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Xatari

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Posts posted by Xatari

    Sellers misrepresenting artwork

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 5/4/2024 at 8:28 PM, Shaun Hill said:

    I thought it was a good purchase.  Congratulations on bringing this one home. Regardless of who the inker was, in my mind, Cockrum was reason enough to grab.  As I am looking at pieces from him in comparison to his contemporaries, this seemed like a really nice example at a fair price.

    Same.  Awesome grab @Sooners151.  I only own one page by Dave Cockrum, but it's one of my favorites I have picked up in the last several years.  

    Dilemma - Another collector had prelim to my piece inked, latest owner says mine is a blueline with no pencils

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 4/7/2024 at 8:19 PM, malvin said:

    Thanks Jason, especially on doing all that comparison work. I don't think he is angling for resale, he just believes what the auction listing said. He doesn't even believe the Kevin Maguire note, he says too bad we won't have a chance to show Kevin Maguire both pieces at once

    Malvin

    @malvin knows the owner has not claimed his piece as the published version and has privately communicated this with him. Malvin also knows this piece is nostalgic for the owner who was happy to share his new acquisition as a badge of pride.  They communicated via private correspondence.  This idea of having to keep fighting an ongoing battle is a moot point.  Rather than stay silent about this, if Malvin just acknowledged this took place in his private conversation with the owner it would help deescalate this thread. Moreover, Malvin, if you really felt this was a burden you didn't want to carry, you could either have bought the other piece or sell your own as others have shared. 

    Further, mentions of grooming, gambling, and suicide followed by insults of another piece in this collector's portfolio are beyond too far. Grow up.

    Dilemma - Another collector had prelim to my piece inked, latest owner says mine is a blueline with no pencils

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    A new collector posted a piece he was excited about and several from the community jumped all over his post saying he was positioning it as something he wasn't.  He never claimed his was the published version and simply pasted what the auction description stated.  I know we all are quick to opine about art in the hobby, but we also tend to eat our young.

    I reached out and suggested if he was unhappy with his purchase based on the description that he should contact Comic Link.  He likes the piece as it has nostalgia for him.  Friends, we are talking about a $1500 piece, not a Secret Wars 8 page at $3MM+.  I don't know many sub $2k pieces that warrant three pages of forum thread and continued replies on his FB thread (until he deleted it) or CAF (which continues to receive replies).  I can see why he would feel on the defensive.

    Maybe time to move on.  

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    Dilemma - Another collector had prelim to my piece inked, latest owner says mine is a blueline with no pencils

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    Hey @malvin I do not know if the new owner is on these boards, but he has become friend of mine over the past few months and just got into the hobby.  I assured him you and others who had commented had no ill intent and have excellent reputations in the hobby.  I do think the Comic Link listing was misleading, and it definitely lends a negative experience for a new collector excited to land a nostalgic piece.  I've been there myself as have many others who have chimed in.  Such a bummer when that happens, especially early on.  Best to just have empathy and move on while we use the experience to make new friends through the process. I feel for both of you in the situation.

    My First Appearance listings on Heritage - key pieces at all price ranges

    in Original Comic Art Marketplace

    Posted

    Hi all,

    These items are #offeredelsewhere and are currently live on Heritage for their upcoming Signature/Platinum auctions. 

    We are talking a wide variety of pages including several major keys like Marvel Spotlight #5 (Ghost Rider), X-Men #49 (Mesmero and Polaris), and Vengeance of Bane #1 (Bane). 

    Please take a look at the link below and use the Track button to keep an eye on any pieces in which you may be interested. 

    I don’t sell pieces from my collection often, but recently picked up two big pieces I’ve been after for years and need to pay off. I’ve only ever opened up my vault to this degree on one other occasion when considering a real estate purchase. I hope you enjoy the selections!

    https://comics.ha.com/c/search/results.zx?dept=1938&mode=live&auction_name=7369&consignor_no=110&type=friend-consignorlive-notice

    Heritage Online vs Catalog

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 3/23/2024 at 7:56 AM, timguerrero said:

    I usually look at Signature Auction items online but this time I went through the catalogue first. Your auction is not the only one that got a wrong picture in the catalogue I at least noticed 1 more with this error. In both instances the picture that was published is of a previous lot. As others have stated I would take the lower fee (and would try to ask them for an even lower fee than they've offered before accepting). Relisting will only cost you more money if you have taken an advance and people really mostly look at items online as you can get a bigger picture and a look at the complete page instead of only the cropped image.

    Yes, I saw that too.  There are two Jim Cheung pieces that show the same image for both in the catalog, but online has them correct.  One is a DPS from Young Avengers #12, and the other is a single interior page. 

    Comiclink

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 3/22/2024 at 8:21 AM, Sean I said:

    Lucky Baru does have your numbers on the point that for as much as you all cluck most of you still use it.  At least the Nerdcrawler guy puts up an effort rather than this endless armchair retreading.

