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Art available for trade only... why ??
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21 posts in this topic

4 minutes ago, Will_K said:

I know some people will take cash and/or trade.  But some people seem to insist only on trades.  Why ?

Is it to get people to offer art from those black hole collections ? 

Avoiding declared income ?

What else ?

 

Maybe its the fear of missing out on ever increasing art prices, so if you get art back, you are getting something you like more right way (rather than cash and then try to buy) and if the market moves you benefit.

Malvin

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Exchanging art for art doesn't actually avoid taxes per new rules (or so I read here months back) but it does avoid the money hitting your account.

I think the primary reason people offer trade only pieces is because they think/know their piece is special and cash often does little to shake pieces from someone's collection. I assume many collectors don't really need the money to make rent next month. So yeah, I could sell X piece for 5k but then what?? That isn't going to get you closer to some gray hole grail is it?

The funny thing about these trade-only pieces is the absurd likelihood of Joe X having obscure piece Y willing to trade it for obscure piece Z the trader is offering up. 

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Mentally, I definitely have some things that I would only let go for either a) some stupid multiple of FMV or, b) something that I like even more (with the b. not being something sitting in some dealer's inventory for sale).  I usually assume trade-only pieces hold a similar position in other folks' collections.  Basically, with some things trade may get stuff loose where cash won't.  I've experienced this with more modestly-valued art where there aren't too many people who collect the artist/series, but there also aren't too many examples available, so the folks who have things want to hold on to them

Having said that, what has always really baffled me is that Los Bros. have some pieces on CAF listed as trade-only.  And not necessarily really rare/hard-to-find things either.  

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35 minutes ago, vodou said:

 

 

I drank that kool aid for 3:25 with my speakers up full blast. You’ve never heard a woman scream like Mrs. GrapeApe just did.

”Turn that F/“^*’g thing off !!!!!!”

WTFF ???

When I drink Kool Aid I do like art more then money.

When the bills are due and I’m out of Kool Aid I’ll take the dirty money for the art.

Gotta go make the couch up.

Thanks Vodou😢

Edited by grapeape
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I’d never list art as trade only.

Having said that, there are definitely pieces in my collection I’d only trade. Why?

  • I don’t need the money more than the art
  • I'd have to pay more than I did originally to get another example, and the way the market is, it would probably end up being more than I get for selling
  • Some pieces I’d want could probably only be pried loose with trade bait
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17 hours ago, J.Sid said:

The possibility of a new and awesome Art Day....A lot of collectors love comic art more than they love money.

I used to think like this, but I’ve become more cynical recently.

i believe it’s done to inflate the value of their piece while undervaluing yours, in order to create a valuation discrepancy and take advantage of some lesser experienced collectors 

Edited by jjonahjameson11
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18 hours ago, Will_K said:

I know some people will take cash and/or trade.  But some people seem to insist only on trades.  Why ?

Is it to get people to offer art from those black hole collections ? 

Avoiding declared income ?

What else ?

 

They don't need cash.  It's not the point.  FMV, sure, need that, but trade fits in with specific nostalgia points for collectors and trade has leverage and, honestly, entertainment value.

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And a high bar, but still just a bit more inviting than "NFS."  Might try it out for a piece or two of mine that I know has good FMV, but that I don't adore.  Adding the qualifier "(for something really good)" to discourage lowballs.  }:-)

Wouldn't send first unless it's someone I know or a dealer, though.

Edited by exitmusicblue
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I've never successfully completed an original art trade before (or even considered it) - would love to hear success stories.  For me, it seems like anything I'd want out there would be some kind of cash purchase anyway.  I also can't imagine I have any real groundbreaking trade bait in my collection either.  Maybe the few things I have that are tradeable are so niche it'd be hard to trade them straight up for other things I want.

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59 minutes ago, shady64 said:

I've never successfully completed an original art trade before (or even considered it) - would love to hear success stories.  For me, it seems like anything I'd want out there would be some kind of cash purchase anyway.  I also can't imagine I have any real groundbreaking trade bait in my collection either.  Maybe the few things I have that are tradeable are so niche it'd be hard to trade them straight up for other things I want.

You never know. I have been looking for some Tom Grummett Superboy pages with the Phantom Stranger on them for years, and they can't be expensive. I just don't know where they are.

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Personally, I have been trying to snatch a nice V for Vendetta page for quite some time and have offered my Sandman page(s) in trade: why, you ask? Because I know that if I sell my Sandman, waiting for the right V page, I will end up with no money (as I will probably spend it over the months/years) and no art. I would agree to sell my Sandman if the V page is immediately avaiilable from another collector, but that is not going to happen easily. This is my personal point of view, but I am sure it is very common.

 

 

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I've participated in at least two three-way deals over the years in which everyone got something they desired. Although they can take many months or more to hammer out.

But to stay on point even though it may be a long-shot there are times trade is only way to pry a piece away...

 

Edited by 35CentEra
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