Speculators...again.

 Got into an argument with a comic speculator, the second time this week.

It's been 20 years since I've had to deal with speculators. I need to learn my old ways of dealing with them. Put on the "blank face," nod, ignore negative comments. Best of all, go work in a different part of the store. 

I was kind of told not to use PTSD as an excuse, but my reaction to these things is very strong, way stronger than it should or needs to be. About a very limited subject. But the emotional turmoil it causes is real.

I never really learned to let it go--it was more that the speculators more or less disappeared for a couple of decades, and the occasional clueless person who still thought it was 1995 was easy to ignore.

Now they're back, in force. In most ways I don't have to interact with them. I really questioned whether it was wise to do Pokemon, but I figured I could handle it and for the most part I have. I don't have traumatic response to Pokemon because I didn't have it the first time around. So I'm better at it.

But the comic mania happened at the tail-end of the sports card fiasco. It's sports cards that I really react to, and I've avoided having anything to do with them this time. But comics followed closely on the heals of sports cards and had many of the same characteristics--the biggest difference was that when the bubble burst, there was still a core of comic readers.

It was the comic readers who I then rebuilt my business on. I discouraged speculation every chance I got. 

Now I'm getting pushback for my discouragement.

Time to shut my mouth, step back, and give as short of answers as I can.