Black hole collectors/collections? 0

[JadeGiant]

What is your definition of a black hole collector?

 

Someone who never sells, but will share art on CAF, in person, etc.? In this case we know where the art is but also know it is not going anywhere.

 

Someone who never sells and has no online presence or attends shows, etc.? In this case the art is completely unknown as far as where it resides.

 

Have you ever unearthed a black hole collector/collection?

 

Have you ever convinced a black hole collector to part with something?

 

I have been collecting for 8-10 years and have never sold anything so I started to wonder if I would be considered a black hole collector and wasn’t sure. I have gifted art to people but never sold or traded. I don’t feel like I qualify but I think I might.

 

PS: if you are a black hole collector and have Hulk art that you want to share with a fellow passionate collector (not selling), please feel free to inbox me as I would love to talk Hulk art!

 

Edited September 12, 2016 by JadeGiant

[rotembk]

Probably too late for you to change everything to Jade Hole, eh?

[Doc McCoy]

Someone who never sells and has no online presence or attends shows, etc.? In this case the art is completely unknown as far as where it resides.

 

This would fit my definition of a black hole collector and would also seem to fit with the definition of the term in general:

 

black hole

- noun -

ASTRONOMY

~a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

informal

~a place where people or things, especially money, disappear without trace.

 

[Pete Marino]

To me a true black hole collector both has no online presence and never sells.

 

A black hole means you don't even know it exists or where, not just that they hoarde. Well some know, but those outside of the cabal don't =)

[JadeGiant]

Someone who never sells and has no online presence or attends shows, etc.? In this case the art is completely unknown as far as where it resides.

 

This would fit my definition of a black hole collector and would also seem to fit with the definition of the term in general:

 

black hole

- noun -

ASTRONOMY

~a region of space having a gravitational field so intense that no matter or radiation can escape.

informal

~a place where people or things, especially money, disappear without trace.

 

Makes sense and aligns with my thought that I am not a black hole collector.

[JadeGiant]

To me a true black hole collector both has no online presence and never sells.

 

A black hole means you don't even know it exists or where, not just that they hoarde. Well some know, but those outside of the cabal don't =)

 

The cabal, that's the next mystery I hope to unravel

[Meeley Man]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

[Ironmandrd]

Without really thinking about it, I generally have considered two types of collectors as black holes.

 

I agree that the more traditional black hole collector is someone whose collection is largely a mystery (eg, so no public CAF pics) and they virtually never sell (but that also doesn't mean necessarily mean that they don't attend shows or aren't otherwise connected to the hobby).

 

In addition though, I've also thought of a black hole collector to include someone who may have some public presence or who lets some collectors know some of what he has but the black hole characteristic comes from virtually never selling -- so to use the analogy, pieces go into the black hole and while you may be able to see some of them just past the event horizon, they never escape and are therefore unobtainable.

 

 

[JadeGiant]

Without really thinking about it, I generally have considered two types of collectors as black holes.

 

I agree that the more traditional black hole collector is someone whose collection is largely a mystery (eg, so no public CAF pics) and they virtually never sell (but that also doesn't mean necessarily mean that they don't attend shows or aren't otherwise connected to the hobby).

 

In addition though, I've also thought of a black hole collector to include someone who may have some public presence or who lets some collectors know some of what he has but the black hole characteristic comes from virtually never selling -- so to use the analogy, pieces go into the black hole and while you may be able to see some of them just past the event horizon, they never escape and are therefore unobtainable.

 

 

This is how I have always thought of it as well - that there are 2 primary types.

 

A black hole doesn't have to be unknown to exist IMO

[Solar]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

[comix4fun]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

[Meeley Man]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

 

If you can see it, there is always the possibility of "escape." When you can't see it; when it disappears from all radars and is never seen anywhere, then it is in a "black hole collection." A "black hole" cannot be penetrated and show what is on the other side. If you can see the art publicly, then it is not "inescapable."

