Ha, no need Matthew!  Let's spare the electrons.  Thanks for the sales data and keep the great content coming!

... but it does remind me of a 5 cent story ....

Back in the mid-70's I was in my early teens and regularly getting comics from the newstand.  I stumbled across the existence of a used comics business in my city ... how I don't exactly remember, but it may have been a classified ad.  So I called the number, found out that you could visit the place, got an idea of what hours you could visit, as well as an address.  So I read my city map, took it with me and jumped on my bike.  This place was a typical narrow frame house in an older residential neighborhood.  I went in, and there were boxes and boxes of comics in this guy's living room.  It wasn't a store obviously, and there were no prices on the comics ... but that was OK, since I didn't have any money (I was a kid).  I browsed and causally asked how much they were selling for.  He said it varied on age, but there was a markup over cover price -- which I was stunned by ... my first exposure to the collector's market.  The whole thing sounded kinda fishy to me, as I wanted to know exactly how much something cost, so I politely excused myself probably muttering something about I'll come back later (when I had some money).  However, that brief visit did expose me to some comics that I suddenly wanted very badly (mainly things from ~1970 like Kirby's initial NEW GODS, early CONAN and GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW especially the Holy Grail ... #76).     

So ... feeling uncomfortable with that place, I started requesting mail-order back comics catalogs advertised in the classifieds of DC and Marvel comics.  One in particular was Richard Alf in San Diego.  I scraped up some birthday money and sent a mail-order to him for a few comics.  I remember to this day enclosing all cash, even taping the coins to the order form so they wouldn't rattle around in the envelope.  The order came.  I was thrilled, but kind of disappointed that the most expensive comic in the order, CONAN THE BARBARIAN #3 had a coupon cut out of it.  But the weird thing was that I had apparently overpaid by five cents, so there was a check made out to me for 'Zero and 05/100 dollars'.

I had never received a check before.  I had no idea what to do.  I was too embarrassed to take it to my dad, since I didn't want to explain that I had bought used comics through the mail with my birthday money.  I was fearful that the financial integrity of Richard Alf Comics, and maybe even the entire American Banking System would be harmed if I didn't get this 5 cent check MADE OUT TO ME processed somehow. 

Well, after stewing about this for several days I jumped on my bike and rode over to a nearby bank.  I remember pacing around the parking lot working up the courage to go inside.  I finally did, waited for a teller to become available and politely asked to cash my five cent check.  I was ill-prepared for the teller's question "Do you have an account with us?"  I had no idea that banks had specific customers.  I thought you could choose any bank you wanted to go to.  I stammered, "N-n-no.  I don't think I do".  I received a polite refusal of service and quickly left the bank with my head down. 

At my wits end, I ended up throwing the 5 cent check in the dumpster behind the drug store, hoping that garbage men wouldn't report me to the government. 

Over the next few months, I was relieved that Richard Alf Comics had apparently survived the incident as they continued to advertise in DC and Marvel Comics.