one collection, and we were immediately impressed with his taste and dedication.”

“I knew ComicConnect would give me the best exposure for my comics and find them a new home,” Lem said. “I’m letting go after almost 30 years of collecting, and, as a dedicated hobbyist, I hope the new owners will enjoy these issues as much as I have.”

A recent article about the collection appeared in the Toronto’s Globe and Mail.

The auction ends the week of June 2-6, 2014.