Guess the value of the 80’s AH Ha video original art. 0

[Bronty]

3 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

"Wow, I really wish I had those drawings used for the a-ha Take On Me video." - said no music memorabilia collector, ever. 

Like I said, there's a market for them.  I think the Dragon's Lair cels are a bad comp, though.  Most music memorabilia collectors collect posters, instruments, albums, autographs, stage-worn clothing, hand-written lyrics, etc.  Sure, any music memorabilia auction is going to have some oddball items too, but, it's not like most of such things sell for bank.  Heck, aside from things like the Pink Floyd The Wall art, David Gilmour's primary guitar, Michael Jackson paraphernalia and Kurt Cobain's sweater, it's not like most music memorabilia sells for a ton of money, period - there's plenty of cool stuff you can buy in that hobby for less than the price of a throwaway Bronze Age panel page in our hobby.  

I don't think anybody is going to plonk down $2.5K or $5K or anywhere near that for a single a-ha Take On Me drawing.  It's not like this example being offered at $625 is flying off the shelf, and that's basically pocket change these days. 

To be fair, I used that as a comp BEFORE realizing there were 3,000 of them.   That's a major piece of info.

I don't think you can sustain anywhere near that price for the whole lot of them given the supply no.   

But I getting 150k out of the hoard?  Yeah I think that's more than doable.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Bronty

[delekkerste]

2 hours ago, vodou said:

3,000 is a challenge to work off. We don't know what the lot sold for, right? But let's assume $100/per is handily profitable...I think you could turn two of those out a month BIN on eBay (and holding the very best 50 images back for better venues than eBay or just as keepers). Still...that's going to be a 122 year slog to pull your $300k out...sheesh. Even I don't have the wherewithal

How much would anyone here pay for the whole lot?  Even if you paid $10/page for them ($30K total), could you sell even 1/10th of them at 10x ($100/each) to recoup your outlay?  Would it be worth your time?  I just don't think the interest would be there...you'd have to sell them in bulk lots and I suspect that there aren't many people who would be interested in buying even a pile of this art if it meant having to lay out $5K or more.  

I think my interest in the lot as a whole would probably max out at about $5/page ($15K).  Or less.  And I love that song and video.  I mean I might as well be nicknamed Mr. 1980s.  But, I just don't see the value here. To anyone, really. 

[PhilipB2k17]

8 minutes ago, Bronty said:

I don't know what they sold for so I have no comment on whether its a good flip or time involved or whatever.

But in terms of the value being 150k or not, it has to be.   I mean, jeez, burn the 2500 worst ones and sell the best 500 thru auction houses at  50 pieces a quarter for 300 bucks a pop and you've got your 150k.

Or just sell the ten best for 5k each (and I do think you could get that for the full page pieces)  and then go down the line.   

There are so many pieces that I think I would go best first instead of 'worst first' in terms of offering them to market.

If you start with the worst by the time you get to the best, no one will care anymore.

I suspect that the drawings fall into several categories. Preliminary storyboards, animation cells, and the comic book prop drawings used in the video. I think the storyboards and the animation cells (per item) would not sell for as much as the video-used prop comic book art. I think Gene is generally correct, but there ARE some legit "comic art" pages in that video that probably would command into the 4 figures (maybe even 5 figures) at a well-publicized auction. It actually crosses over into multiple collecting disciplines, animation, music memorabilia and "comic" art. Which is why I posed the topic here (and it turned into a really interesting discussion). The Ah Ha "Take On Me" video is pretty iconic, and culturally relevant. As we saw, it's been parodied a ton, and referenced in popular culture a ton. 

[PhilipB2k17]

22 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

How much would anyone here pay for the whole lot?  Even if you paid $10/page for them ($30K total), could you sell even 1/10th of them at 10x ($100/each) to recoup your outlay?  Would it be worth your time?  I just don't think the interest would be there...you'd have to sell them in bulk lots and I suspect that there aren't many people who would be interested in buying even a pile of this art if it meant having to lay out $5K or more.  

I think my interest in the lot as a whole would probably max out at about $5/page ($15K).  Or less.  And I love that song and video.  I mean I might as well be nicknamed Mr. 1980s.  But, I just don't see the value here. To anyone, really. 

How much would you pay for the Comic Book prop artwork used in the video when she was in the diner? That's a distinct object, which anyone familiar with the video would recognize.

