John E.

PUBLISHED Sandman Mystery Theater #42, p. 16. Art by Guy Davis

PUBLISHED Batman: Saga of the Dark Knight, card #84 (Skybox, 1994). Pencils: Graham Nolan; inks: Scott Hanna

Thank you. That was quite helpful.

How does the Fed accomplish this? Tax hikes?

Sold something on eBay today! Thank you, thank you all for coming, but the party is now over!

This is more like a Year in Review for 2021. The upside to the rise of OA is that I'm getting more out of my pieces when I sell and since most of my acquisitions are under $1k and I can really make that stretch. Selling at both Comic Art Live shows has been integral at that. I acquired 16 pieces this year. Of those 16, I've publicly posted 7, which are: After 8 years of searching, I finally acquired a Knightfall page with Bane on it. Art by Jim Aparo (also my first Aparo). I finally got a published Bane piece by Graham Nolan (well, sort of) featuring the Breaking of the Batman. I think this may be my first trading card art, too. I added another Bane sketch by an artist who worked on him before or during Knightfall. It is also my first Travis Charest. So pretty much this was the year of Knightfall for me, with that stuff getting harder to harder to find (outside of HA) these days. I have a lot of nostalgia for the Golden Age Sandman from Sandman Mystery Theater and I can't believe the ease I went through to get one. Finally a Darwyn Cooke Catwoman piece! This one had my name written all over it. I love Gilbert Hernandez's art but I've never found a L&R piece of his that I'd drop money on. Oh, but his story in Sensation Comics feat. Wonder Woman has long been on my checklist. I finally got one off Comic Art Live. The years 2004-2005 are nostalgic years for me and I finally got a Marvel page from that era. Just in time for the character's alter ego appearance in the movie universe! What I haven't posted includes: Two Marvel title splashes from 1991 4 Marvel interior pages from the 90s A copper age Marvel page I traded a dealer for during November's CAL A DC page from an issue #1 from a 1988 mini A Black Panther specialty piece by Billy Graham We all have OA collector-friends who enable our addiction and are integral to getting art that we otherwise couldn't without an assist, and this year, friends have helped me out a lot. Those friends include Roger K. from whom I acquired the SMT piece and the Cooke sketch. Turns out we live not far from each other so it was easy-peasy pick up. On that note, after a year of isolation in 2020, it was nice to have lunch with @Weird Paper(Roger K.) and @MyNameIsLegionand head out to Roger's house for an art pick up and view his amazing collection. Another great friend has been Jason S. who let me exploit the labor he put in finding art and pick up a few pieces through his deals. He also brokered another sale between The Billy Graham Estate and me. But lastly, this is what he did to help me get some art. There was an eBay auction for two pieces of art inside one huge museum-quality frame. The seller wanted $200 for shipping. But according to his location, Jason lived "only" 45 minutes from the buyer and offered to pick up the art for me. So I contacted the seller and he agreed to a local pick up if I won. Well, now I had a $200 advantage over all other bidders (sucks that it has to come down to that unfair advantage) and this thing was mine to lose, which I didn't. Jason did the pick up, took the art (and comic) out of the frame, and safely shipped it to me. I spent about $50 in the costs for shipping. Such friends! The downside to 2021 was that I received two separate art pieces that were damaged during the shipment. On one of them, I only received a fraction of the insurance claim. The other was sent Priority Mail without insurance. Also: first the good, I was in contact with a well-known dealer in the U.K. giving him art estimates, when it turned out he had a grail cover from my childhood and offered it up to me for "only" $12K. I really wanted it, I should've been its caretaker, but ultimately I don't swim in the 5-figure pool. Sure I have the art to cover it, but I'd have lot of 'splaining to do to my wife and the triggering a tax event would only cost me more. Sad about it, but it is what it is. Maybe when the kids are older and I can pull the trigger on a gun like that. I'm one of those collectors who rely on eBay and PayPal to fund my HOBBY (OA is not my business). With the new 1099-K law it'll be interesting to see what art will come without the funds I'm used to spending.

