It would probably would have been better had I lost them all together than to still have them the way they are now.

People often talk about the things they had as children that would be treasures now. Sort of like the treasure that got away. 

They talk about toys and games they had that would be worth a small fortune on America Roadshow-type productions. Or they would have been worth fortunes had they kept them, or their moms not thrown them away, or if they had kept them boxed instead of playing with them.

Toys, games … comics.

I have the first two comic books that ever featured the character Wolverine. Yes, the popular X-Man played by Hugh Jackman in the movies, etc.

Before Wolverine became a comic-book phenomenon in the pages of “The Uncanny X-Men,” he was a minor filler character in two issues of “The Incredible Hulk.”

As the Hulk battled the Bigfoot-like Wendigo in Canada, Wolverine made an appearance in the concluding panels of “Hulk” No. 180 way back in 1974. He fought Hulk and Wendigo in issue 181.

I thought Wolverine was pretty neat. I thought Wendigo was pretty neat, too. I thought the Hulk was the neatest one of them all.

But the combinations of these characters, well, I thought they were so neat that I tore the covers off both comics so I could tape them like posters to a wall of my childhood bedroom.

Yep, the issues featuring the first-ever appearances of Wolverine, issues that are now valued at several thousands of dollars each, my 10-year-old self tore off the covers. 

And somehow or other, rather than being lost or thrown away through the past 40-some years, they remain in my possession, coverless and valued at pennies, if that.

But the story is still pretty neat. Cover or not. And that’s why I bought the comic books in the first place.

I wasn’t considering an investment as a 10-year-old buying comic books at the 7-11. I wanted to read some comic books.

Still, if I could travel back in time, I would tell my 10-year-old self to read them once, don’t tear off the covers, but rather put the comics in plastic bags. 

And while you’re at it, 10-year-old self, here’s some more quarters, go buy several more, enough where you can still put the covers on the wall and have about a dozen or so tucked away so 50-year-old me can trade them for a new car or pay off the house in 40 years.

Dean Poling is an editor with The Valdosta Daily Times.