brownies8701

Oh wow!  I totally forgot about Comics Corral.

I had the same alias here.

On 3/30/2024 at 1:56 PM, ShallowDan said:

I will mention that the occasional bouts of buyer's remorse I've had were things that I picked up due to feeling the need to buy something/anything when I lost out on a piece I was chasing at auction, or when I bought something simply thinking it would be a placeholder until a better example came along.  Inevitably, the "something better" popped up much sooner than I would have expected, and the money spent on the consolation prize would've been put to better use if held on to for something I really wanted (mediocre pieces are generally much easier to buy than to sell).     

This is exactly what I do and have been doing.  The money I have is burning a hole in my pocket & I totally get that itch to buy something.  I just have to recognize this and be stronger

Detective Comics #694 Page 19 featuring Batman & Robin battling Poison Ivy!

Pencils by Staz Johnson & inks by James Hodgkins

On 3/29/2024 at 11:23 AM, PhilipB2k17 said:

Here's my advice. I started out exactly the same way. Over time, I realized that I could not get pages that I really wanted by sticking to my limited budget. I found a few tricks to pay for stuff (such as using PayPal 6 months interest free credit -- so I could buy something and pay it off over time), but ultimately, I had to adjust my parameters and expectations. I still try to stick within a budget, however. But what I've found is that the more art you scroll through and look at, the more selective you get. I highly recommend spending about an hour a day just scrolling through the new art listings on CAF, or Comic Art Tracker or even eBay. You will develop a much better eye, and it will help you learn value as well. Every once in a while, a page will pop up that you just know you have to have, and you should go for it if its within reasonable reach. But you still have to have budget discipline. One thing I've found is that even if you miss on a page that you really want, you mostly get over it after a while and something else will come along that you also like. 

I am speaking, of course, from the perspective of someone who is a middle, to low mid-tier collector. A true historic grail page is always going to be out of my reach. But pages within my (our?) range do pop up from time to time. The only downside to my method is that you have to sift through a lot of dreck to find that needle in the haystack. 

Thank you for this advice!

And thank you to everyone who has responded to this topic, really appreciate it!

Lastly, here is my CAF link for anyone that is interested:

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=164661

On 3/28/2024 at 6:22 PM, Aahz said:

The progression over the years has been not one of buying more expensive pages…but looking 1) to fill holes from specific artists that I might want within my genre;

THIS ^

This is definitely a part of where I am…my focus is buying Batman pages & I have pages from several artists I really like & enjoy, but now I want more 70s & 80s & 90s pages.  

On 3/28/2024 at 4:54 PM, Kevn said:

Ultimately you need to figure out what really floats your boat, and act accordingly. What I mean is, what does your gut tell you when you're looking at OA? I think we're all very different in what we want from, and get out of, this hobby/obsession. Are you bringing a comic collector mentality to buying OA? Are you driven by nostalgia for what you were excited by as a kid? Or do you love these pages as unique and magical objects, records of a crazy process to somehow, sometimes, transmogrifies into meaningful entertainment and even a kind of art?

Great questions to ask myself when I’m ready to research & buy my next page

Thank you for this…

On 3/28/2024 at 2:33 PM, malvin said:

What you are saying reminds me of myself when I started out. I started early (late 90's) but when I really started going again around 2004, I had a mental block of $500. I could afford more (and certainly a $2K piece is just 4 $500 pages) but mentally I couldn't spend that much on a piece. I can't remember what did it but I eventually overcame that mental block.

I think the one factor was the actual value of the page. After all, it's a no brainer to spend $1K when the page is worth $1.5K.

So.. if you can afford $500, you can afford $2k if you really like it. It's just four $500 pages. It doesn't sound like you only buy one $500 page a year so you can afford $2K at one time. It's a mental block. That you have to figure out how to brea.

And yes, I subscribe to buy what you like, so I can't answer your questions bout bigger name artist and less content vs less famous artist and better content. Really depends what you like, and what kind of value you think the page has.

