Scott Andrew Bell

As Evan said, for a one time deal, it might make sense, but in that case, I'd probably look at using one of the discount brokers rather than someone trying to sell you an idea.

I recently had a reader of my blog, ask "Is There Such A Thing As A Good Stockbroker?" And I answered with this post.

http://iheartwallstreet.com/2012/04/20/reader-question-is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-good-stockbroker/

This may seem like a lazy answer but it is one of the most interesting answers I've ever found -- From Wikipedia:

According to the New York Stock Exchange, a blue chip is stock in a corporation with a national reputation for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably in good times and bad. The most popular index which follows US blue chips is the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 blue-chip stocks that are generally the leaders in their industry. It has been a widely followed indicator of the stock market since October 1, 1928.

As befits the high-risk nature of stock picking, "blue chip" derives from poker. The simplest sets of poker betting discs include white, red, and blue chips, with tradition dictating that the blues are highest in value. If a white chip is worth $1, a red is usually worth $5, and a blue $10. The etymology may come from the color's royal lineage—an aristocrat is known as a "blue blood". Blue blood is a translation of the Spanish phrase sangre azul, which described the Spanish royal family and other high nobility who claimed to be of Visigothic descent, in contrast to the Moors.

The phrase was coined by Oliver Gingold of Dow Jones sometime in 1923 or 1924. Company folklore recounts that the term apparently got its start when Gingold was standing by the stock ticker at the brokerage firm that later became Merrill Lynch. Noticing several trades at US$200 or US$250 a share or more, he said to Lucien Hooper of W.E. Hutton & Co. that he intended to return to the office to "write about these blue-chip stocks." Thus the phrase was born. It has been in use ever since, originally in reference to high-priced stocks, more commonly used today to refer to high-quality stocks.

In contemporary media, Blue Chips and their daily performances are frequently mentioned alongside other economic averages like the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Read More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_chip_(stock_market)

Sayed,

Depending our your accredited investor status you may consider looking at Sharespost.com or Secondmarket.com or even Angellist (http://angel.co). These can be really tricky. If I were you, I'd make sure I have a substantial liquid portfolio in place before I consider looking at investing in startups, for what it's worth. Good luck.