15 REASONS WHY OA WILL GO UP IN VALUE

[NelsonAI]

 

Other factors as to why you have a private sale instead of using an auction house include:

 

- the seller needs the funds immediately.

- the buyer is a friend of the seller.

- the transaction is part trade and not all cash.

 

Cheers!

N

 

 

[westform]

I agree, public sales can produce much higher numbers, but also vice verse. I too have repeatedly missed out on private deals that I would have paid more for. I also have sold things privately that were flipped via an auction house and the sales price was then higher. It can be hard to know which avenue to take though. If you really do know the right person for a piece, or the right few for a piece that can be the easy, quick route. There are some dangers and fears that go along with sending out your piece to an auction house such as having to part with the piece, what if it doesn't sell, what if your reserve was too high, you don't have access to the bidders, so you can't always strike an after action deal. And, yes, partial trade goes out the window. Conversly, for some reason that has always seemed strange to me, putting a piece in auction can 'legitamize' the piece and often times I see that collectors won't dig as deep in their wallets when dealing directly with a collector. Maybe they don't want to lose face, or they just don't like the negotiation process in general, but I've seen people balk when offered items then pay more at auction....DF

 

All the good art trades privately for several reasons. One of the reasons it that the prices are MUCH higher when you sell privately to the right buyer. Private sales make any sale at auction look like a bargain.

 

You're right that a lot of primo art trades privately at very high prices, but I think there's some selection bias going on there. For example, if you've got a nice McFarlane Spidey splash, for example, you probably know who the top few likely buyers are for it, so you contact them privately and make the sale instead of giving an auction house its cut.

 

However, I don't think that this method is inherently superior in producing much higher prices, nor do I think it always does. I don't know if this has happened to you, but how many times have you heard about a private transaction and thought, "Gee, I wish I had been contacted about that piece or that it had been made available publicly, because I would have paid at least that much, if not more, for it"? It's happened to me very recently regarding two pieces that people wouldn't necessarily have known I'd be interested in.

 

Also, empirically speaking, the auction format has produced some startling prices for big-ticket comic books of late (not to mention fine art). In some cases it may be easier/better to sell privately but in others I think the auction format works just fine.

[spider9698]

Gene is correct, it cuts both ways. I was told of an amazing Silver age superhero cover that was sold after the buyer simply contacted three or four individuals. If it were offered to me, I would have easily put tens of thousands of dollars more into the seller's pockets.

[cheekyj2112]

Gene is correct, it cuts both ways. I was told of an amazing Silver age superhero cover that was sold after the buyer simply contacted three or four individuals. If it were offered to me, I would have easily put tens of thousands of dollars more into the seller's pockets.

 

 

 

Well don't be shy about letting me know if you're interested in anything I ever have, Dr F! ;o

 

Joseph

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

 

 

 

[spider9698]

Fine!

Sell me your DKR page!!

S

 

[dem1138]

However, I don't think that this method is inherently superior in producing much higher prices, nor do I think it always does. I don't know if this has happened to you, but how many times have you heard about a private transaction and thought, "Gee, I wish I had been contacted about that piece or that it had been made available publicly, because I would have paid at least that much, if not more, for it"? It's happened to me very recently regarding two pieces that people wouldn't necessarily have known I'd be interested in.

 

Also, empirically speaking, the auction format has produced some startling prices for big-ticket comic books of late (not to mention fine art). In some cases it may be easier/better to sell privately but in others I think the auction format works just fine.

 

These are all very relevant points. I would add that it can be a bit of russian roulette. Say you have a piece of art that you know is desireable and you have a price in mind -- first you contact those who might be interested. Let's say they are, but not at your price. So then you send it to Comiclink or put it up on eBay, and it doesn't meet reserve there either. Now you have an "overshopped/overexposed" piece that you may not even be able to sell for the highest private or public offer. So then you have to sit on the piece or sell it for much less than you wanted to. I think this is another reason why deals are done privately -- because when done privately the piece still has that mystical factor and you think you can get top dollar that way -- but if you take the chance and put the piece at auction and it doesn't sell -- now you've lost the optimal window to sell the piece.

 

I think the chances of a public piece selling for more than privately are greater IF it's a phenomenal or very desireable page -- however, selling privately allows for a quick transaction with little hassle (in my experience).