    I think one can use an application and still want more from it. I never said I won’t buy on Clink. Quite the contrary. I buy from them. I would just never sell big ticket items with them. 

    I want Comic Link to do well. I want competition in the market to elevate the experience for us all. The difference I see with Comic Link vs their competition is their ownership refuses to listen and act on end user feedback. 

    Comiclink

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    My insider knowledge is simply this, I have personally missed over 10 pieces this year on which I would have likely been a bidder had stronger reminders been in place. When auction houses are after my money, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”. 

    Josh’s brilliance? Could be, but I think it’s not big picture thinking. Clink generates a higher bid count for their pieces because they refuse to have a tracking system so as users have mentioned they manually track by placing a bid. In the end, if you are truly interested in research on this matter, you may hypothesize how many bids are viable contenders for the piece vs how many are simply voyeurs.  

    Comiclink

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 3/21/2024 at 7:04 AM, D Parker said:

    A bit of serendipity had two pa

    • Daredevil #213, page 7, Heritage Weekly Auction ending 3/20/2024: $3,120
    • Daredevil #213, page 8, Comiclink Featured Auction ending 3/6/2024: $5,650

    The two pages seem comparable to me - page 7 is a much better action page, but there's something to be said for the DD/Kingpin interaction on page 8.

    I think you nailed it.  Page 8 was a much superior page in my opinion.  Great portrayal with Kingpin and Daredevil.  The other page didn't have the same strength of DD images either.  Congrats on the sale!

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    Comiclink

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 3/21/2024 at 3:20 AM, Lucky Baru said:

    You post like you have an inside track on people not consigning with Comic Link.  What is the annual figure of lost sales, lost lots, and lost consigners that you have access to the data on?  Also, how is the “watch list” feature any different from placing tracking bids on items at Comic Link or HA.com?  I do it at both.  I can access both at any time during the auction in my account on both sites. Generally, the items I put a tracking bid on are the only items I’m interested in adding to my collection, so I don’t believe I’m missing out on anything at either site.  Apparently, your mileage is different.

     

    I definitely know many in the hobby have adapted to the system in place.  That said, the fact that you have to place a legally binding bid to track an item is archaic when a basic item tracker can be implemented. We can go back and forth on workarounds, but that is truly what they are... workarounds to a lazy and inadequate platform creating a subpar experience for the end user.  This shows up in the disparity between CLink hammer prices and Heritage hammer prices.  

    Also, these auction shareholders should want to get as many people watching and engaged as possible.  It's the reason emotional bidding happens at Heritage and can run up auctions well beyond what most would consider market value.  Heritage sends me text reminders on my phone when an auction I have tracked is about to come up.  Heck, even Comic Connect reps actually call me on the phone and remind me an auction is taking place later in the day.  For the prices of some of these pieces, those types of things are differentiators.  It signals to me these platforms have worked to earn my business if I decide to sell a piece.  

    I wouldn't be able to pinpoint the annual figure of missed opportunity as I don't have insider knowledge to Comic Link's internal conversations, but I am part of a relatively large group of collectors (20+).  I won't speak for my fellow group members, but the consensus in our conversations tends to be Comic Link is the place to buy and Heritage is the place to sell.  Our group is primarily consistent collectors with few pieces selling and lots of buying, but there are times when pieces need to be sold to fund other acquisitions.  I know the general amount of money spent by the typical collector in our crew, so when it does come time to sell, I can say with confidence that it would be a substantial miss for Comic Link given our small sample size alone.

    Comiclink

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by Xatari

    On 3/20/2024 at 3:50 PM, Lucky Baru said:

    People do a lot of complaining about Comic Link’s website and have for years.  It must affect them more than it affects Comic Link, and their regular clients as it isn’t updated.(shrug)
     

    Personally,  I’m glad they don’t change it.  I know how to use it, and the lack of “surprises” is refreshing.  Trying to figure out any “latest and greatest” features would be a turnoff for me.  At the start of an auction, I put in tracking bids on what I’m interested in.  I schedule the end of the auction in my phone.  I get a reminder 24 hours ahead of the auction close date on my phone.  It is a simple and effective way for me to participate as a bidder there.

    Very simple to automate from their end.  It's awesome that you figured out your rhythm here, but they lose a lot of bidders who don't do this.  It's money on the table for both their consignors and their own profit.  I was telling a friend, any new owner could instantly gain a 10-20% increase to their bottom line by simple "Watchlist" and "Reminder" options.  Because they won't invest in their own business, I don't feel comfortable trusting them with mine if I sell a piece down the road.  

    Heritage Auctions Apr 4-7 2024

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 3/16/2024 at 9:35 AM, tth2 said:

    If you're a Sandman OA collector, it's packed (again).

    I do wonder if the abundance of Sandman art over the past few years will artificially suppress prices to some extent. Very possible we could see a drought down the road followed by an uptick. Full disclosure: I do not own Sandman art or have plans on purchasing. I am just trying to be a student of the hobby and am highly interested in trend analysis.