 

[comix4fun]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

 

If you can see it, there is always the possibility of "escape." When you can't see it; when it disappears from all radars and is never seen anywhere, then it is in a "black hole collection." A "black hole" cannot be penetrated and show what is on the other side. If you can see the art publicly, then it is not "inescapable."

 

 

 

Tell that to the crew of the Narada.

 

However, I would your use of that definition on the Black Hole Collectors I know that have shown plenty, parted with none, and whose bar bills are the size of my 401k. So far nothing else has worked.

 

[mister_not_so_nice]

There are few true Black hole collections. Mostly, I think, because of the financial aspect of keeping every single piece of OA purchased.

 

Conversely I think there are many micro-black hole collectors. Pieces may come and go, but they have that small selection that will be the last pieces to go if/when they begin to divest.

 

I can't find a feature on CAF as a whole to look at pieces by date posted, but that link is in each individual CAF gallery. How many pieces were posted in 2000 that are still in the same collection? I'm guessing quite a few. So, for a majority of the board members here those pieces have been locked up before they even thought of entering the hobby. So, anyone looking for any of those pages is out of luck.

[Meeley Man]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

 

If you can see it, there is always the possibility of "escape." When you can't see it; when it disappears from all radars and is never seen anywhere, then it is in a "black hole collection." A "black hole" cannot be penetrated and show what is on the other side. If you can see the art publicly, then it is not "inescapable."

 

 

 

Tell that to the crew of the Narada.

 

However, I would your use of that definition on the Black Hole Collectors I know that have shown plenty, parted with none, and whose bar bills are the size of my 401k. So far nothing else has worked.

 

I never said getting them to part with something would not be a "Herculean effort" (i.e. paying 4 or 5 times FMV, for example). But as long as you can actually SEE the piece, the possibility exists, no matter how remote. If you can't see it, well, what do you really have there?

[Solar]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

 

If you can see the art publicly, then it is not "inescapable."

 

I definitely disagree with this part. There are countless pieces of art on public display that can't be touched with any amount of money. Likewise, public offers are very effective at drawing out the unseen art.

[J.Sid]

I agree: Black Hole simply means you can't get anything out of them. It doesn't mean their collection is off the radar.

 

And yes, bigger money values/offers means fewer black holes.

[Meeley Man]

If you show your art publicly, then you are not a "black hole collector." It's that simple.

 

For me it has more to do with resale. If nothing ever escapes the collection, then it's a black hole even if some of the art is displayed or discussed publicly

 

Yep. Like Daren just said, the term was coined by pieces going in but never escaping. Once it enters the black hole it's gone forever from the market.

 

If you can see the art publicly, then it is not "inescapable."

 

I definitely disagree with this part. There are countless pieces of art on public display that can't be touched with any amount of money. Likewise, public offers are very effective at drawing out the unseen art.

 

Unless we are talking about some kind of museum thing, then that isn't true. Everything and everyone has their price. It's just a matter of meeting it. You may not want to, considering it too much to pay. Or you might not be able to, if you are of more meager financial means. But if you offer then the "right" amount, they will cave. You just have to be willing to go to any financial length to make that happen. Most people don't. That is why the piece seem "inescapable."

[Meeley Man]

I agree: Black Hole simply means you can't get anything out of them. It doesn't mean their collection is off the radar.

 

And yes, bigger money values/offers means fewer black holes.

 

If the art is not able to be seen publicly, how can you hope to "get anything out of them?" Especially when you don't know who the "them" is that has it?

[theflashunc]

To get pedantic if we're going with what a black hole means and how it might apply in this scenario, we can "see" black holes across the cosmos. Hawking's theory about them emitting radiation into the universe, and therefore being detectable, is true.

 

It tends to align with my idea of a black hole collection. You may not know what's there, but you know it exists and may have an inkling of what's gone in, but for all practical purposes you can't be sure what exactly is in there.

 

So I'd include pieces that are shown on CAF and elsewhere, even if the owner has no intention of ever parting with them. Consider that the emitted radioactive particle proving the black hole's existing.