Guide to Tarzan Collectibles

One of the hottest fields in collecting, Tarzan memorabilia ranges from comic books at a dollar or two to first editions valued in the thousands Part of our cultural heritage for nearly a century, the chest-beating ape man (what other fictional character can be described by a gesture?) has been a hero for generations of boys and girls. Appearing in books, movies, radio, comics, toys, television, cartoons, and even on luggage and vitamins, the image of Tarzan is sure to spark childhood memories of Saturday movie matinees or evenings spent reading the latest issue of the Tarzan comic book. Tarzan collectibles can be found at the priciest auction house or your neighbor's yard sale. Recently a movie poster from the 1928 production Tarzan The Mighty went under the gavel for over ＄30,000. Many of the Tarzan cereal premiums from the '30s and '40s are today worth several hundred dollars. Tarzan comics and books (both hard cover and paperback) offer the collector a chance to obtain samples of artwork by some of the greatest illustrators, past and present. Just as the worth of vintage items grows, today's toys, comic books, movie, and other Tarzan memorabilia have the potential to increase in value.

Glenn Erardi, whose syndicated column The Collector appears in over a dozen newspapers, has been a long-time Tarzan fan. As a child he began reading the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and has since written dozens of articles on Tarzan collectibles. A resident of the Boston area and father of two, he also teaches classes on antiques & collectibles and writing at several local colleges.