ComicLink Summer Featured Auction has started 3 3

[Bronty]

The swamp thing isn’t super well described but it does to its credit use the word collage.   I looked at this in yesterday’s clink and stayed away because I figured the swamp thing faces were mechanical and then coloured overtop with paint.    I think that’s what they are trying to convey by ‘painted collage’ although plainer language would be nice 

[Stan Singh]

Impressions of the auction in general? High, low vs. expectations? Any surprises? 

[First Upgrade]

5 hours ago, romitaman said:

returned it back to Josh

Mike, did you get a payment refund or an account credit towards future purchases?

Was it a no-hassle return? Where the other party[Josh] immediately & happily took back the item?

[vodou]

6 hours ago, romitaman said:

Hate to ask this but.......i bought this piece in the last comiclink.... and returned it back to Josh at the san diego comic con, as the cover which  was stated as all painted art. was to my eyes, actually 12 color glossy photos or post cards glued onto a piece of foam core.

i showed it to 3-4 collectors in san diego before returned it.. (in case i was missing something...)  everyone agreed with me that it was not painted art  just original pictures i guess???? 

......i just noticed the piece was back up for auction again  this past night as tonight was the first time i looked at the full auction....

this lot has the listing for the cover below as being painted art....i'm hoping this was just an honest error.....I feel the new owner should know..

(it did sell for more last night  than what i paid for it in the previous auction).

 

SWAMP THING #101 COVER TOM TAGGART 1990, Unique painted collage image of the many faces of Swamp Thing   ComicLink Comments: This collage art by painter Tom Taggart was published as the cover to Swamp Thing #101 (1990). Photos are of a model made by Taggart. The piece features the many faces of Swamp Thing in an eye-catching design. Swamp Thing has been a part of DC Universe now for almost five decades, often attracting many of the top creators in the field to tell his stories.

 

This was of interest to me the first time it was at CLink (last big auction, iirc). I knew it went for too much for what it was. I was not surprised to see it back up, wondered, but didn't know it was a return. I figured the consignor/friends juiced it up that high and nobody else bit. Thanks for putting this out there, explains a lot.

This thing is just a bunch of photographs that may or may not have been enhanced with some paint (think poor man's Dave McKean here) or not even that and only manipulated in the darkroom? I dunno. It's cool, I like it, and I'm the buyer if it's priced right. $2k+ is nowhere near "right", at least not in the sense of what else (opportunity cost) that buys in today's market, even as overheated as it is!

Bidder confusion is Taggart is a painter, but this is not a painting. LOL. "Painted collage"...probably exactly what it is, though what % is paint is the question, pretty low I think.

[ESeffinga]

Taggart isn't really known as being a painter. He's primarily known as a sculptor.
The McKean reference is probably closest, but what Tom was best known for was making sculptures, sometimes with props attached or around them, and then taking photos that were used for the covers.

So if there is anything "original" out there for an OA Swamp thing cover, I'd argue the thing to have would be the sculpts of those ST faces. Not necessarily the "collage" of the sculpts put together on a board.
I mean it may well be the way the cover that was produced, and it's not exactly "production" art (like a stat, or even a collage of stats). But it's not what many folks would be into.

 

I once had the cover to one of the Sandman issues. Pretty rare, as it had Morpheus on the cover image.
But it was essentially the product of a lot of color copy manipulation, and a manipulated photograph, with a couple blending bits of paint applied. It was underwhelming in person, and I sold it after sitting on it for a number of years.

I actually do appreciate photography and collage, but it depends on what it's of and for. To me, this would only be interesting if it were quite a bit cheaper, and more as a curiosity than a cornerstone art piece.

 

 

 

 

[vodou]

Yes thanks for the clarification re: Taggart Eric. I'd buy this (swamp) thing for $500-$750, no qualms about the process or final object form. (But then I already buy/sell and collect fine art photography and manipulated images, so...) I'd rather have this than the sculpture actually (if I had to choose one, but both would be best and awesome). However, recognizing this is you and I and very few others that would take it on at all the price has be well under $1,000...the demand is just very thin...and it's late ST w/o Moore, w/o any of the great artists on the inside...all that an anchor on price too.

We'll see, maybe the winner knew what he was bidding on and got exactly what he wanted for a price he wanted to pay. In which case happy lucky collector. Or maybe...it'll be back up soon for a third time?

[Carlo M]

4 hours ago, Stan Singh said:

Impressions of the auction in general? High, low vs. expectations? Any surprises? 

In general, a slightly quiet auction.

Strong prices: obviously the Larsen ASM splash (but had to be expected, that run has been very strong recently), the two Sal Buscema pages from Avengers 129 and 172 (a consequence of the (in)famous covers on last HA?), the Maguire DPS at €7900 (but it is a great piece).

I found Kirby a bit weak: a Kirby Sinnott "Clobbering time" page at €10k seems like a good buy, and so does JIM twice page with Loki (Colletta and lack of background discount?).  The Cap pencil drawing at USD6900 seems like a good buy too,

I was happy to see some contemporary stuff starting to get good prices, like the Opena Avengers pages or the Quesada Wolverine cover, even though some might call the Quesada cover a good buy at $5100.

Carlo

[malvin]

6 hours ago, Stan Singh said:

Impressions of the auction in general? High, low vs. expectations? Any surprises? 

