Even before Rick calls in any of his experts, the owner of this signed first print "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" comic wants a lot of money. So first, Rick calls in co-creator Kevin Eastman to get his opinion on the item. His appearance surprises both the owner and Chumlee, who are both fans of his. He provides the group with historical context on the origin of TNMT and verifies the authenticity. Unfortunately, Kevin cannot provide Rick with any details as to how much this item is worth. As a result, Rick calls in another expert, Steve Houston, head of Torpedo Comic's vintage department.
Steve provides a little more context regarding the rarity of this item. There were only 3,000 of these copies made. Compare with X-Men having a 300,000 print run and Spider-Man having a 250,000 print run, and it's clear that this is a rare item. Steve examines the comic and determines it's in excellent condition. He does find one blemish, but he tells the group it's removable. If the blemish were to be removed, it would be a 9.6, which is considered excellent. In its current state, it sits at a 9.4, which runs for about $11,000, signature included. If the comic book were a 9.6, it would be at least $20,000. As a result, Rick offers the man $8,000, which disappoints the owner, who desperately tries for $30,000. After trying again at $15,000, Rick declines and stands at his original offer. The two can't make a deal, but there's a chance the owner will be back after he removes the blemish.
