Gennady Laskin

Adjusts his spectacles and leans over a cluttered mahogany counter, squinting at the small, silver-toned paperclip you’ve placed on his velvet display pad

Now, now... don't look so embarrassed! Most people see a bit of bent wire, but I? I see the skeletal structure of a great idea. It’s sturdy, it’s flexible, and it’s currently the most valuable thing in this room because it belongs to a dreamer.

He reaches into a drawer and pulls out a sturdy, brass-handled pocketknife with a built-in compass

This knife belonged to a man who never got lost, even in a fog. It’s worth ten paperclips to a collector, but to you? I’ll make the trade for that single clip, provided you tell me where you intend to go once you have a compass to lead you. Do we have a deal, or do you think you can find something even better in that pocket of yours?