 

It's also very difficult to discern "talkers" from "doers." We all get e-mails about how desireable our art may be to someone but I have found that few step up with a number -- they just put their desire out there. I'm definitely as guilty of this as others -- and it really comes down to timing. You really want a piece, but in the end you don't want to pay "stoopid money" or someone wants a piece and they're willing to pay "stoopid money." I've let go of art because it was right place/right time and someone actually threw a number out rather than just telling me how bad they wanted it. I've upset other collectors by doing this, but I've always said, if I own something that someone else wants more and they're willing to pay for it, then I would seriously consider selling it. I can only do this if a number is presented because you can't pay your bills with someone else's desire for what you have.

 

 

[cheekyj2112]

David

 

I agree largely with what you're saying.

 

I recently acquired an 80's piece as part of a larger deal, that one of the BSD's apparently wanted. I was considering selling it and asked him for his offer. He gave me a pretty insulting offer explaining that the market was down etc etc

 

Consequently I did a deal with someone else for it. Shortly thereafter it appeared on ebay and aforementioned BSD wins it at over double what he offered me. What kind of sense does that make?? All I know is that I certainly won't be offering him anything privately hereafter. People who brag about being the go to guys rarely are imo.

 

Joseph

[westform]

This is just another example of what I was saying. Many, many times collectors these days will pay more at auction but won't step up privately. I don't know if it's because they don't really know the market prices or what, but it is frustrating. I tend to do the opposite myself... I usually pay more than I would normally when someone offers me something privately, partly because I really appreciate being thought of, and partly because I usually end up frustrated with protracted bidding in auctions and the uncertainty inherent. DF

[dem1138]

This is just another example of what I was saying. Many, many times collectors these days will pay more at auction but won't step up privately. I don't know if it's because they don't really know the market prices or what, but it is frustrating. I tend to do the opposite myself... I usually pay more than I would normally when someone offers me something privately, partly because I really appreciate being thought of, and partly because I usually end up frustrated with protracted bidding in auctions and the uncertainty inherent. DF

 

This is an interesting point because it showcases the difference between a collector's mentality and a dealer's mentality. Remember, dealer's are accustomed to being offered art first and low-balling before anyone else gets a shot -- that's how they make their real money. Collectors are unaccustomed to being offered art first so they think that they have to pay whatever is asked because there is a premium for getting first shot and not having to hassle with bidding wars, etc.

 

With regards to buying art at auction, often times auction houses will accept future consignments as payment for art so that may explain why someone may pay a higher hammer price since the majority of the money may come in art.

[Frederic9494]

Gene is correct, it cuts both ways. I was told of an amazing Silver age superhero cover that was sold after the buyer simply contacted three or four individuals. If it were offered to me, I would have easily put tens of thousands of dollars more into the seller's pockets.

 

 

 

Well don't be shy about letting me know if you're interested in anything I ever have, Dr F! ;o

 

Joseph

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

 

 

 

Your Love and Rockets page is awesome!

[cheekyj2112]

Gene is correct, it cuts both ways. I was told of an amazing Silver age superhero cover that was sold after the buyer simply contacted three or four individuals. If it were offered to me, I would have easily put tens of thousands of dollars more into the seller's pockets.

 

 

 

Well don't be shy about letting me know if you're interested in anything I ever have, Dr F! ;o

 

Joseph

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

 

 

 

Your Love and Rockets page is awesome!

 

Why, thank you, Sir.

 

Saw the first Jaime page for a while on ebay last week (from Mechanix 1) and the final hammer price of about $2700 was quite a surprise. Maybe not as underappreciated as I thought.

 

Joseph

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

A question for the experts....how available are Schomburg sketches? Getting Schomburg OA is fairly impossible I know, since he did virtually all covers and the few that survived command hefty numbers, so how available are his sketches?

 

I won the Schomburg Subby sketch in the recent C-link auction. Probably paid way too much for it, but then again, its not like I can ask the man to make me up one at San Diego this year. The Heritage archives show a Human Torch sketch that sold in 2006 for $1,075 and a Cap sketch that sold in 2002 for $2,185, but other then that, its slim pickings. Anyone know of any others?