What Exactly is a “Comic Whisperer?”

This has been quite the month for The Comic Whisperer.  The blog is now getting over 25,000 views monthly and the Facebook page and Twitter page are growing faster than ever.

One other thing that is growing faster than ever is the pile of messages asking, “What exactly is a COMIC WHISPERER?”  So, in an effort to explain this you’ll need to be bored a little with my background.

Hence, for your eyes only, here is a brief background that would be included in a biography about me if one were being written.

When it comes to comic books, my love for them spans almost 50 years.  

My earliest memories are of seeing wild comic books running on my uncle’s ranch.  There I would spend countless hours observing the behavior of the comic books, whether they were alone or in packs.  My obsession didn’t end there however.  

I started watching endless hours of TV and movies that featured highly trained comic books.  By my teens I knew exactly what industry I wanted to be in...pharmaceutical sales.  BUT my love for comics continued.

Putting everything on the line I moved to Connecticut and opened a shop specializing in the breeding, grooming, and training of comic books.  As my skills grew I took on the challenge of rehabilitating aggressive and hard to handle comic books.  My groundbreaking work is not mandatory reading in any learning institutions anywhere.

Now, almost 50 years later, it is agreed by 4 of the 5 voices in my head (the last voice was absent the day the vote took place) that I am the world’s undisputed comic book expert.  

I swear when I am appraising a comic book that I can hear them speaking to me.

I have no idea what biographer they didn’t pick to write this book, but I hear they were a very experienced writer.

So, the mystery is no more and the light of truth has shown upon you.  I look forward to you pretending to enjoy what I write!


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A Public Service Announcement - Some Things Written In Comics Aren’t True

This is a Public Service Announcement from 
The Comic Whisperer.

Through years of reading and experimentation I have found that NOT all the things you read in comic books are true!  This probably comes as a surprise to all of you.  It’s OK, I was shocked as well.

True, there are some things in comic books that have been accepted as universal truths.  You know, the standard stuff:

• Be strong, ethical and true to yourself so you can serve as an example to others
• The good guys tend to win in the end
• Brains can beat brawn
• Work as well on your own as you do on a team
• Mutants and humans will never live together peacefully

They are valuable tidbits of truth to be taken to heart.

But, which of the time honored lessons taught by comic books are falsehoods?  They never make it obvious, so I had to learn for myself.  I did so by attempting some of the things I considered facts and, in some cases, paid a great physical price.

Since I am now fully recovered (and have full use of my hands again) I have compiled a list of things that comics teach that are NOT true (you’re welcome):

• It’s possible to reduce my body fat to 1% and look like a Greek god.
• Putting on a cape will keep me from plummeting 20 stories from a hotel window.
• I can breathe fine in a mask with no holes for the mouth and nose.
• Covering myself in random chemicals will give me super powers.
• Someone dressed as a bat will keep me from getting mugged in New York.
• I can walk into a police station dressed in flashy pajamas and get instant respect.
• Inhaling a gas of unknown content will activate my Inhuman gene.
• Setting myself ablaze gains me instant membership into the Invaders or the Fantastic 4.
• Shooting a bow and arrow in the middle of a crowded city is OK.

And

• I can taunt the police, get arrested, and easily break out of jail.

I sincerely hope that reading this will help you sort out the lies from the truth.  You owe me one.  

This was a public service announcement from 

The Comic Whisperer.

And please don’t write in asking me if any of this is true.  It is.  There’s a hotel chain that won’t let me stay in ANY of its locations anymore and I’m told the 10 people hit by arrows are recovering nicely.  OF COURSE IT’S NOT TRUE.

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Comics Help Kids Read - A New Project

I'll admit it, I'm going through something like a mid-life crisis.  I set a bunch of goals for myself as a kid and I've hit many of them.  I didn't think I'd hit them as soon as I did.  Perhaps I aimed too low?  I'm not sure, but what I do know is that I didn't set new goals and I feel like I've been wandering aimlessly for too long.

So, I put up all types of motivational sayings all over my house.  I have them in my office, I repeat them in my head, and I have them in my bathroom so I see them while I am getting ready to greet the day.  After all, Steve Jobs, may he rest in peace, used to say that the dots don't always come together when you want them to.  But when you look back on your life you see how they were being connected all along.

So, I thought to myself that I will just let the dots connect themselves.

Then it hit me.  How can I combine my love of comics with something that will make me feel as though I am doing something worthwhile with my life?

Start a charity.

