Huge Superman 'bought as joke' sold to collector
BBCFor months, a seven foot Superman has been standing in the window of a collectibles shop in a Lancashire town, drawing comic and movie fans to stop and admire the promotional figure.
The figure in Curiosity Classics in Great Harwood, which was originally used to promote the 2013 film Man of Steel, has now been sold to a local collector.
The co-owner of the shop on Queen Street, Paul Youds, said he and his wife had bought the figure at auction as "a bit of a laugh" but because most similar promotional statues were destroyed after use, surviving versions were rare.
Customers are now wondering what will replace what had become a local landmark of sorts, with suggestions including Freddy Fazbear, Art the Clown and a velociraptor.
Although Man of Steel was not the most popular Superman film among some fans, Youds said the rarity of the surviving cinema figure helped its value.
He said he and his wife Karen bought it "as a bit of a laugh" before putting it in the shop window.
"We didn't pay a lot for it, so we just jokingly put a figure on it of £600 and somebody bought it," he said.
Youds said the only other similar figure he had found advertised was listed by Dallas Vintage Toys in Texas for about $6,000.
Curiosity Classics opened in December after the couple's collection began taking over their home and warehouse space.
He said collecting and "geek culture" had become more mainstream recently, with younger customers now coming in for retro consoles such as the Nintendo 64 and Super Nintendo.
Youds said he believed new independent shops and bakeries opening over the past few years were helping improve Great Harwood's high street by giving people "something different" to visit.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