Malvin 

 

Thanks for your feedback and you are right, it’s a total block. I start getting the fever looking at so many pages I can afford & then I just buy one.

i do buy about 4-6 pages a year.  So to your point, I save up & buy maybe 2-3 pages a year.

On 3/28/2024 at 10:05 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I may branch out and buy a modern piece or two that I like, but for the most part - I stick to my genre because if you don't stay focused, you'll be stretching yourself thin and unable to pull the pin on a page you really like when it turns up. And it's good that you're aiming to keep your pages - because anything you buy has a 99% chance of being worth less the minute you buy it for the first 10 years you own it. It is easy to think that this hobby is an "investment" hobby. It is not. It is a waste-of-money hobby, but it serves as a wonderful diversion to life. 

 

This is & has been great advice.  I see so many pages I like, but I have remained focused.

On 3/28/2024 at 10:00 AM, Twanj said:

I buy for keeps too.

I'm usually going for artist or character, and hopefully sometimes story. When you hit it all that's the sweet spot. And I seem to alternate between nostalgia vs "better" newer art.

Keep going for published pages. Write out your top goals. Naturally, the more desirable pages will cost more.

I'm also for stretching a bit on purchase price to get something you really like (as long as it's not gonna get you in trouble). So if you usually buy $500 pages, maybe hold out 2-4x as long and get that $1k or 2k page. Slowly stalk your prey and wait for a deal.

 

Thank you for this.  

I definitely try to hold out, but i get that itch to buy something & then eventually do what is most comfortable & buy a $500ish page

So I have been collecting comic art for only about 4 years and I love it!  However, there are times where I don't love it...prices too high, a page I really liked sold, ridiculously high prices on recent flipped pages, etc.

I have been mainly buying published pages around $500 and I have been enjoying the ones I have purchased.  However, I feel like I want to take the next step and buy more expensive pages and/or pages from more well known artists. 

Ultimately, I am conflicted...I like & enjoy the pages I buy, but is my desire to want better quality/more expensive pages a true natural progression in this hobby?  I'm not talking big dollars...$1K to $2K.

AND

In your opinion, is it better to buy pages (most likely more expensive) from more popular artists with maybe less action/less main characters or cheaper pages with better action/main characters?  I'm looking to keep all pages I have & not sell them as an investment fyi.

I know and have read "buy what you like" and really have adopted that philosophy, but I am curious your opinion what your progression was/is...

Thanks for your input/feedback

Congrats!

Now I/we have to know... what DC issue you are looking to buy?

On 2/29/2024 at 8:27 PM, speedcake said:

Daredevil #71  VF  $15

 @ 25% off

On 2/29/2024 at 8:29 PM, speedcake said:

Daredevil #58  FN/VF  $13

@themlh1138 - I have noticed the same thing.  Curious, what IPhone do you have?  I have a new 15 Pro & am wondering if there is a file size max on photos when posting pics

I was one of the lucky ones to buy some Batman pages before the sales window closed.

Great communication throughout the process and I love the pages!  Thanks @Cam Kennedy Art

Batman: It's Joker Time #2 Page 9

final bump - will close topic end of today

Bump

Forgot to post this one...got it back in July

Joker vs Superman (Action Comics 770)

Superman meets the "new" Batman (AzBats); Graham Nolan (pencils) & Sal Buscema (inker)

from World's Finest #9 (1999 mini series)

All books are 50% off!  Want them gone

Curse of the Spawn #9 Newsstand, origin of Angela (1997)

$6 or best offer

VF/FN+ to FN- condition; specifically, there are a few minor spineticks/creases on the front cover spine and pressure indentations as well; a small rip/tear on along the front & back cover spine,  also, few blemishes/spots on the front cover (see pictures for more detail).

Nightwing #1 Newsstand Variant featuring Chuck Dixon as the writer and Scott McDaniel as the artist (1996). This comic also stars Nightwing in his 1st solo series!

$13 or best offer

VF- to VF/FN condition; specifically, minor creases/spineticks on the front cover spine; minor pressure indentations/creases on the front & back cover; a small mark on the lower middle section of the front cover (by Nightwing’s right shin) (see pictures for more detail).