Ep 13. The Esposito Collection

In season 3, episode 13 of Comic Book Men, titled "The Esposito Collection," the guys at Kevin Smith's comic book shop, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, get the opportunity to examine a rare collection of comic books owned by New York City firefighter, Joe Esposito. Joe's collection includes some of the most valuable and sought after comics in the world, including Action Comics #1 - the first appearance of Superman.

As soon as Joe walks into the shop with his box of comics, the guys are drooling. They can't wait to get their hands on the collection. Joe explains to them that he's been collecting comics for over 20 years, mostly buying them from flea markets and garage sales. But he had no idea just how valuable some of his comics were until he had them appraised recently. Some of the comics are worth over $10,000 each!

The guys at the shop can't get enough of the collection. They're flipping through the pages, admiring the artwork, and discussing the history of each comic. But they're not just admiring the comics. They're also realizing just how much money they could make if they were able to buy the entire collection from Joe.

Bryan, the shop's resident toy expert, is particularly excited about the collection. He's been trying to convince the other guys to invest in vintage toys and comics for a while, and this collection just proves how valuable these items can be. He even jokes that they should start calling Joe "Uncle Moneybags."

As the guys continue to look through the collection, they start to realize that some of the comics are actually misprints or contain mistakes in the artwork. While this might seem like a bad thing, it actually makes the comics even more valuable to collectors.

Joe is clearly happy to see his comics get so much attention, but he's not interested in selling them all at once. He wants to hold onto some of the most valuable ones and sell the rest individually to maximize his profits. The guys at the shop understand Joe's reasoning, but they're still hoping he'll change his mind and sell them the entire collection.

As the episode goes on, the guys continue to try and convince Joe to sell them the collection. They're even willing to make him an offer right then and there. But Joe holds firm, and in the end, the guys have to admit defeat.

Despite not being able to buy the collection, the guys still have a great time examining the comics and learning about their history. They also get a glimpse of the comic book collecting world and just how competitive it can be.

Overall, "The Esposito Collection" is a fun, nostalgic episode of Comic Book Men that will appeal to anyone who loves comics or vintage toys. The guys are clearly passionate about what they do, and it's clear that they truly love sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others.