So, the charity Comics Help Kids Read was launched with the purpose of putting comic books in the hands of kids who could not read to give them an incentive to try.

Doing some research on illiteracy and how comic books can help kids learn to read I was fascinated at what I found.

First, the Huffington post reported that at least 250 million of the world's 650 million primary school age children are unable to read, write, or do basic mathematics, according to a report commissioned by the U.N. Education Agency.

Second, Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent for The Telegraph, reported that researchers believe kids can benefit from tale about the caped crusader, Superman and even Dennis the Menace in the same way they can from reading other types of literature, despite teachers and parents often being snooty about comics, according to experts.  The same article goes on to say that according to the research, experts say that reading comics is actually a "simplified version" of reading that doesn't have the complexity of "real" books with their "dense columns of words and lack of pictures."

Today is literally the first day of the charity's existence and we are very hopeful.  As a friend we are asking if you could forward this blog to others who have similar interests so we can start building this charity.  It's a way for all of us to give back.  it's also a way to keep thousands and thousands of comics, that would normally be thrown away, in the hands of kids who will appreciate them.

Should you wish to give to the charity you can do so at www.gofundme.com/comicshelpkidsread

That website also gives details as to how to donate, what the donations will be used for, and it's a way to contact us directly.  No donations or funds of any kind will go to the owners of The Comic Whisperer.

Please forward this along to friends, colleagues, relatives, or whoever else you know who would be willing to help children learn to read.

Apathetic? Who Cares?

I remember going to flea markets as a kid.  It seemed to me that people haggled more back then.

"That comic there is $.25" (Yes, I am old enough to remember $.25 comics)

"Will you take $.10?  It's all I have. (Little liar that I was, I had around $1.50 but still had other stands to visit)

"I don't know, how much is it worth actually? (I was known at the flea markets as "The kid with the pricing guide".  Word spread quick and far)

"I'm not sure, I haven't looked it up."  (Liar...Liar...Liar)

"I'm going to stick with $.25 on that."

"I only have $.10. (LIAR!)

"OK, kid.  I'll give it to you for $.10"

"Thank you so much!"  (I still had $1.40 and 10 more stands to go!)

"Now that you own it, what's it really worth?"

"I really don't know.  I just liked the cover." (It's a wonder anyone trusted me...Hey, I was a kid.  Tell me you didn't fib a little now and then.)

That comic is today one of the most controversial titles in many different media.  It was Uncle Tom's Cabin and that particular comic, in the condition it was in, appraised for around $700 at that point in time.  I still have it today...bagged and boarded.

The flea markets of today, however, don't haggle as much.  It seems like they don't care.  Has the medium saturated the market so bad that people take them for granted or is it still a type of antique that still holds little value for people?

On Sunday I walked up to a booth and looked in a box where dozens of old Archie Comics lay strewn all over.  Many were in decent condition, 5 were approaching VG and then there were others that were coverless.

"How much are your comics?"

"$2.00 apiece."

They weren't worth haggling over, honestly.  $2 for a possible VG and also for a coverless?  Pure apathy on the sellers part.  He barely even looked my way when I flipped through them.

I went to another stand.

"How much are your comics?"

"I have them sorted out.  That pile is $20 for all of them, but I'll take $10."

Am I the world's best silent haggler or did he just cut his price in half without a word?  I looked through the stacks.  Wow.  Old Action Comics in rough condition, a run of 20 Teen Titans comics all looking like they had been previously bagged and boarded, and then there were the other sets that had comics like Checkmate (which I like but are worth little).  I spent $35 on 60 comics valued at over $300.  It's a deal for me, but it was caused by apathy on the part of the buyer.

What happened between my childhood and now?  How did people go from haggling to cutting the price before I even ask?   It has to be apathy.  Please understand, I'm not criticizing the seller, I just struggle to understand how in a world soaked with superheroes in movies, magazines, cartoons, and whatnot, that people don't mind searching the web for a price for fine china but not a comic book.  (Please don't criticize my run-on sentences, I get excited about this kind of thing and punctuation goes out the window.)

You see, what I didn't tell you is that the same person selling old Archie Comics for $2 apiece was haggling with a woman over a lamp he had for sale.  It had a high price tag and he wasn't budging. (It could have been worth $1,000, I had no clue.  I'm apathetic towards lamps, I guess)  I guess he really wasn't haggling then, was he?  But why stick to your guns on a high priced lamp and leave old comics out in a box in the sun?  I'm convinced it's apathy.  It can't be lack of knowledge.

