BCarter27

Finding comps is going to be tricky. Skip the artists... I think you should look at other non-hero characters from early Brave and Bold and also Showcase: Viking Price, Shining Knight, etc. Also try to find out if the page is large art by asking for the dimensions, if it is a half-page (with a blank space for the ad on bottom), if it has any logos or splash lettering, and if there is any staining or tearing.

If you guys are all so happy with your collections and resting on your laurels, what are you doing posting here?

Setting aside the relative aesthetic quality of those rare variant covers, it is an interesting case of the tail wagging the dog; I think the rarity/collectability of those books would drive their covers up should they come to market.

Track days?

I mentioned recently I prefer the value of splashes over covers. And the missus traded one of her covers for a splash recently. So I thought it'd be nice to hear others weigh in on the pros and cons of collecting covers. I know some folks ONLY collect covers so I'd particularly like to hear from them. Off the top of my head... PROS They hold value well. They're in demand/liquid upon resale. There is only one per book. They often have a single iconic image of a fav character with... a logo declaring said character easily seen from across the room... lending great "wall-ability". They frame up nicely! They tickle nostalgia somewhat better than pages... Again, likely because there is only per book. CONS They are orders of magnitude more expensive than aesthetically-comparable splashes. They are sometimes mediocre examples of the artist's work, and yet still over-valued because of the "cover bump". Because of the logos, paste-ups, corrections, overlays, tape, markup, etc., they are in greater need of conservation/ restoration and more expensive to do so. They are at greater risk to be modified. They are at greater risk to be forged. At larger sizes, they can be a tiny bit more difficult to store. (Although I think this is often made more of a big deal than it really is. Lots of storage options out there. And bigger is better, right?!) Modern covers may not even include the aforementioned logos. And even more recent modern covers don't even have the digital backgrounds added later. Thoughts? Examples? As always, this is so subjective!

This one was really pretty as comm's go and went for $13K right around this time last year- https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/jim-lee-batman-painting-original-art-dc-2017-/a/7192-93160.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515 So at least a couple of people wanted the art and not just the commission experience. Published is another ball game.

I'd prefer to have the Youll paintings for books two and three- https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerydetailsearch.asp?artist=Stephen+Youll&GCat=93890&GSub=159302 Then, the Mike S. Miller Rhaeger print pencils. After that, probably Michael Komarck pieces. Vess had a nice GOT Subterranean piece on his table at Big Apple Con many years ago that I regret not buying.

This looks like an interesting book and discussion... https://www.strandbooks.com/event/blauner-gopnik-peanut-papers Wednesday October 23: 7:30PM

By Sunday, I was kind of wishing I had your stool.* *Man, did I really just softball that in there like that?

This is the craziest frame setup I've ever seen!

DPS are my favorite way to collect! I like splashes more than covers and of course a DPS is like the stretch limo version of a splash. We used to have more over here, but somehow the well is a bit dry at the moment because of trades and whatnot. Here's a fun one.... I will also take full credit for coining the phrase "triple-page spread"... That's where you get the page before the DPS and display them together. This guy's got a nice one-- https://www.ebay.com/itm/113782665745

It's kind of a strange bird, no? The only thing that screams Miller to me on there is the title font, oddly enough.

I almost bought a 6 foot tall 19th century painting at a regional auction this summer. My wife intervened at the last minute with murder in her heart.

I'm going to swoop in here and try to get this thread back to the OP's original question. I think you have to do a DEEP dive into studying other art markets before throwing your money in them. There are many, many more pitfalls to be had there versus comic OA (just one of the reasons I think OA is a great hobby for the beginner.) The learning curve is much steeper in other segments -- not just with the works themselves, but with the various players, angles, venues, scams, etc. Why do you think these don't go hand in hand? I would say the shared emotional connection to OA is precisely why it is a safer place to park your money. Leaving out my love for comic art for the moment and speaking purely about the dollars, you'd be hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic and liquid art segment -- especially so under mid-five figures. There's a lot of stuff out there in other segments that just sits and sits, even when priced right. Because who cares? So much of the effort of fine art galleries is centered around the illusion of event and the illusion of demand. With comic art, there is much less of that hucksterism. We have new books coming out every week, new movies, a thriving collectible floppy hobby that acts as a springboard, etc. The fanbase is legitimate and just has to mature into some buying power. (Maybe not forever, true. But the merry-go-round will turn for awhile yet.) Other art segments would kill for a fraction of the enthusiasm collectibles can generate. Don't believe me? Look at illustration art when you remove the nostalgia component -- There's Rockwell... a little bump for Parrish and Wyeth... and everyone else. Big price difference. Who generates nostalgia in the pop art market? Maybe Warhol because he tipped himself into the history of Americana. And not many after that. Ask yourself... are you nostalgic for Lichtenstein? If the answer is no, then why expect anyone else to be when it's time for resale? At that point, you're just hoping it keeps its luster as a bragging-rights commodity or goes well in someone's brutalist decor. I have my long-winded opinions about the future viability of various areas, but that's a long topic. When you've been to Sotheby's or Christie's and overheard handlers walking around retirees explaining why they should buy a Winslow-f'ing-Homer and who he even was, your opinion on a lot of the art market gets pretty, pretty cynical! "Multiples", to use the lingo, are some of the toughest bits to price and probably the easiest way to lose cash for a new buyer. If I were you, I'd stick with vetted smaller originals by name artists from established houses with detailed provenance. Take what you know from comic OA and apply it -- would you buy a $1-2K Alex Ross numbered litho or a small $1-2K pencil prelim by him? If you're an interior decorator looking to fill out a big wall, you get the litho. Everyone else, buy the original. There are much more experienced hands at this on these boards. I will let them chime in...

I can hold onto those for you if you are running out of space. Just let me know.