First Off

Why do I even feel bad when I have to tell people their investment comics aren't worth shit? This time it was some guy with a copy of Silver Surfer #50 with an embossed cover. It's worth about $6, which is $4.50 more than he payed for it in 1991, but of course he was expecting it to at least be in double if not triple digits, I'm sure.

"Why did I hold onto it for so long if it's worthless?" he asked me.

"Because you love Silver Surfer? The art and the story give you pleasure?" I suggested.

"I never read the fucking thing."

Of course I knew he hadn't and my point was lost on him. The first few times this happened it was little old ladies hoping to sell their sons' comics and I was sincerely sorry to tell them they were worth a couple of dollars each and there was nothing I was currently buying. After talking to this guy for a few minutes, though, I actually took pleasure in giving him the bad news and had hoped to discover that he'd payed more than $6 for it originally, but that wasn't the case. It was a gift from his grandmother, it turns out.