This is the year that I start chasing those leads I've always been afraid to. I'm going to continue shaking more trees, doing a lot more trading, and just get more creative raising funds for art. I'm going to have to stretch out that dollar so this may be the year I go all-budget pieces and not pick up anything for over $1k.

Just seeing this thread now. I’m rooting for Gene. I don’t think you need to sell anything to grab this one, Park. I think you can swing it. I know it’s easy to spend someone else’s money, but as a G.I. Joe art fan this one is going to be about $350k.

My outlook for 2022 sees more growth with a lot exuberance to the point of irrationally. I look forward to spending more time with FRIENDS & FAMILY. This year is going to take off like a gaZELLE. They say “Mo’ money, mo’ problems,” but to them I say, “VENMO money, less problems.”

^ this

George’s news broke my heart. I never got a chance to meet him either but I always heard he was the kindest and gentlest man. When it’s my time to go, I hope I can go with half the courage and dignity George Pérez has.

Too bad this thread got derailed. Perhaps I should've kept it buried. I'm also interested in doing some resto work so I contacted Eclipse Paper mentioned here. Their website says they do free estimates so I requested one many weeks and never heard back. They may or may not be in business. If anyone has used them recently, it'd be great to know.

Leave the search box blank. Select “Sunday.” Select “For Sale.” Obviously you can also use it for Saturday only and sold.

Just make sure you post it in the “Original Art Marketplace” forum and not here.

I put in a half-hearted effort to sell before the last 24 hours of posting because I don’t have much else left to sell. The first three shows depleted my inventory and with no comic-cons before the recent revivals, I just haven’t had the opportunity to replenish. In the last 24 hours I cobbled together a few pieces I had forgotten about, scanned them Saturday morning, and I was posting literally to the last minute. For anyone who pays attention to who sells what and for how much, the two Batman pieces I had up were mainly for show to give folks a reason to visit my booth. I’d rather keep them than sell them and so they had “aspirational” pricing. It was the price to pay to pry them out of my hands. Hey, at least they were fresh to market. But relatively to other comparable pieces, my price tag wasn’t as egregious as others. Otherwise, you just don’t know what market value is nowadays. You could possibly leave a lot of money on the table. Honestly, I’m less concerned with that than having my wares be bought out to dealers and known flippers. I don’t want to make it profitable to them. I ended up selling 7 out of 14 pieces. I only made about 10% of what I made the first and third show, but it pays down my art tab. Every single sale I made was $80 or under. There’s a need for that cheap art. I’m happy to provide it. Other than that, I made a trade with a dealer. My cover for his interior. Very happy with my get. Lastly, I believe I eventually browsed through every piece of art on the Sunday drop thanks to the handy search function. I did it piecemeal over the morning and afternoon. I just can’t dedicate another 2 hours (3 hours on Saturday) sitting in front of the computer shopping for art with my wife and kids at home. So please post the good stuff on Saturday.

Do you have to be a registered business to file a schedule C?

I'm not a tax guy, but I've read a lot about this in preparation for 2023. It's my understanding that if you mark this "extra" revenue as a hobby, you can make deductions as long as your deductions don't exceed your revenue. If it does, which is to say, you're hobbying at a loss, you can't deduct your losses elsewhere on your taxes. BUT if you are a business you can deduct your losses. Again, not a tax guy. As stated, this is such a colossal headache. And yes, it's not just eBay, but all marketplaces like etsy, facebook mp, paypal, venmo if using goods and services option. Anyone knows if this applies to Zelle? All I know is that this is going to take the fun out of the hobby.

I have not received one in the manner that you have and it's likely because eBay already has my info. Does the message specifically mention that a 1099k will be generated for your 2021 sales? Because, no, that shouldn't be. I'm wondering if they are flagging accounts that already have over the $600 threshold in sales this year and have not given up their SSN, eBay thinking that those sellers are also going to make over $600 in sales in 2022, thus get them now.