There are dozens of books, websites, magazines, blogs, you name it, that can give you prices on comics.  You can't walk into a book store without tripping over a pricing guide of some kind.  So, it can't be knowledge.  My bet is that he looked up the price of that lamp and that's why he was sticking to it.  To me it's like opening up a retail store and marking some things at the suggested retail price and just guessing on other items.  (That chair is $250, that desk though...I don't know...maybe $50?)

The other person, come to find out, bought comics to flip them (no pun intended) and, as long as he made a profit, he was happy.  If he can do that marking things down, all the better.  It works for me and for him.  Strange as it may seem, however, I feel bad taking advantage of people when I have a good idea of the value.  But it can't go two ways, right?  If they mark them as the price they should go for I pay more.  If they mark it well below the price it should go for, I pay less.  It's an odd conundrum.  I would never cheat a client who brought me a box of books to sell by paying them far below market value, but at the flea market I do it every weekend.  (I guess I'm two-faced AND a liar.  Mom would be disappointed.)

In both cases I offered to help by giving them an idea as to what they may sell for if I could just look them over.  I'd do it for nothing.  Neither took me up on my offer.  I guess I should just leave it at the fact that they're happy with the pricing and I should be happy too.  I'll try to behave more appropriately.

The bottom line is this:  As a seller and buyer know what your comics are worth.  Know how to price them, know when to buy, when to sell, and when to walk away.  Research is just a click away at our personal favorite www. comicbookrealm.com.  Tell them The Comic Whisperer sent you.

Why Comic Book Realm is our 'go-to' site!

If you haven't visited the site www.comicbookrealm.com you are truly missing out.  This site has more comic book information and pricing than anyone can possibly digest in a lifetime.  The real value?  This site knows what it's talking about...they get it.  In a world full of high priced pricing guides (sorry about the redundancy) Comic Book Realm is a breath of fresh air.

Current stats as of today's date?

44,109 members
12,074,186 comics owned by members
940,536 comics wanted by members
170,588 comics for sale
300,689 covers
2,724 publishers
38,857 titles
320,749 comics listed
$33,162,731.00 tracked value

These are incredible numbers.  I thought I had alot of comic books.

Let's take a brief, and certainly not all encompassing view, of Comic Book Realm (it's here I should note that I am not being compensated by the site, nor do I know anyone connected to the site...but I'd like to!)

First, it's a free online comic book community that features one of the most impressive, and accurate, pricing guides I have ever seen.

I remember when I was younger (that was a long time ago) I could not wait for the new pricing guides to come out.  They were a little bit high priced for my budget, but I made it work.  I would sit for hours looking through my collection and finding out what things were worth.  Remember, this was the days before computers, spreadsheets, and other easy ways to keep track of things.  Anyway, enough about me.

I have a comic book collection verging on 10,000 comics and I have yet to find one that is not on Comic Book Realm.  It's really simple to find the comics; you just punch in the title of the comic, hit return, and PRESTO there are dozens of titles and volumes to choose from.  The cool thing about this is that next to each title they include the years the title ran and the publisher.  So, if a title changes publisher you can clearly see which one you are looking for.

Once you click on the title, all of the issue numbers line up in a nice column for you to see.  In the upper right hand corner you see the cover of the first issue along with all of the relevant information associated with the comic.  For instance, you may be looking for issue #700 of the Amazing Spider-Man.

For this particular issue there were dozens of variant covers.  So, in the list of comics you see before you all you have to do is click on each one and see the different variant covers pop up for you to see.  Check the box next to the comic you have and it's added to your collection or 'Realm'.  Further, as you click on separate issues you see the information on the right change as well as the cover.  So, if you are looking for a particular artist or variant, it clearly states it in a text box under the cover.  Have the regular cover?  It's listed there.  Have the foil cover,?  It's shown in the text box that it's the foil cover.  You literally can't choose the wrong edition to put in your collection.

So, what if you want to see the cover close-up, let's say there's a couple of variants that look remarkably similar,  just click on the picture icon and you get a blown up version of the cover.

My favorite part, however, is the pricing.  If you click on the value next to the comic you choose you get a list of prices that correspond to the rating assigned to the comic.  So, if you have The Amazing Spider-Man #700 and you had it professionally appraised, you know the rating.  Let's say it's a 9.2.  You look next to 9.2 and VIOLA you have an estimate of the current value.  But it doesn't stop there. Comic Book Realm has reports you can run that show the comics in your collection that are increasing in value and decreasing in value.  For instance, you might find that if you collect Civil War, that they are rising in price due to the impending movie.  I love when my comic values are on the rise.

