• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

HAaaaacked!!!!
0

62 posts in this topic

12 hours ago, delekkerste said:

YESSS!!!

If people always paid within the established comp range, PRICES WOULD NEVER GO UP OR DOWN.  It's amazing how people don't understand this.  We've been in a rising market, so it's only natural that people should be paying over and above the historical comps all the time.

I've paid above the comps so many times, sometimes shockingly more, that if I hadn't, my collection wouldn't be half as good as it is.  I'm categorically not saying that people should overpay for B pieces, but, I don't know anyone who has built a top collection without overpaying (at the time, anyway) for A/A+ pieces.

I am a trailblazer on overpaying, I think. Comps also certainly caused me to miss out on pieces that I now regret not even 18 month later.

I also have to say that comps really don't help at all with the phenomenon of artists aging out and selling up. For example, the closed auction listings for Ron Cobb's design work and political cartoons were basically non-existent. Then a hoard was unleashed on eBay with massive early comps that settled way down once we all realized the seller had the entire lot of political cartoons. Prop Store also sold Cobb's personal movie concept art collection in their last two auctions, again all material that has been in storage since the 70s and 80s. I admit I have that "what a time to be alive" feeling. 

Finally, I am proud to say I cracked an artist's inventory that is completely fresh to market, as in not a single piece has publicly sold. I worked email for 3-4 months and finally threw out a number that got the guy to head to the post office. Package 2 arrived last week and offer 3 is in the negotiation phase. There are simply no comps for this material and I had to pay to rip the bandage off. I don't know what has caused me greater joy in collecting than buying fresh to market direct from the artist.

Edited by cstojano
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cstojano said:

I am a trailblazer on overpaying, I think. Comps also certainly caused me to miss out on pieces that I now regret not even 18 month later.

I also have to say that comps really don't help at all with the phenomenon of artists aging out and selling up. For example, the closed auction listings for Ron Cobb's design work and political cartoons were basically non-existent. Then a hoard was unleashed on eBay with massive early comps that settled way down once we all realized the seller had the entire lot of political cartoons. Prop Store also sold Cobb's personal movie concept art collection in their last two auctions, again all material that has been in storage since the 70s and 80s. I admit I have that "what a time to be alive" feeling. 

Finally, I am proud to say I cracked an artist's inventory that is completely fresh to market, as in not a single piece has publicly sold. I worked email for 3-4 months and finally threw out a number that got the guy to head to the post office. Package 2 arrived last week and offer 3 is in the negotiation phase. There are simply no comps for this material and I had to pay to rip the bandage off. I don't know what has caused me greater joy in collecting than buying fresh to market direct from the artist.

Hell, man, I got my Moonie cover from its one original owner (who got it from Garney himself), and that by itself made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  Well done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cstojano said:

Finally, I am proud to say I cracked an artist's inventory that is completely fresh to market, as in not a single piece has publicly sold.

...

There are simply no comps for this material and I had to pay to rip the bandage off. I don't know what has caused me greater joy in collecting than buying fresh to market direct from the artist.

Awesome! I just closed the second of two deals tonight for exactly the same scenario with an established "name" artist from the 80s-present. I am so thrilled!

First order was a test (several covers) for small money, all went perfect. This second one is the big deal (big money as well) and the hoard coming to me will not only have many excellent (even 'key' to some) panel pages but also a group of quality unpublished work, stuff nobody but the artist and some editor (maybe) have ever seen before. It will knock me back outta the game for the rest of the year but at least I won't have to fight for each piece, one by one, in endless bidding wars...likely losing half or more too that way!

And of course, when I do end up selling some...I set the market not a mark-up from a previous public price point in the past ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, vodou said:

Awesome! I just closed the second of two deals tonight for exactly the same scenario with an established "name" artist from the 80s-present. I am so thrilled!

First order was a test (several covers) for small money, all went perfect. This second one is the big deal (big money as well) and the hoard coming to me will not only have many excellent (even 'key' to some) panel pages but also a group of quality unpublished work, stuff nobody but the artist and some editor (maybe) have ever seen before. It will knock me back outta the game for the rest of the year but at least I won't have to fight for each piece, one by one, in endless bidding wars...likely losing half or more too that way!

And of course, when I do end up selling some...I set the market not a mark-up from a previous public price point in the past ;)

Yes the interesting thing to me is the idea of the genre being fairly well known but the art surrounding that market almost completely undeveloped. If I was shrewd and business savvy (I am not) I would buy up all the best material now and then launch some kind of marketing campaign to promote the material in a way that got real money interested. I missed the market for so many collectible classes over the years, but not this one. It has potential, I think, but until then I am opening the accounts. Much like you its hard to stomach bidding wars and dealer websites when you feel like a honey pot has been found. And there is also a greater sense of urgency to get what you can before its too late (as I read this it sounds like tulip mania stuff ;)

Edited by cstojano
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, cstojano said:

Yes the interesting thing to me is the idea of the genre being fairly well known but the art surrounding that market almost completely undeveloped. If I was shrewd and business savvy (I am not) I would buy up all the best material now and then launch some kind of marketing campaign to promote the material in a way that got real money interested.