For stuff I follow, I thought it was strong.

I didn't win anything (blown out of the water) but for some of the pieces that were sold, I have comparables in my own collection and I like how their potential implied values increased based on these auction results!

Malvin

[delekkerste]

On 9/2/2019 at 1:28 AM, mtlevy1 said:

Appreciate your bids on my 3 pieces!

1. Bissette Totleben Swamp Thing 42 page with amazing details

Wow, $2500 seems cheap for this page. 

With a handful of exceptions, like the WD #1 page ($15K+) and the '90s-era Ditko cover, I thought prices looked not just soft, but considerably so.  

Edited September 4, 2019 by delekkerste

[Sideshow Bob]

32 minutes ago, malvin said:

For stuff I follow, I thought it was strong.

I didn't win anything (blown out of the water) but for some of the pieces that were sold, I have comparables in my own collection and I like how their potential implied values increased based on these auction results!

Malvin

You're probably pretty happy with that Dark Victory splash page with Joker going for a decent bit of coin...

I picked up the Nightwing cover (with Chicago burning) that I sold a couple years ago and regretted ever since.

[malvin]

46 minutes ago, Sideshow Bob said:

You're probably pretty happy with that Dark Victory splash page with Joker going for a decent bit of coin...

I picked up the Nightwing cover (with Chicago burning) that I sold a couple years ago and regretted ever since.

Yup, that's one of the comparables that i was happy with!

Malvin

[mister_not_so_nice]

4 hours ago, vodou said:

 

We'll see, maybe the winner knew what he was bidding on and got exactly what he wanted for a price he wanted to pay. In which case happy lucky collector. Or maybe...it'll be back up soon for a third time?

For a "collector" (I've heard rumors that a few are still out there and buying art) it has some great imagery. 

For someone contemplating the ROI percentages, not so much.

[Nexus]

2 hours ago, delekkerste said:

Wow, $2500 seems cheap for this page. 

With a handful of exceptions, like the WD #1 page ($15K+) and the '90s-era Ditko cover, I thought prices looked not just soft, but considerably so.  

I thought the ST page went low, as well. A very nice buy for someone.

I used to own that WD #1 page. That's a nice number considering the one crazy buyer who drove up the market is now gone, and that the property's peak is behind us. Had this sold previously at Comic Connect during their big WD auctions?

[Claudio]

35 minutes ago, Nexus said:

I thought the ST page went low, as well. A very nice buy for someone.

I used to own that WD #1 page. That's a nice number considering the one crazy buyer who drove up the market is now gone, and that the property's peak is behind us. Had this sold previously at Comic Connect during their big WD auctions?

Not a bad return for the seller

[glendgold]

11 minutes ago, Claudio said:

Not a bad return for the seller

"1st corpse"

 

[vodou]

1 hour ago, mister_not_so_nice said:

For a "collector" (I've heard rumors that a few are still out there and buying art) it has some great imagery. 

For someone contemplating the ROI percentages, not so much.

For someone not throwing their money into the wind for lack of a better idea, you mean? i think can of x13 $200 interiors from ... (sorry it's a secret, my new watering hole) that I'd rather have a stack of then this - for the same money. Maybe that's not the "collector" math, but I'm writing this as a collector too, it's a bad deal re: opportunity cost.

[mister_not_so_nice]

4 hours ago, vodou said:

For someone not throwing their money into the wind for lack of a better idea, you mean? i think can of x13 $200 interiors from ... (sorry it's a secret, my new watering hole) that I'd rather have a stack of then this - for the same money. Maybe that's not the "collector" math, but I'm writing this as a collector too, it's a bad deal re: opportunity cost.

No, what I mean if someone is a ST fan and likes the cover and has the money and inclination it is the right buy for them. Sometimes a single cover is more attractive than 13 interior pages. It's not a 'bad deal re: opportunity cost'. That makes zero cents unless you're playing the 'money ball' game, which comes back to ROI. (13 pages go up $100/ quicker than the cover will increase in value $1300)

Quote

*I bought some artwork for one million
Two years later, that sh*t worth two million
Few years later, that sh*t worth eight million

-Sean Carter

As a "collector" 13 interior pages are what YOU'D RATHER HAVE. That means fuq-all to anyone else. Your collection and collecting style is perfect FOR YOU. I get it (we ALL get it), you're the most astute collector on the boards. Always buying low and then selling high to the suckers that lacked the foresight to purchase in wide swaths. Money so smart even the dollars got sense.

 

*Sean Carter quote added just because I like Sean Carter

Quote

Y'all think it's bougie, I'm like, it's fine
But I'm tryin' to give you a million dollars worth of game for nine ninety-nine

-also Sean Carter

 

[vodou]

Heh. Just admit you bought it. I'll still talk to you

[mister_not_so_nice]

36 minutes ago, vodou said:

Heh. Just admit you bought it. I'll still talk to you

You'll have to do better than that to throw the detectives off of YOUR trail. 

[mtlevy1]

9 hours ago, delekkerste said:

Wow, $2500 seems cheap for this page. 

With a handful of exceptions, like the WD #1 page ($15K+) and the '90s-era Ditko cover, I thought prices looked not just soft, but considerably so.  

I was hoping for more for sure but C'est La Vie

Hope the new owner enjoys the page - detail is sick!