Second, I have my own realm!  I am the King!  In my realm I can see all of my comics and a total value of what they are worth.  Now, when I say I can see all my comics what I mean is that I can create different categories in which to keep my comics and see the respective value. 

Here's an example.  I have all of the Civil War comics in one category labeled, of all things, Civil War.  This means that all of the comics that are related to Civil War, including variants and spin-offs, etc. I can assign to the Civil War category I set up and keep them all in one spot.  Comic Book Realm then shows me how much all the comics in that category are worth.

In my Realm I can not only see my comics but I can run reports like I addressed earlier.  One of my favorite reports appeals to me as a collector.  I was trying very hard to collect every comic related to Fear Itself.  I desperately wanted them all.  After putting in all the volumes that I had already Comic Book Realm let me run a report that showed all the issues I have, all the issues that are missing from the collection (including variants) and told me the approximate price of the missing issues.  Cool!

Oh, did I say missing issues?  I forgot to tell you one more thing about the initial listing of issues in a volume that I talked about you earlier.  If a particular issue has eBay next to it,  I can click on the eBay icon and it will take me to a list of sellers that are selling the copy I need on eBay.  Could it be more convenient?

Third, it has an app...sort of.  I can have the Comic Book Realm (CBR) icon on my iPhone and iPad but it is a limited version of the website.  Don't get me wrong, it is an awesome app, I can look up prices on volumes while I am in a comic store, or even see if I have the volume, with a simple internet connection.  However, I can't add to my collection if I am on the app.  Please understand, part of this is due to my laziness.  I could just log into the website instead of using the app and do whatever I want.  So, App or no app, CBR is my go-to site.

Fourth, is the home page.  It has more comic information, headlines, and ads to the coolest of comic related websites than you can shake a stick at (if you're into that kind of thing).  I can go to Sideshow Collectibles or check on the latest comic book deals that are being offered or see the newest covers coming out.  I could spend all day just following links on their home page.

I honestly don't know how many people they have working on the site nor how long it takes to update it every day.  Frankly, I would love to know how many connections they have to keep everything so up to date.

What I can tell you is that the site is a blessing to me and comic collectors everywhere.  Thanks Comic Book Realm, I'll be on the site in a couple of minutes.

A Story of Solid Appraisals and Humanity

My wife was watching a TV show the other night that was mildly amusing.  It's about a group of 3 guys that offer to clean out storage spaces (such as houses, garages, etc.) for free as long as they can keep the contents.  Frankly, I'm amazed at what people let them clean out for free because they were PACKED with valuable items.  It's called Garage Brothers.

The mildly amusing part is the guy who is in charge, his name is Kraig.  Although he is the brains behind the whole thing, and this concept is incredible on his part, he doesn't give off a strong visual impression.  He certainly doesn't have a comb.  His hair looks like it just came out of a blender, his glasses look they were run over by a bus then put back on, and he looks like he just rolled out of bed.  All that being said, the guy is a genius.  This concept he came up with is pure gold.  So he looks like that, with a big smile, all the way to the bank.  I admire that.

The reason I bring it up is because on one of the episodes he traversed into my arena...comic book stuff.  In one of the garages they found a statue of the Silver Surfer which was a limited edition.  There were approximately 350 made in celebration of the Fantastic Four movie, Rise of the Silver Surfer.  The movie was mediocre at best, but the statue was pristine.  No scratches, no breakage, nothing.  It was, as we say, Near Mint.

That wasn't the only thing they found, though.  They also found a drawing of the Ghost Rider done by Joe and Andy Kubert, legends in the comic book arena.  Unfortunately, Joe passed away in 2012.

So, Kraig said he was calling in a "Comic Book Expert" to value the Silver Surfer statue and the drawing of Ghost Rider by Joe and Andy Kubert.

Just to be on the same page I researched them both myself.  Not that I'm trying to prove anybody right or anybody wrong, I just like to stay in practice so I can be on top of my game.

Researching the Silver Surfer statue the prices ranged from $1,600 to $6,500.  The comic guy came in at the low end at $1,600.  It's a safe call on his part, but it's also the price it was going for on eBay at the time.  With it being a limited edition and not having a single thing wrong with it, the estimate seemed low.  That being said, he was giving market value as to what he felt it could sell for and that appraisal seemed reasonable.  So, although it may be appraised for $6,500 on the high end, the appraiser made a safe call with what he felt it would sell for.  Frankly, there's probably not much of a market for a 4' tall and 6' long Silver Surfer statues even if it was limited edition.  Also, I can't imagine that an appraiser with that much knowledge would go strictly by the eBay pricing.  The statue might draw a high price tag, but it would take awhile to sell, and it wouldn't be cheap to ship.  Good call on the statue.