Oh yes. Over some number of years in the early-mid oughts I purchased and have kept quiet an exceptionally large hoard of "fairly well known but the art....completely undeveloped" originals. I did exactly then as you're thinking you should now, luckily I haven't needed the liquidity, but remain in the dark as to how best build the market out to where I know it should be (real value not "fmv = recent comps"). Again, I haven't had to figure it out so it's been easy to just let it be. It's been ten years now though, and it's kind of dumb that I have a closet full of the material and nobody is enjoying it (except me on the occasion that I go through some out of boredom). I've privately and selectively discussed the situation with a few around here that have handled or are handling similar lots with similar characteristics and, at least two of them is doing very well at it, but I'm not sure if their approach that's worked for them would for me. Or that I even have the energy to put into it anymore. That's one of the things we youngsters all discount (or outright ignore) when buying up large quantities of this stuff...the work to come that's involved in moving it all back out in a full value fashion (as opposed to the ol' everything opens 1cent no reserve TONIGHT! on eBay -which still a lot of work).

8 hours ago, cstojano said:

And there is also a greater sense of urgency to get what you can before its too late (as I read this it sounds like tulip mania stuff ;)

Yes. I saw that for what it was fifteen years ago, non-mainstream comic art (and a specific segment of fine art too) being much undervalued against the "hot" comic art that was getting (and still gets) nearly all the headlines. I went in with everything I had at the time and took down the equivalent of two year's salary (at the time) in actual prices paid (which is probably only 1/10th of imo "true value"). If you're ahead of the curve on something and you buy right (right material, right "under" price) you're only mistake will likely be: not buying enough! Not tulip mania. That happens once you start selling :)

I cannot encourage you enough, in the vacuum of nearly no information on what you're into here or prices and your financial situation, to chase your (prudently handicapped) dreams!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Marwai said:

I know this thread has went off on a tangent, but I saw an unauthorized charge today on the credit card that has been on file with HA.  I've gotten the card cancelled.  May not be related, but it is something to look out for.

Thanks for the warning. Incidentally instagram for some reason stopped letting me see images unless I signed up. So I begrudgingly did and within 12 hours had unauthorized sign-ins from Ho Chin Minh City and somewhere in Russia. Not a great experience with instagram. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very little info, and nothing from HA directly on what happened- but there's this article: 

https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/cyberattack-takes-dallas-based-heritage-auctions-offline-11785625

So they were the victim of ransomware but refused to pay and restored the site themselves.

and it shows: Swapped images and thumbnails from other auctions all over the November HA auction.

1357612810_ScreenShot2019-10-23at11_47_57PM.thumb.png.cb878ae9d5df4ee78dc384751c5eaae5.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, cstojano said:

Seems lots from this Sunday are getting pulled now. They must have reached out to consignors to reschedule. 

6 lots removed from the October 24 auction, and 104 lots removed from the October 27 auction so far.

Edited by NicoV
Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, NicoV said:

6 lots removed from the October 24 auction, and 104 lots removed from the October 27 auction so far.

As someone who has consigned to Heritage in the past, I'm glad they are back up and running.  I don't fault a nervous consignor for withdrawing a lot, because each circumstance is different.  A few hundred, or a few thousand, dollars is a lot of money for most people so I don't blame them.

Let's hope this is just an infrequent disturbance of the auction world.

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Marwai said:

I know this thread has went off on a tangent, but I saw an unauthorized charge today on the credit card that has been on file with HA.  I've gotten the card cancelled.  May not be related, but it is something to look out for.

When I last moved, I let the "pros" do it (such an awful mistake, that!) Anyway, the guy that sold me on the firm looked "like me". The guys that arrived at my door move day "did not". The next day (yes, again -no patience anywhere these days lol ) post-move "somebody" ordered a nice package of approved items from a prisoner gift delivery service to a prison and named individual on my credit card. How hard do you think it was for LE to figure out "who" the fraudster was? lollollol but hey, somebody's gotta take care of the extended family prisoners, right, and slave labor hourly wages moving collectors with hundreds of boxes filled with heavy art books...ain't gettin' it done either, so...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, cstojano said:

Seems lots from this Sunday are getting pulled now. They must have reached out to consignors to reschedule. 

No. Lots were all Chinese Knockoffs planted to disrupt. Or made-10minutes-ago transparencies. Russia!! Strikes!!! Again!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, vodou said:

No. Lots were all Chinese Knockoffs planted to disrupt. Or made-10minutes-ago transparencies. Russia!! Strikes!!! Again!!!!!

 

H A C K K K E DUH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I tried to sign in to CGC and got this message below: The Russians!!! The Matrix!! The waiter that took my debit card behind the bar to run a tab during SDCC week! How will I interact with Vodou and Jay Olie Espy? Exitmusicblue or Bill C? No more face palms from glengold. No more expertise from Gene who wins every argument simply because he was smart enough to nab the Gordon Geko greed is good Wall Street photo for his posts!!!!   The sky is falling........uhh.....hang on    :news:  I'm being told the message below is routine maintenance for the boards.    :facepalm:

BRIEF MAINTENANCE

Thanks for stopping by. This site is undergoing routine maintenance as part of our continued effort to provide a robust collecting experience. Maintenance usually lasts 15-30 minutes, so we should be back soon. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In the meantime, please enjoy our CGC Chat Boards, NGC Chat Boards or PMG Chat Boards.

image.jpeg.13876425a074e85a34aeca7e97b5c24e.jpeg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/24/2019 at 6:57 AM, vodou said:

No. Lots were all Chinese Knockoffs planted to disrupt. Or made-10minutes-ago transparencies. Russia!! Strikes!!! Again!!!!!

 

 

 
Edited by grapeape
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/10/2019 at 1:27 PM, Will_K said:

Will HA ever have any follow-ups on this ?  Maybe they're still assessing what happened ?

If you were only a casual buyer at HA, it's possible you missed all the excitement. 

 

And that's exactly what they are hoping for.....nothing to see here, move along, move along.....:whistle:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0