tth2

So long as some people continue to consign to Clink for whatever reason (e.g., lower fees), then bidders will have no choice but to continue to monitor auctions there if they're after those pieces. As we've seen with much smaller comic/OA auction sites like Hake's or Goldin, consignments might never completely dry up, but they might start falling short of the critical mass necessary to be a really attractive auction venue. In the case of Hake's or Goldin, without their sugar daddies making or coercing their buddies to make (relatively) big ticket consignments, maybe their comic/OA auction business really would be dead. As a longtime player in the comic hobby, Clink will probably always have a presence and can do well within its segment of the market. There's nothing wrong with occupying the lower end segments of an industry so long as you understand that that's your segment and run your business accordingly. Being Motel 8 or Best Western and occupying the lower end of the hospitality market is fine so long as you understand your clientele and set your opex/capex accordingly. It's when you're Motel 8 but think you're Hyatt that you get into trouble. So I would say that Clink's lack of investment in its infrastructure indicates that they understand their segment very well, are happy to operate in it and don't aspire to be something more than they are.

I would imagine that someone who can pay $5m for a book is able to arrange to take delivery in a state (or country) that doesn't have sales tax.

Very good, you immediately spotted what this catalog was for! You'll have to get in line behind me for the books, but you can have the car.

A thread to complain about Clink? I'd say that it hasn't even scratched the surface yet!

Stay the course (with the lower seller fee). While people may look at the catalog, ultimately they look at the online listings to bid. Also, I think anyone who is interested in the item from the catalog based on the description "Romita Sr prelim of the DF Spidey/Goblin poster" will realize that the picture of a Superman drawing is an error and check it on the web.

At least the catalog has images, that's a big step forward At the rate CC are going, their catalogs (and maybe online listings) are going to look like old school mail order catalogs soon.

Geez, on top of everything else, Rob was also in charge of the mailroom?!

He must've been one of BWS's big influences.

Seems to be doing a good imitation of a Promise book.

I just look at the counter that says how many days/hours until the item goes live, so the change doesn't really affect me.

Or maybe it's the venue. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few pages in the current Heritage Signature auction go for more. The Sandman #1 page in the current Heritage auction, which also doesn't feature Morpheus (not really) and is not as dramatic or key a page as the CC page, is already at $16,800.

I loved Grell when I was a kid, but his art hasn't aged well, in my opinion.

Wow, that is a pretty low price for that page! Maybe one can justify it because Morpheus isn't in the page, but it's a key page.

Not just a "strong" page, but maybe the best Graham BP page ever.

Honestly, I don't even care as I couldn't be bothered to look up the grader's notes for a book I have no intention of buying, I was just amused by people complaining about a CGC technical problem on the CGC boards and it never occurred to them to just ask someone at CGC to look into it. If it turns out that everyone was just entering the number in the wrong interface, then I am truly angry about the cumulative 10 minutes of my life that I've wasted.

Thanks Mike.

The price defense force is strong.

I do wonder if the abundance of Sandman art over the past few years will artificially suppress prices to some extent. At the moment, it's sure not looking like it! Prices are already strong despite it being still early in internet bidding, and seemed to have taken a jump following the Gaiman auction.

My recollection is that people who already owned a certain book or wanted to sell a book were delighted by rises in the Guide, while those who didn't already own it and wanted to buy one were angered by rises in the Guide. It seems incredible that such a dichotomy could exist, and yet it's true!

Thanks Mike, but the question is why does putting in the serial number in CGC's system result in the following?

I was scrolling through this auction a few days ago, if you're a BA/Copper OA collector it's absolutely packed. If you're a Sandman OA collector, it's packed (again).

That's odd, but the graders notes are listed on the HA listing for the item, which look accurate as far as what's visible in the scans. This rather strange and critical inconsistency in the CGC serial number for the Kansas City copy of Action Comics 1 was already alluded to in a post by our very own master sleuth hiself, i.e. @MasterChief, in the ASM 252 thread earlier last month: We're literally posting on a CGC message board. Can't someone just ask Mike or someone else at CGC what the story is?

Why would people store their valuable art in a seismically active place like SF?