The drawing, however, is another story.  I was first surprised that an established comic book person would not recognize the picture as the actual cover of a Ghost Rider comic.  After first looking at it he made some guesses as to what it could be, made some comments that were irrelevant about the front and back, and then said he had to go back and research it.  I appreciated the research part, the worst thing we can do as appraisers it take a wild guess as to what the value is.  It's a disservice to our clients. I didn't appreciate his comments about what should and should not be on the front and back, they didn't make much sense. That's a story for another blog.

As an aside,the creation of a comic book is an amazing and under-appreciated process that has changed over the years.  There are various stages such as pencilling and inking and there are a number of marks that can be made on the pages.  Many are artist notes or specific things to focus on during the process.  See below for some drawings and sketches that illustrate part of the process.

Anyway, he came back and valued the picture at a reasonable price between $4,000 and $6,000.  I believe he was dead-on based on the incredible standing the Kubert's have in the comic industry, the fact that Joe Kubert is no longer with us, and the fact that sketches like that can appraise very high, but sell for about half of the real value.  Good call on the sketch, but I am hoping some the the random comments were made for TV and inserted to sound impressive.

I give high marks to the appraiser's pricing but low marks to the comments he made and the inability to recognize a cover from Ghost Rider given the prominence of the title.  He should stick with the appraising and less with the pontificating.  I would say that by his vast knowledge (and I mean that sincerely) that he was coaxed by the TV crew to keep talking to fill space.  I applaud him for even getting in front of cameras where he can be critiqued by comic lovers everywhere.  It can't be easy.

The most impressive thing, however, was the ending of the show.  Remember, Garage Brothers is a show about emptying out storage spaces, houses, garages, etc. for free, but they get to keep what's in the space.  Kraig could have walked away with both the Silver Surfer and the incredible Ghost Rider drawing and netted a possible $6,000 - $8,000, but he did the thing I thought I would never see on TV.  He did the right thing.  He took the drawing back to the owner of the space, told him the value, and gave it back to him.  It turns out that the drawing had special significance to the owner.  It had an emotional tie because it was given to him by a loved one and it held some strong memories.  The owner said it was the hardest thing he would have had to part with and it was difficult for him to let it go.

Yes, you read it right.  Someone had the humanity to let the money go and give a high value item back to the owner even though, by contract, it was property of the Garage Brothers.  I was humbled.  I was taken aback.  In this day and age where shows like Pawn Stars offer excessively low values on items they buy, and then sell them for ungodly prices, we see a show with humanity?  Wow!

My hat is off to Kraig and all the members of the cast of Garage Brothers.  Some cynics may say that the network reimbursed Kraig for the drawing so it was no loss for him to give it back, but I prefer to think otherwise.  I prefer to think that this was a blatant demonstration of humanity in lieu of the almighty dollar.  Although I may not continue to watch Garage Brothers because it's not my cup of tea, I have to say it restored my belief in humanity.

Amazed and Frustrated

I must admit I am amazed and frustrated about something that I shouldn't be.  Before we go into that let me tell you a quick story.

When I was a boy I sat with my dad in a bank loan officer's office when he was "applying" for a car loan.  The conversation went something like this:

"So, Pete, how much did you need and what were you going to buy?"

"I need a loan for a car and I need $x,xxx financed to get the car."

"I'll have it done for you this afternoon.  I'll call you."

(papers are signed, they stand up and shake hands, my dad and I leave)

A HANDSHAKE GOT HIM A CAR LOAN.

Granted, this was a long time ago, and this wouldn't be possible today due to the amount of garbage people try to get away with today, but this set my moral and ethical compass.  When you shake hands your word is your bond.  When you shake hands you follow through.  When you give your word you keep it...no matter what.

When my son got into the buying, selling and appraising of comics with me I told him the golden rule in this business:  don't ever, for any reason, deliberately cheat someone out of money.  Ever.  It's the honest, ethical and moral way to run a business.  There is one exception.  If you are buying a comic, on the spur of the moment at a flea market, garage sale, etc., and you honestly don't know the value, paying the asking price is fair game.  An example is my wife buying an obscure comic I didn't recognize and asking me if $1 was a good price.  It was in good shape, had a name I didn't recognize, and I couldn't imagine it being worth anything, so I told her it looked good.  When we got it home we found the value to be $200 in the shape it was in.  I don't feel as though we cheated anyone.  That was a week ago.

