Bursting the Comic Book Speculation Bubble

Nothing for me epitomizes those times like the conversation I had with one woman while standing in another autograph line in which she bragged extensively about the collection of near-perfect mint condition Valian t and Image Comics she and her husband had acquired. She read some of them - her husband didn't - but the intent was to hang on to these comics until they were valuable enough to pay for their kids' college education. Trying not to be rude, I suggested she might want to tone down her expectations but she was having none of it, going on to talk about how they had maxed out their credit cards to buy original artwork. After we got our autographs, I wished her luck even though I knew she was headed for disappointment. The comic book speculation bubble burst shortly after that Comic-Con and most of the comics she had amassed quickly lost their value and were commonly found in discount bins for a quarter each within a few years. I hope that at some point she opened up and read a few of those comics - some of them were pretty good - she'd at least have gotten some entertainment value for her money.