When I was younger, I began collecting comics. Not with any particular strategy — simply the ones that inspired me, the ones I enjoyed. But I probably bought more than I might have, because someone once told me that comics were “the fourth best investment medium.” That advice echoed in the back of my mind as I kept collecting.
Thirty years later, I’ve got a collection of around 500 comics. Some bought for less than a pound, others for a bit more. On paper, that sounds like it should add up to something meaningful. But when I averaged them out, the return came to about £4 a comic. Not bad, but hardly a fortune.
The lesson wasn’t in the numbers. It was in the pattern. A handful of those comics — unique editions, first appearances, special runs — skyrocketed in value. Some rose twentyfold in a year. But the vast majority? Bargain box comics, worth less now than when I bought them.
Sigmas, this is the same trap many of us fall into with life itself. We collect experiences, commitments, and investments without discernment. We say yes because it’s convenient, because it feels good in the moment, or because someone once told us it was “the right thing to do.” And years later, we look around at the shelves of our lives and wonder why we don’t feel rich — not just financially, but emotionally, spiritually, energetically.
The truth is, most of what we accumulate doesn’t hold value. It drains it. It takes up space, not just in our homes but in our heads, our calendars, and our hearts. The few things that truly matter — the rare comics, the meaningful commitments, the aligned opportunities — get buried under the weight of all the bargain box issues.
In investments, the difference between clutter and wealth comes down to strategy. You can keep buying haphazardly, or you can research, plan, and acquire with intention. The same is true in life. Wealth in all its forms is not about owning more. It’s about choosing better.
Every choice is an investment. Every yes has a cost. And when we spend our energy on low-value commitments, we rob ourselves of the focus that could make the rare, aligned opportunities explode with growth.
I saw this clearly when I looked at my comics spread out in front of me. There was nothing wrong with the bargain box issues. They just weren’t the kind of investments that built a legacy. The same applies to the way we spend our days. It’s not that Netflix, another meeting, or another shiny idea are inherently bad. It’s that they come at the expense of the rare editions — the meaningful work, the soul-aligned relationships, the practices that bring us closer to sovereignty and fulfilment.
Sigmas, here’s the deeper lesson: abundance doesn’t come from scattering your energy across hundreds of half-hearted acquisitions. It comes from focusing on the few things that hold the greatest value. Whether that’s a business idea, a client relationship, your health, or your spiritual practice, those are your rare editions. They are what compound.
The world will tell you to keep collecting. More apps. More courses. More commitments. But the sovereign path is different. It’s about stripping back. Choosing with clarity. Investing only where your return is not just money, but meaning.
That’s why I’m selling my entire collection now. Not because I failed, but because I’ve learned the lesson. To create space for what’s next, I need to let go of what no longer compounds. It’s the same principle in business, in life, and in spirit: clear the shelves so new value can enter.
So ask yourself: what are the bargain box comics in your life? The things you keep collecting that don’t hold value, that drain energy instead of creating it? And what are your rare editions? The choices that, if nurtured, would multiply in ways that truly matter?
One insight can change everything. Stop scattering. Start choosing.
Action Step: Today, list five bargain box comics in your life — commitments, habits, or investments that no longer serve you. Then list your top three rare editions. This single act of clarity will begin shifting your energy from accumulation to alignment.
If you’re ready to stop collecting what doesn’t compound and start investing in the life you were born to live, I would be honoured to walk with you as your transformational alchemist.