Cut to yesterday.

My son and I went to a flea market in 80 degree heat to search out some good deals on comic books.  While making our rounds we came across a kind gentleman who was not selling comics, but was selling superhero action figures.

"Do you ever sell comic books?", I said.

"No.  I have boxes and boxes of them but I never bring them along?", he replied.

I introduced my son and I and gave him our card.

"We buy, sell and appraise comic books.  Is that something you would be interested in?", I said hoping for the best.

"Absolutely!  I'll give you a call and we can see what the value is of some of the comics I have.", he said.  He actually seemed genuinely excited!

"Can I ask you your opinion on something?"  he said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"I had the comic book with the first appearance of Ant-Man."

(As an aside, he is referring to Tales to Astonish #27)

He continued.

"I sold it the other day for $350, did I do the right thing?"

Now this is a question with no good answer for a couple of reasons.  First, I have no idea what condition the comic was in.  Second, this comic is of extreme value because it was the first appearance of a major character.  Third, it's old and rare and I don't know how many would be available at this point in collector condition.  I only knew what the approximate value was in Near Mint condition off the top of my head, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

In Near Mint condition that comic is valued at $20,000.  Chances are it wasn't Near Mint just because the older the comic the less likely it is to be Near Mint because comics weren't necessarily coveted in those days and people didn't store them well.  Still, $20,000?  Ugh.  This guy is super nice, what do I say?

In my silence my son spoke.

"You made the buyer very happy.  You did the right thing for him."

The answer wasn't perfect, but it was the truth.  But do we share the value of the comic with him.  If he's reading this he knows (and I am really, really sorry).

What many will say is that the comic could have been in extremely poor condition, maybe even falling apart, and probably wasn't even close to $20,000.  That's very true.  However, according to Comic Book Realm (which is a site I absolutely love!) even in reprehensible condition, I mean flat out crappy with creases and tears and rusted staples, it's valued at $600.  Even at a rating of .5 out of 10, which is where a sneeze could vaporize the comic, it's valued at $100.

Now you're going to say, "Well, a comic is only worth what someone will pay for it."  Um, yeah, and I can tell you that any moderate to serious collector would buy this comic because of it's incredible value.  I would.

So, how to you view this?  Do we feel sorry for the seller?  I do.  Some may say that he should have done more research before he sold it and I agree.  But the real question to me is what did the buyer know?  Did they know the value or didn't they?  Did they see the comic, guess it might be old, and offer $350 in an act of pure honest ignorance?  I don't think so.  I'm going to guess that the buyer bought it knowing full well the worth and ran all the way home to tell his friends or, even worse, tried to sell it on eBay for $30,000 (trust me, I've seen it done).

Yes, I'm making an assumption.  The buyer could not have known just like I didn't know about the comic my wife bought.  But we're talking Ant-Man, my wife bought one of those "risque" comics, with actual nudity in it, so there's really no comparison.  Did the buyer not know who Ant-Man was? not likely.  Marvel has been pounding the release of this movie now for months.  You can't walk 10 feet without tripping over a sign for the movie.  They knew.

So, is the buyer at fault for taking this poor man to the cleaners or is the seller at fault for not doing their homework.  I would say both have equal responsibility in this transaction, but I would also say that the kind gentleman seemed happy with the deal.  So, who am I to trample on his happiness?

I let the words my son said be the final say in the matter.  Thankfully the topic changed when his son said, "I have a mint condition Amazing Spider-Man with the first appearance of the Punisher, how much is that worth?"  The answer is about $1,300 in Near Mint (any collector worth his salt knows this is Amazing Spider-Man #129).

I told him it was around $1,300 but I would have to see it.  I could see in his face the sheer delight at what he had.  He should be proud, there are a ton of people that would pay the asking price for that comic.  Not only is Spider-Man huge, but the Punisher has made more than one movie appearance himself and has hundreds of comics with him in them.

The bottom line is simple.  Get you comics appraised, know what you have, and get what they are worth.  I am very happy, and I mean it, that the gentleman was happy with the sale.  In reality that's all that matters.  Would he have been much happier with a couple thousand?  Probably.

Me?  I'm amazed and frustrated because I think he was deliberately taken by the buyer.  I can only hope that the kind gentleman has some incredible sales days at the flea markets because he deserves to make that money.