Edited October 31, 2019 by PhilipB2k17

[vodou]

18 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

it's not like most music memorabilia sells for a ton of money, period - there's plenty of cool stuff you can buy in that hobby for less than the price of a throwaway Bronze Age panel page in our hobby.  

For the Dio fans...only $25k

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/64747182_dio-the-last-in-line-original-artwork

[delekkerste]

10 minutes ago, Bronty said:

I don't know what they sold for so I have no comment on whether its a good flip or time involved or whatever.

But in terms of the value being 150k or not, it has to be.   I mean, jeez, burn the 2500 worst ones and sell the best 500 thru auction houses at  50 pieces a quarter for 300 bucks a pop and you've got your 150k.

Or just sell the ten best for 5k each (and I do think you could get that for the full page pieces)  and then go down the line.   

There are so many pieces that I think I would go best first instead of 'worst first' in terms of offering them to market.

If you start with the worst by the time you get to the best, no one will care anymore.

I think I'd have to see what the whole lot looked like.  Some of the more memorable images that are shown on display in one of the links are pretty cool, but, I'm still skeptical of their salability at $5K per.  And if I was taking them all down, that would require a big discount.  I suspect that most of the pages are effectively worthless and that even the top 500 couldn't fetch anywhere near $300 a pop.  I feel like this is something where there might be a few people who'd buy a (really) cheap piece just to have one, but, that you'd run out of those people really quickly.  Even if you divided by 10, would there even be enough people who'd be interested in buying the 51st to 500th best pieces at $30 a pop?  Like I said...I think you'd have to bulk out most of it at pennies on the dollar.  People may really like this video, but, who "needs" to have one of 3000 sketches used in the production process at $3K...$300...$30 or even $3 a pop.  I think we've just got a warped sense of reality being in the hobby that we are.  

[vodou]

19 minutes ago, Bronty said:

I don't know what they sold for so I have no comment on whether its a good flip or time involved or whatever.

But in terms of the value being 150k or not, it has to be.   I mean, jeez, burn the 2500 worst ones and sell the best 500 thru auction houses at  50 pieces a quarter for 300 bucks a pop and you've got your 150k.

Or just sell the ten best for 5k each (and I do think you could get that for the full page pieces)  and then go down the line.   

There are so many pieces that I think I would go best first instead of 'worst first' in terms of offering them to market.

If you start with the worst by the time you get to the best, no one will care anymore.

Wow. Okay we just are on opposite ends then. I don't think anybody cares now even but $100 isn't so much that you can't find two suckers a month. Past that...no way.

[PhilipB2k17]

5 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

I think I'd have to see what the whole lot looked like.  Some of the more memorable images that are shown on display in one of the links are pretty cool, but, I'm still skeptical of their salability at $5K per.  And if I was taking them all down, that would require a big discount.  I suspect that most of the pages are effectively worthless and that even the top 500 couldn't fetch anywhere near $300 a pop.  I feel like this is something where there might be a few people who'd buy a (really) cheap piece just to have one, but, that you'd run out of those people really quickly.  Even if you divided by 10, would there even be enough people who'd be interested in buying the 51st to 500th best pieces at $30 a pop?  Like I said...I think you'd have to bulk out most of it at pennies on the dollar.  People may really like this video, but, who "needs" to have one of 3000 sketches used in the production process at $3K...$300...$30 or even $3 a pop.  I think we've just got a warped sense of reality being in the hobby that we are.  

The dealer offering the one piece at $650, probably bought it around $500. But, that may just be due to scarcity. If you dump the whole lot on the market at once, I agree that the vast majority won't fetch more than double to very low triple figures. But, there are probably a few very choice pieces in that bunch.

Edited October 31, 2019 by PhilipB2k17

[vodou]

16 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

How much would anyone here pay for the whole lot?

Correct. It only works as a lot, or several. And I agree, few/any will want to put up more than a few grand no matter how many you get. The problem is 3,000. There's just nothing you can do with that that doesn't involve the "next guy" having to be a dealer too -or, it taking six generations to work off!

[delekkerste]

7 minutes ago, vodou said:

For the Dio fans...only $25k

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/64747182_dio-the-last-in-line-original-artwork

I could so see myself buying that if we were back in like 2006.   Nowadays, though, nah.  But, it's cool, and the price is more easily supported by more or less direct comps from fantasy, illustration, and other album cover artwork. 

[vodou]

1 minute ago, delekkerste said:

I could so see myself buying that if we were back in like 2006.   Nowadays, though, nah.  But, it's cool, and the price is more easily supported by more or less direct comps from fantasy, illustration, and other album cover artwork. 

