Henry Paulson: "Your old card collection is not a suitable bailout plan."

The Wall Street Journal has confirmed what we all pretty much suspected: any sports cards bought over the past 30 years are virtually worthless: "'What people need to understand is that the price guides list the retail price, and the amount a dealer would pay would be much smaller,' Mr. O'Connell says. For vintage cards---those from before 1980---a dealer might pay between 50% to 60% of the retail value. Newer cards may only command 5% of the retail price. That's not necessarily because the dealers are dishonest, Mr. O'Connell notes, it's just how they make a profit. With only vague descriptions and few details, Mr. O'Connell could not even guess whether Mr. Christensen's collection carries much value. But 1972, his birth year, suggests that many of the cards are relatively new. 'So the values for cards that you saw in the '50s, '60s and '70s you won't get here," Mr. O'Connell says.'" Case in point, when I wa...