Auctions end tonight! After Life with Archie #7 currently stands at $1.75 + shipping. Mystery in Space #47 --no bids received yet. Take it home just the cost of shipping! Tales from the Crypt #1 repint - currently stands at 74 cents!!! + shipping. I also have some cool original art on auction. A Predator page with Aliens by Chris Mooneyham Lucha Libre wrestler by Warner Bros. Animation storyboard artist, Rafael Navarro A lot of 5 sketches by Chris Ware, Jeff Smith, Jeffery Alan Love + more!

I put up three comics on auction starting at a penny. Ends the evening of November 7. Thanks for looking or bidding! After Life with Archie #7 - Lingerie variant - signed by Andrew Pepoy Mystery in Space #47 (1958) - early Silver Age sci-fi - Gil Kane cover Tales from the Crypt #1 - 1991 Russ Cochran reprint

Now that’s pretty interesting. I’d read that.

Agreed! Man, I think I know more LGBTQ folks than not. Lately I've been feeling like a minority that I'm going to start demanding my equal rights. Seriously. I agree with the lack of storytelling here. I mean what new can be done with Superman? I quote Gilbert Hernandez who said to me once, and I paraphrase, "Being invulnerable is pretty boring." I guess my point of contention is that I don't see this publicity stunt as having a "shock effect." Having a LGBTQ person in my life is pretty normal (see above). Nothing shocking about that. It pretty conservative if you ask me. I already check out with each Superman costume change. I prefer--and always will--the Superman of my childhood, drawn by the likes of Curt Swan, and especially Ricardo Giordano, who knew how to draw manly men. I prefer the skin tight blue spandex, the little red bootay-huggers, the rock hard abs, the strong jaw topped off with that greasy hair curl, just as much as the next guy. If DC really wanted to be woke and write a story that reflected real life, then they should make a storyline that has Jonathon Kent juggling two secret identities. The first challenge would be hiding his Superman identity to the world. The second challenge would be hiding his Bi identity from his dad, Clark Kent. Why? Because he's overhead his dad call DeSaad a "f-----" (the "f" word) on multiple occasions. He doesn't know how his dad would react. But his dad does find out going through Jon-Jon's search history. He gets angry. He flies (drags) his son Jonathon to the Fortress of Solitude where he uses those green phallic gems to strip Jon of his powers (that's already charged symbolism so I won't go further than that). Let's call it a "conversion therapy" gem. But that's still not enough for Clark. He says, "I'll be darned if a son of mine is a f----" and kicks Jonathon out of the house. With nowhere to go and destitute, Jonathon Kent is forced to turn tricks across the street from the Hall of Justice. Most of his johns are super powered villains and heroes. Some of those heroes play straight characters in the comics. Such as, let's say, Peacemaker, to take advantage of the The Suicide Squad movie popularity and to promote his upcoming HBO Max show. When Peacemaker is done with his business, he tells Jonathon, "You disgust me. What you do disgusts me." Finding a discarded crow bar in the motel room, Peacemaker beats Jonathon within an inch of his life, because that's what we did to Jason Todd's Robin, right? In a Batman crossover, Batman (or one of his many iterations; I can't keep track anymore) investigates this crime because the police won't be bothered. Bats deduces Peacemaker as the culprit, apprehends him, turns him over to the police, who charge him with a misdemeanor and is released. Back to the Superman book. Jonathon recovers from his injuries after a three-month hospital stay and several reconstruction surgeries. Two months later he commits suicide. Jon just couldn't live in a world where is rejected by his dad, family, and readers. Though I'd put this in my pull list. Where I draw the line is if Jim Lee tried to push a Batman book set in a multiverse where in that universe, Batman is Prince. And speaking of annoying costume changes. Bat-Prince (he's really a prince in this universe, that's how he can afford all his haute couture) wears a costume consisting of a fish-net Batman midriff, knee pads, knee-high white tube socks, and roller blades. No cowl. Just some shades. No, sir, Mr. Jim Lee. I do not want this book. Not. At. All.

That Tex Ghost Rider pinup is certifiably fall fresh.

And SOLD

I know there’s no interest in Darkhawk storyline cards, but I thought I’d share this anyway since I just sold it this week. Art by Mark Texiera