Chicago Tribune

The 'passion price': Paying more to support a store, artist or hobby you love

CHICAGO - When Ellis Jones meets up with old college friends each year in Colorado, he puts his money where his heart is.

He and his pals, all of whom went through comic-nerd and Dungeons & Dragons stages, make a point of heading to the local comic book store, where prices are considerably higher than they are online.

"It's a recognition not just of that business itself, but of what it means and what it adds to the community, the subcultures that exist because of that business," said Jones, 47, now a college professor in Massachusetts.

"We each spend up to

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