Caught my eye but I'd only chase Holy Diver...the rest, not so much.

Now Kiss's Love Gun...that went for $25k in 2000. I was tempted but did not make the play; still not sure if that was smart or dumb. That one might just be timeless, outside of Kiss fans I mean.

[delekkerste]

21 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

How much would you pay for the Comic Book prop artwork used in the video when she was in the diner? That's a distinct object, which anyone familiar with the video would recognize.

I'd have to see what the originals looked like.  

I think it's easy to get carried away by calculating the potential break-up value...how badly does anyone have to have this lot of, as you said, probably a bunch of cels, storyboards and some video-used drawings?  As a whole lot, does anybody really love it and feel like they have to own it to the tune of $100K?  $50K?  $30K?  $15K?  $10K?  I mean, for $100K, I bet you could get a-Ha to come over to your house and play a set for your birthday party.  

14 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

The dealer offering the one piece at $650, probably bought it around $500. But, that may just be due to scarcity. If you dump the whole lot on the market at once, I agree that the vast majority won't fetch more than double to very low triple figures. But, there are probably a few very choice pieces in that bunch.

Yeah, fair enough. 

Edited October 31, 2019 by delekkerste

[vodou]

2 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

I mean, for $100K, I bet you could get a-Ha to come over to your house and play a set for your birthday party.  

Likely true. And not an opportunity cost to be ignored for the six figure fan of the band. I know which I think would be the cooler of the two! (neither of which I'd pay six figures for though!!)

[vodou]

13 minutes ago, vodou said:

Caught my eye but I'd only chase Holy Diver...the rest, not so much.

Now Kiss's Love Gun...that went for $25k in 2000. I was tempted but did not make the play; still not sure if that was smart or dumb. That one might just be timeless, outside of Kiss fans I mean.

Oh and for the curious here's some highlights from that auction, including another Destroyers...only $11k!

http://www.kissasylum.com/kissauction/highlights.shtml

[BCarter27]

1 hour ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

I think the storyboards and the animation cells (per item) would not sell for as much as the video-used prop comic book art

Counter to my usual line of thought, I think the prop itself would probably be the most desirable piece.

[Bronty]

1 hour ago, vodou said:

Wow. Okay we just are on opposite ends then. I don't think anybody cares now even but $100 isn't so much that you can't find two suckers a month. Past that...no way.

2 a month on ebay is thinking small IMO, but don't get me wrong, I hear what you guys are saying.    3000 is a problem and makes the whole endeavour kind of a PITA.

[vodou]

9 minutes ago, Bronty said:

2 a month on ebay is thinking small IMO, but don't get me wrong, I hear what you guys are saying.    3000 is a problem and makes the whole endeavour kind of a PITA.

Was the best I could come up, but it's a "sorry best" for sure. 122 years is stupid. But I can't see more than $100 per in any great number, that's my stumbling block, against 3,000.

Maybe a YouTube where 'somebody' burns like 2800 of them, leaving only 200 and divide your grossed up number by that? Maybe?

[Bronty]

58 minutes ago, vodou said:

Was the best I could come up, but it's a "sorry best" for sure. 122 years is stupid. But I can't see more than $100 per in any great number, that's my stumbling block, against 3,000.

Maybe a YouTube where 'somebody' burns like 2800 of them, leaving only 200 and divide your grossed up number by that? Maybe?

Like I said earlier only half in jest, burning 2500 of them isn’t a bad idea

[grapeape]

10 hours ago, vodou said:

Correct. It only works as a lot, or several. And I agree, few/any will want to put up more than a few grand no matter how many you get. The problem is 3,000. There's just nothing you can do with that that doesn't involve the "next guy" having to be a dealer too -or, it taking six generations to work off!

They might make for great wallpaper 

[NelsonAI]

From the thread title, I thought we were talking about Adam Hughes.  

I actually think I know the original owner of the art.  He is a friend from high school.

A few friends were hanging out at his parents' place watching MTV, of course.  When the aforementioned video came on, my friend mentioned he had the art.  I don't remember what his parents' occupations were but apparently, someone gifted them the art.  They in turn gave it to my friend.

MTV and music videos were at the peak of their popularity at the time.

My friend eventually moved to LA, got married, etc., so no surprise that the art ended up out there.

I run into him every so often when he is in town but am certainly not buddy buddy with him anymore.  However, I will bring it up next time I see him.

I wasn't interested in the art back then and certainly not interested in the art now.