Do you have a collecting nemesis?

[batman_fan]

Yes, I do have one

 

[jeBailey]

My nemesis is my limited funds. My collecting focus is my 2nd biggest nemesis.

 

John B.

[John E.]

There is an artist who worked on some high-profile titles in the mid-80/early 90s who still has--had-- quite a few pages left that he sells for cheap here in the local con circuit. There is another fan of his that seems to get to his table about 1/2 the time before me. I never really saw him as a nemesis but I can't help but feel the sting when he walks away with a couple of pages before I get to the said artist's table.

[rotembk]

art over friendship

 

Art boards before bros?

 

Yes, he obviously advocates "Portfoli-hoes before Bros"

 

nicely done.

[alxjhnsn]

I can't say that either is a nemesis because our budgets are much different, but there is a very high degree in taste overlap. Pretty much anything Ron Sonenthal and Gary Land.buy I would like.

[J.Sid]

I have one that used to be a friend of mine. But when he sniped me in an auction after telling me he wasn't going to be bidding (This was before i knew collusion was so unfair for the seller ) and then stated he knew he had to have the piece from the moment he saw it, he went from nemesis to 100% person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed (if he's reading this )

 

art over friendship

 

 

Did you ever discuss the amount you were thinking about bidding on the piece?

 

 

[Jesusjon]

Brett where are you? This thread is for us.

 

My very first OA purchase was a hard fought eBay win over Brett. A Thompson Sandman page which went for $1000 back in 2005. I then discovered this board where he mentioned he lost out on the page. Friend/nemesis for life after that.

 

We went on to overlap on Sandman, Ex Machina, Preacher, and Y the Last Man. We even got caught up in a blind bidding situation on a Sandman cover which cost me about $7K and led to my first retirement from the hobby I was so butthurt. (Not Brett's fault)

 

He still has a cover I would kill for.

 

Since I buy so much less these days we haven't gone toe to toe in awhile but we had some good times.

[Gal Schwartz]

Recently came across someone who literally hasbtje most amazing Superman OA collection...

Pure jealousy

 

 

NOW you got my attention ! Links please !

[alxjhnsn]

+1

[malvin]

My tastes are very varied so no single nemesis. I have run across various people who collect some of the same things that I don't consider any of them a nemesis.

 

Malvin

 

 

[fsumavila]

great thread!

 

I don't have a specific nemesis (although maybe Joe Shaffer qualifies since he now has a tremendous collection of Dazzler covers) ... but I remember when I first started collecting I was really trying to put together all the Marvel Fireside painted covers. I had tracked down the Larkin Spider-Man & Fantastic Four covers, and Heritage listed the Incredible Hulk painted cover. I bid aggressively but I lost out.

 

I was talking about it with Jon Mankuta and complaining about how someone outbid me last minute for the piece, and maybe I should have bid more... and then Jon stopped me and said, ' dude you had no chance of winning that piece. David Mandel was the high bidder. You couldn't have bid high enough.'

 

And that's when I learned the worst place to be as an OA collector is in a bidding war with David Mandel

[jjonahjameson1]

Right now, my nemesis is the beaver buck, otherwise known as the Canadian dollar.

 

Previously, my collecting nemesis has been the Provincial and Federal Canadian Government, although I suspect they will be re-emerging as my primary nemesis very soon!

[ciorac]

I can't say that either is a nemesis because our budgets are much different, but there is a very high degree in taste overlap. Pretty much anything Ron Sonenthal and Gary Land.buy I would like.

 

I agree with you there. Those two guys seem to find a ton of things I would love to own

[ciorac]

Yes, I do have one

 

 

Nah, you and I collude, we don't compete

 

There is another, much darker, nemesis that lurks out in the wild

 

Devoid of soul, well heeled he is, ruthless for the sake of ruthlessness alone

 

Sad really

[glendgold]

My nemesis.

[John E.]

I don't think I do since very few collect Kieths Maxx OA.

 

Funny you write this... I would LOVE, nay, WANT to collect to Sam Kieth's Maxx OA, but it's so scarce and pricey, that's what's keeping me off the market. I'm actually building a war chest to buy a nice Kieth example when it pops up, but my preference is Maxx stuff. Maybe when Sam Kieth decides to part with his Maxx pages decades from now will I get to own a page.

[alxjhnsn]

And that's when I learned the worst place to be as an OA collector is in a bidding war with David Mandel

Been there, done that.

 

I won't bore everyone with the story, but it's here if you want to read it.

 

 

 

To help you understand the emotional impact of this tale, you should understand that The Legion is my favorite set of characters (Superman is my favorite single character) and Curt Swan is my favorite comic artist. I got my first Legion (Adventure 326) while in the hospital at age 8 for six weeks due to pneumonia. I have no doubt that my young mind was deeply impressed by the books that my dad brought me and the artists featured in them.

 

Anyway, my "grail" has been a Curt Swan piece featuring a lot of Legionnaires inked by Curt or George Klein for quite sometime.

 

In 1986, ICG published The Official Legion of Super-Heroes Index. Either of the first two covers would qualify as the Swan/Legion "grail" for me. Those covers are:

 

Look at all that Swan/Legion goodness!

 

I didn't see these issues until long after they were published because I had a comic collecting hiatus. It wasn't until I started buying comic art (2005-ish) that I saw those images and thought how great it would be to have one of them on my wall. Since I had no clue as to where they were, I didn't really worry about it too much.

 

Not long after that (2008), Brad Meltzer decided to raise money to save and restore Jerry Siegel's boyhood home - the real birthplace of Superman.

 

One of the pieces placed for auction was this one:

 

 

 

You can probably imagine how excited I was. When the auction came around, I bid not just stupid (for me) money, but horrific (for my wife - we had three daughters in college) money to try and get it.

 

I felt pretty good about the bid and was sure that I'd win it and then - wham - I was beaten. I had time to raise the bid, but not the stomach.

 

Sigh... At least, I helped raise a bunch of money for a good cause, right?

 

Not long after the auction close, the image was posted to the CAF. With that I discovered that I was bidding against David Mandel. If you've never visited his collection, click the OA image above and indulge yourself. It's clear that his pockets were deeper than mine; if I'd known I might have bid more just to help raise funds. (No probably not)

 

I also found out from David's description on the OA that David was involved in the auction and Mark Waid had offered this piece and one other to Brad for the auction. Brad asked David which to accept. David picked the Swan piece. David is smart!

 

This past year, Mark Waid was here in Houston for a signing and I talked to him about the auction. Turns out that he also had the other cover (#1) and that it was now in the possession of a friend of his. Sigh ... So, close.

 

Still, it's nice to know that both pieces have good homes.

 

Don't feel too bad for me. I do have a few pieces as consolation prizes.

 

This one I really like since the inker worked hard to give it the feel of the original story (click to embiggen):

 

 

and this wonderful pencil piece:

 

I'm content.

 

 

[oldlogan48]

My nemesis.

 

Love it!!!!!

[Mr. Machismo]

I primarily collect Batman artwork, so about 50% of all comic art collectors.

 

Why can't you guys just leave me alone!?

[Rodey]

Yes. I have one. And he's the artist's personal lawyer. So guess who has the funds and friendship to beat me. But I did get a

Cover when he had to sell it.